This incredible place is home to a highly respected orangutan sanctuary, which is very popular with backpackers from around the region. My trip to Bukit Lawang also adds to my adventures to what I reckon must be the three of the most remote pieces of primary rainforest in all of Indonesia: Komodo National Park and Tangkoko National Park.

I made my way to Bukit Lawang as part of a small group with Expedition Jungle (whom I recommend wholeheartedly) and it was a 4 hour private mini bus journey from Medan. There are plenty of options to travel to Bukit Lawang. Along the way there is some beautiful scenery, easily superior to anything you will see in more touristy parts of Indonesia like Bali. However, there are many flooded roads and innumerable potholes in these roads, and it makes the journey a very haphazard affair! However, I felt safe enough in the hands of some local guides who were part of my tour group. Although I was travelling solo, on this expedition I was with two other young couples, so I was kind of the odd one out, but it didn’t feel that way as everybody was super-friendly!

The scenery on the way to the orangutan scenery was utterly spectacular. The sounds of the jungle were captivating, if a little frightening, but our small team trod carefully to the feeding platform awaiting us at Bukit Lawang. Depending on what time of year you arrive in the Gunung Leuser National Park, the rivers flowing here may be at extremely high levels, which can make your adventure wilder. The rains in the wet season also makes any potential trip north to the elephant camp at Tangkahan all the more difficult.


Almost everyone will come to Bukit Lawang for the sole reason of seeing the orangutans. There are rehabilitation centres here, but also many of these orangutans live in the wild, one of only two places in the entire world where they still roam free – the other place is in Borneo. Much of their habitat is being destroyed so it is a good opportunity to see these amazing creatures in the wild before they become extinct (expected to be within 20 years). It was a pleasure to see them up close and personal. I sometimes have reservations about getting close to them, as they are supposed to be allergic to some Human germs, but we were with a very good guide who seemed very professional.
It costs 150,000 Rupiah per person to attend the orangutan feeding sessions at the sanctuary. That is on the expensive side, so you may wish to skip the feeding session altogether and go on a jungle trek, where you will probably see the orangutans anyway. Feeding sessions last for an hour (a morning session and an afternoon session), and if you want to bring a camera, that will be another 50,000 Rupiah!
The Sumatran orangutan can live up to 50 years and can grow to about 4.6ft. Compared to their Bornean cousins, Sumatran orangutans are thinner and have longer faces, plus their hair is longer with a slightly more pinkish colour. Wild Sumatran orangutans are also known to be extremely clever, and they have been observed using branches of leaves as an umbrella to shield themselves from the monsoon!
Not everybody comes to Bukit Lawang to see the orangutans – and certainly not everyone will want to pay the extortionate prices to feed them. In fact, I met many people who had been here for around 2 weeks, and they were just enjoying the food, drink, and merry atmosphere of the place. As long as you don’t mind jungle accommodation (and magic mushrooms), then you could really make Bukit Lawang your home, as there is plenty to do here apart from seeing the orangutans, as I found out myself!
I am so glad to see the pictures. A really good job.
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Thanks for reading. I have so many photos from my travels, choosing the rights ones to post is difficult! Sumatra was my second favourite ‘island’ of Indo, apart from Rinca.
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Funny that I am also updating my blog on my visit to Medan/Toba. Yes, I agreed with you. Ambarita Village is the place to see how the local lives. And the view of Toba will forever mesmerized me 🙂
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Yeah, Lake Toba has a special feel about it. The Batak villages were awesome. I saw similar architecture in Sulawesi, but the location of Toba is just perfect!
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I originally came from Medan and I can say you did a great job covering the local’s favorite weekend getaways. Toba and Berastagi are up there on the list. Some people enjoyed going to Padang or Sabang, though that would require 1 hour domestic flight to reach.
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Thanks for dropping by! I have heard of Padang, isn’t that city very famous for its food? Anyway, not had the chance to get there yet, and I don’t know if I will ever go back to Sumatra, but with air travel in Indonesia so cheap, who knows? Lake Toba was full of young Indonesians on a little getaway, must be very popular even with the locals.
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Food, yes. But also the traditional houses and beautiful Sianok Canyon.
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Hi Lee.
I’ve just been reminiscing about my time in Bukit Lawang with these gorgeous creatures whilst writing my own post/guide to the area – it was one of my favourite places.
I can’t believe how close you seemed to have got judging by some of your photos. Interesting facts and snaps of Medan, too!
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Thanks Kim! I had a great guide in Bukit Lawang that allowed me to take some clear pics. It was a fantastic experience! 🙂
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