3.5 hours drive from Medan Airport, trough vast rubber and oil palm plantations, you’ll reach Bukit Lawang. One of the main access points to the Gunung Leuser National Park. Bukit Lawang is known for the largest animal sanctuary of Sumatran orangutan with around 5,000 orangutans occupying the area.

Upon arrival in Bukit Lawang, the guide will welcome and walk with you passed the small local market to one of a few metal suspension bridge in the village to get you across Bohorok river where your accommodation is. The bridge might look intimidating, but it’s really safe to use. Few meters walk from the bridge you’ll reach Thomas Retreat. 

On your trekking day, you’ll have a short briefing before you start trekking into Gunung Leuser National Park, one of the 2 remaining habitat of Sumatran Orang Utan. An Orang Utan rehabilitation center was build and operating in 1973 for 29 years before it stopped operating in 2002. There’s commonly about 18 different species of inhabitants can be seen in the national park ranging from Sumatran Orang Utan, Sunda slow loris to Red Giant Flying Squirrel. You’ll have a chance to spot a couple of them in the wild. 

At the end of your trekking, you’ll cross a river for a peaceful lunch picnic away from the monkeys. With that being said, besides making sure that you’re in a good shape for the trekking, it’s also worth to make sure you have comfortable, non slippery trekking shoes with good grip, some you don’t mind to get wet and muddy. Once its time to go back, we are not gonna make you walk. Instead, we’ll do it the fun way. We raft down the river back to our accommodation with a local raft,made from big rubber tubes that is tied up together and float down the stream. exciting way to end the day.

The fun continues on the second day. What better way to see the real life of a different culture if it’s not by visiting the places that brings local together? For what has been planned for you today, the guides will need to get enough supply. Together with the guide you’ll visit a local market of fresh produce. Walk around and see the raw and real life of the village while your guide getting the necessities.We’ll have a few minutes drive to the starting point and trek through a local village and rubber plantation area towards the river where we’ll spend our day enjoying a picnic by the river and BBQ the local style. Eat, swim, splash, or just enjoy the sun. After the relaxing day, we’ll walk back through the earlier starting point and drive back to the village.

A visit to Bukit Lawang is a wonderful experience for those who wish to experience seeing the Orang Utan in their natural habitat, escape from the city, quiet their mind and getting close to the nature.