WHAT TO EXPECT
Dubbed as the Paris of Sumatra, Dutch colonial architecture has been preserved in Medan; the provincial capital of North Sumatera, which is a multicultural metropolis and a busy trading city bordered by the Strait of Malacca.
The luxuriant paradise of North Sumatra’s nature is the stuff of adventure books and has a huge range of plant and animal species. It’s a perfect site for all nature connoisseurs who are keen to explore the rainforest of Gunung Leuser National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northern Sumatera. It provides a relaxed atmosphere with endless jungle trails promising adventure and wildlife encounters including the extremely massive human-like apes, Orangutan.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Observing the legacies of Deli Sultanate
- Remains of Dutch reign
- Tropical Rain Forest and trekking in the jungle to observe endangered Orangutans in their natural habitat.
WHAT TO DO
03 DAYS / 02 NIGHTS
ORANGUTAN VISIT
Day 01: MEDAN’s AIRPORT – BUKIT LAWANG (LD)
| KNO – MEDAN | : ± 36 KM or | ± 1:15 hour |
| Medan – Bukit Lawang | : ± 92 KM or | ± 3:30 hour |
| Enroute stop | : | ± 2:45 hour |
| Total Hour | : 7:30 hour |
Upon arrival at the airport of KNO, proceed on highway heading through the suburban area to Medan; the provincial capital of North Sumatera for having a short sightseeing of the city visiting to the Great Mosque, which is the largest and most beautiful mosque in Northern Sumatera. Thence, one block to the west across the single-track railway is the Sultan’s Palace, which is also known as “Maimoon Palace” being the ceremonial palace of the Sultans of Deli with a Karo Batak Style called balai or open pavilion built to house the Meriam Buntung – the stub of an ancient iron.
Shortly afterwards, driving on the hustle of highway traffic of the Sumatra Highway to northwardly lead to Binjai being a small town known for its a Dutch built train station to head into the jungle where the route snakes north on occasionally potholed roads, past prolific irrigated rice fields before these give way to swathes of palm trees lining the road to Bukit Lawang known for being a site reposing in relaxed ambience on blissful and tranquil gaze as well as one of the main access points to the incredible rainforest of Gunung Leuser, which retains its natural beauty and possesses a very diverse flora and fauna including the last known refuge for the critically endangered; ORANGUTAN.
En-route stops at the plantation. Upon arrival in Bukit Lawang, either walk to the river’s side hotel or cross the river on a hanging cable plank bridge to the opposite hotel for accommodation and dinner. Lunch is served enroute.
NOTE
- ARRIVAL
The arrival should not be later than 10.30 A.M.
- ATTENTION
- GRAND MOSQUE
- Pax should dress neatly and conservatively, which cover arms & legs (no shorts or sleeveless T – shirts, please) for visiting.
- Entering Medan’s Grand Mosque:
- It is not allowed during the praying time, which is at 12.10 – 12.40 and 15.30 – 16.00
- Shoes off when entering the Mosque
- SULTAN PALACE
- Pax should dress neatly and conservatively, which cover arms & legs
- Entering Sultan Palace:
- Shoes off when entering the Palace
- Traditional customs for hire are available at own cost, which are at ± US$. 1.75/pax (subject to change)
- GRAND MOSQUE
- ROAD SURFACE
The road surface of the latter half of the journey, which is from Salapian; a plantation market district to Bukit Lawang is not in good condition. They are gravel bases road surface with potholes spanning the region traversing the tight plantation line. Flooded roads are common, and the poor quality of the roads is further worsened by the strain on the surface caused by the transit of heavily loaded trucks of oil palms owned by plantation. - BUKIT LAWANG
Bukit Lawang is a small tourist village on the bank of Bahorok River known for the largest animal sanctuary of Sumatran Orangutan and the main access point to the Gunung Leuser National Park from the east side.
According to the currently accepted guidelines for the quarantine and reintroduction of great apes, such as the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Guidelines for the Reintroduction of Great Apes and an Indonesian Governmental Ministerial Decree from 1995, confiscated orangutans should all pass a mandatory quarantine period in specialist facilities, meaning there can be no contact between the orangutans and tourists or other visitors. These regulations and guidelines are extremely important to avoid the risk of reintroduced orangutans competing for resources with and possibly spreading diseases to, an already Critically Endangered resident wild orangutan population.
In 1995, however, the Bukit Lawang Orangutan Rehabilitation Center was effectively closed as it no longer met the needs of international guidelines or Indonesian legislation covering orangutan reintroduction. The Orangutan site at Bukit Lawang is now called ORANGUTAN CARE CENTER as it stands for readjusting Orangutan to life in the wild, monitoring of wild orangutan populations and preserving the decreasing number of orangutan population.Again, please be well notified that there is no change at point of interest visiting Bukit Lawang. The change is made only to name of “REHABILITATION” to “CARE or SANCTUARY” due to the above reason. - FYI – ORANGUTAN
Orangutans are opportunistic foragers, and their diets vary markedly from month to month. However, they also browser and feed on wild fruit; wild mangoes & figs and consume many kinds of different wild food items that include young leaves, shoots, bark, insects, bird eggs and honey. Fruit makes up 65–90% of the orangutan diet and those with sugary or fatty pulp are favored. If they had enough food in the jungle, they would not go to the feeding platform.
Therefore, taking a TREKKING to the National Park for those who have enough time staying in Bukit Lawang is recommended and worth trying as Orangutans live a more solitary lifestyle and the sight of one of Orangutan swinging through the trees is unforgettable.
Again, one should not expect the drive up and snap ecotourism of East Africa. Good sightings of animals are the result of patience, a considerable investment of time and of course fortune.
Day 02: BUKIT LAWANG (BLD)
Full day trekking : ± 7:00 Hrs
Breakfast at lodge or hotel. Escorted by a local ranger with intimate knowledge of the surrounding rainforest, is very appropriate and most recommended for maximizing the chances of spotting the ‘men of the forest’ away from the former feeding station and other park’s primates in their natural jungle habitat.
After breakfast, leaving on foot crossing the river via a footbridge, past locals swimming and bathing to proceed walking uphill through the shade of immense rubber plantation on good trail system into the entrance of The National Park trekking winds up into to the woods involving stages corresponding to ridges traversed transferring from one ridge to another giving an up-close view of incredible scenery, which is more likely to see and observe the wild Orangutan and other wildlife, which may encounter include the endemic graceful dark grey & cream Thomas’ leaf monkey and the more prosaic long tailed macaque, flying squirrels, fowls and the vegetation or various tropical plants with its floral life including a tangle of enormous trees, twisting lianas, palms, ferns, forest moss and gigantic fig trees through the thick jungle with well-trodden paths to follow.
Then go further for a truly enthusiastic that tease the imagination where there is an awe-inspiring sensation in walking under the tropical rainforest being a subtle paradise of endless jungle trails to graduate the trek back to the hotel for accommodation and dinner. A picnic lunch is served enroute.
NOTE
-
WHAT TO BRING FOR TREKKING
(Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints):- Camera and binoculars.
There will be extra fee charged by the forestry dept for bringing A mini camcorder (video camera recorder) or handy cam, which is at Rp. 150.000 per mini camcorder/handy cam and at Rp. 50.000 per camera up to the feeding flat form or to the forest due to be regarded as promotion materials. These fees are to be collected & paid direct to Gunung Leuser National Park officials on the spot and they are not refundable for any reason. These fees are subject to alteration due to change of policy.
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Light clothes (including long trousers & long-sleeved shirt), sun hat or visor with a chin strap, secure head straps for sunglasses or eyeglasses (if worn), comfortable sturdy walking shoes, leach socks and rain poncho.
- Any personal medication which are taking regularly, such as chloroquine, prescription drugs, etc.
- Sun block cream to be used on exposed skin and insect repellent for those who are particularly sensitive to bug bites.
-
An unbreakable water bottle or a canteen which leaves both your hands free for trekking.
Note:
Climate is always very humid, and a pack of drinking water is strongly recommended. - A photocopy of your passport including the visa page.
- Camera and binoculars.
-
FEEDING TIME:
No more feeding time provided as again, it now stands for readjusting Orangutan to life in the wild, monitoring of wild orangutan populations and preserving the decreasing number of orangutan population.Therefore, taking a short TREKKING to the National Park instead is recommended and worth trying as Orangutans live a more solitary lifestyle. - REMARKS:
-
Orangutans could get particularly close in this area but please do not attempt to touch them as the risk of spreading disease (particularly from us to them) is high and as wild animals they are unpredictable and have been known to cause injuries in the past.
Especially, the bold grey macaques sit on the lawn in family group waiting for scraps, occasionally venturing closer to seize food or other belongings.
FYI:
Please don’t let this boldness raise our eyebrows as raising eyebrows is macaque body language for a challenge and it’s likely to find a large male advancing aggressively towards with bared teeth. - It has happened quite often that some people feed the wild animals with normal human food during a trek/rafting just to coax them to get closer and consequently they may become sick or even die.
No one should get close to or call or feed ANY of the animals. Even if it is ok by the locals, please tell others not to do it. -
The journey is quite physically demanding as the trek cuts a path through the ancient rain forest and high hills. If one starts feeling uncomfortable (not fit and healthy), one is welcome to stay at the hotel instead.
In case of insistence, pax may take young helpers as pax sees fit and recover the costs thereof from the pax. - Please use good judgment in protecting the beauty and solitude of the area. Again, please don’t leave anything behind and, better yet, pick up and remove any trash that others have discarded.
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Day 03: BUKIT LAWANG – AIRPORT (BL)
| Bukit Lawang – Medan via Toll Road | : ± 92 KM or | ± 3:00 hour |
| Medan – KNIA | : ± 36 KM or | ± 1:15 hour |
| Enroute stop | : | ± 1:00 hour |
| Total Hour | : 5:15 hour |
Morning is awakened by jingle tuning in a realm melody and roosters crowing. Breakfast at the hotel. At the appropriate time, the journey today takes us from the lush green jungles of Bukit Lawang through tidy, suburban hamlets with a neatly kept green lawn before it starts to give way with the road snaking upwards southwardly passing by the same vast rubber and oil palm plantation to Binjai, which is then
proceeded driving on the Toll Road back to Medan to proceed heading southeastwardly to another section of Toll road to exit at Kuala Namu Airport to catch the flight of onward destination. Lunch is served enroute.
NOTE:
DEPARTURE:
The departure should be later than 15.00 P.M.
Tour Ends
PRICE/PAX:
- PACKAGE:
Validity: 01 NOV ’23 – 30 OCT ’24 PAX RATE/PAX 1 Rp. 7.225.000,00 2 Rp. 4.423.000,00 3 – 5 Rp. 4.144.000,00 6 – 9 Rp. 3.910.000,00 10 – 14 Rp. 3.340.000,00 15 – Up Rp. 3.180.000,00 SGL SUPL Rp. 850.000,00
- NOTE:
Please do apply the additional cost of high season surcharge at ± 20% from the cost for those who are staying on “CONSECUTIVE HOLIDAYS, ONE WEEK BEFORE AND AFTER IED FITR, 25th Dec – 27th Dec and 30th Dec – 02nd Jan”.
ACCOMMODATION PROVIDED:
Bukit Lawang : Rindu Alam Hotel (Non*, STD) or Eco Lodge Bukit Lawang Cottage (Non*, SIAMANG or ORANGUTAN ROOM)
- Eco Lodge Bukit Lawang Cottage and Rindu Alam Hotel are two of the most recommended non-starred hotels as they’re easily accessible, prioritize agent-based relationship and owning numbers of room offered. They are being fine fanned standard rooms with basic facilities & private bath without hot water. The bathrooms have western toilet, although still require flushing with pails of water.
- They’re all located on the bank of the secondary forest, which looks on to the river and surrounded with dense vegetation and close to the border of a part of Gunung Leuser National Park. Although there is a healthy fear of man, some animals (macaques, insects and others are all around) can be a nuisance.
- Power failure is common, and voltage can fluctuate considerably.
INCLUDED:
- Nightly accommodation is based on twin sharing (except 01 pax is based on SINGLE OCCUPANCY) at designated category of room with daily breakfast.
NB:- Neither triple nor quadruple shared rooms are available due to size matter. However, if there is a request for triple room, hotel would like to provide 1 TWB + 1 Extra Bed and for quadruple room, hotel would prepare 1 TWB + 2 Extra Beds
- The extra bed, which is an additional single simple spring bed or mattress, would usually be placed on the floor as there were no other options of space.
- Transfer and sightseeing tour by ac–private vehicle with Dutch speaking guide
NB:
Confirmation of French, Spanish including Italian speaking guide in North Sumatra is subject to availability at a very early advance booking due to limited number.
- Assistance at the airport
- Any available admission/entrance fees to sites of interest stated.
- Specified meals with Indonesian menu, plain water and coffee or tea.
- Permit & local ranger for designated activity in Bukit Lawang
- Refreshment during sightseeing (2 bottles (medium size) of mineral water per person)
- And others as disclosed in the tour program.
EXCLUDED:
- Flight tickets & airport taxes
- Donations
- Gratuities/tips and Personal expenses
- Peak season surcharge and others not mentioned above.
CHILD POLICY (02 – 12 YEARS OLD & TRAVELLING TOGETHER WITH PARENTS):
- Child under 02 years of age is free of charge, except for activities.
- Child in Twin Sharing: 10% discount from adult price
- Child with Extra Bed: 25% discount from adult price
- Child with no Bed: 50% discount from adult price
REMARKS:
- Photos
- They are used for illustrative purposes only.
- Share and Reuse under a free and open license as confirmed by the rightful.
- DRIVING TIME:
Driving time is subject to change due to traffic or road conditions and the duration of stay at one object visited.