Guide to GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK

One of the last strongholds for wild orangutans in the world, Gunung Leuser National Park has gotten attention recently by being featured on Netflix’s Barack Obama series: Our Great National Parks. This may have prompted you to look into the possibility of visiting the park during your stay in Indonesia, and rightly so. After spending three days and two nights in the jungles of Gunung Leuser National Park and having the opportunity to see wild orangutans in their natural habitat, I can say that the hurdles that need to be overcome to reach this destination are worth the lifelong memories that you will gain. This is a quick guide to travel to Gunung Leuser National Park, made after my visit in May 2022.

Is Gunung Leuser National Park worth visiting?

Yes, if you are lucky and understand that wildlife sightings are not guaranteed.
For me, Gunung Leuser National Park was worth the time and money to reach since I was fortunate enough to see and photograph wild orangutans. For years I had planned on visiting either Borneo or Sumatra to see these magnificent animals before they are inevitably driven towards extinction. However, this is never guaranteed as I found out when speaking with two disappointed German travelers that arrived at my jungle camp and had not seen any orangutans during their two days of trekking. Spotting orangutans is never guaranteed.

How fit do I need to be to trek in Gunung Leuser National Park?

As one my guide told me during my 3 day/2 night jungle trek, the only reason why the vast forests of Gunung Leuser National Park have not shared the same fate as the decimated jungles of Borneo is the landscape that one must overcome while trekking through it. Flat terrain is hard to come by in these jungles, where trekking involves hiking up steep and at times slippery hills, only to hike down the opposite side and hike up the following one, again and again until you reach your jungle camp. These challenging natural features are what made it impossible for palm tree plantations to be built and have natural resource exploration at bay. They also create a challenging environment for jungle treks, especially when factoring in the extreme humidity that you are faced with within the rain forest. That being said, I am not a regular hiker, and the two people that joined me on my trek had never done anything of the sorts before. As long as you understand that the treks will challenge you both physically and mentally (having to push yourself even when your legs begin to shake), anyone that has a reasonable level of fitness can do a jungle trek.

For those who don’t feel comfortable trekking for days in the jungle, there is always the option of doing a day hike within the park, which in many cases will still allow you to see orangutans without having the exert yourself too much. This is the option almost all Indonesians take, so keep in mind that the paths will be much busier and noisier.

What jungle trek tour is the best?

No matter what jungle trek option you take, the majority of the orangutans you will likely encounter will be at the entrance of the park. This is due in most part to the fact that the vast majority of Indonesians do not do jungle treks and in order for money to keep flowing towards this town, some local guides will entice the orangutans by giving them food. Although these are still very much wild orangutans, some are from the rehabilitation program that ceased in 2002, and are less afraid of human presence than the orangutans you may meet deeper within the park. That being said, here are the best options depending on your level of fitness and overall objectives. Note that all entrance into the park must be made with a guide, as they have experience in dealing with the animals in the park which can at times be hostile to guests.

Option 1: Day walk – Easy
The entrance of Gunung Leuser National Park can be accessed by almost everyone, with the biggest physical challenge being a long set of steep stairs that you must climb before reaching the park entrance. The day walk, not a trek since it is far from strenuous, will be spent going along paths that are well worn and easy to navigate with high chances of spotting orangutans in the trees. I saw the majority of the orangutans during my trek in this area. Note that this is the only option taken by the vast majority of Indonesians, meaning that depending on the day you are there it can be quite crowded and noisy, with some tourists bringing portable speakers for their walk in the wilderness. Typically, your guide will provide you a lunch during this day walk and you return to your accommodations in the afternoon. For me, I found that although this option did provide the cheapest and easiest way to potentially see orangutans, it did not offer the authentic challenge I felt was necessary for me to truly feel like I earned my orangutan spotting, with the orangutans I saw deeper within the jungle giving me more of a sense of accomplishment than the ones I saw within minutes of entering the park.

Option 2: 2 Day/1 Night – Challenging
This option gives you a taste of jungle adventure with a day spent trekking through the first section of the park that day tours visit, followed by the rest of the day trekking through the dense jungle to a jungle camp along a river, which you’ll be more than happy to wash and refresh yourself in after a day of sweating through all your clothes. This will serve as your home base for the night. The camp offers basic accommodations, with a tarp covered wooden structure keeping you dry and a bug net keeping the critters out. You will be sleeping on a very thin mattress and small pillow, so don’t expect to get the best sleep. Cooks which are there once you arrive will prepare various delicious local dishes for you to enjoy while sitting by the river enjoying the peacefulness of the jungle. The second day is spent trekking back to Bukit Lawang, with opportunities to spot more wild orangutans and other animals such as Thomas Leaf Monkeys. This is a great option for people who want to have a trekking experience but who are limited on time.

Option 3: 3day/2 Night- Challenging and best all around adventure
This option is the one I took and the reason I took it was because getting to Gunung Leuser National Park takes time and money and if you’re going to make it all the way there you may as well make a full adventure out of it. Another reason is the way you return to Bukit Lawang is different than how you would in option 2. This option takes you along the same way as the previous one, however the 2nd day is spent trekking up the river and into the jungles with the end goal of reaching a camp further away along the main river that leads to Bukit Lawang. During this day, I was fortunate enough to see a young female orangutan, along with gibbons and Thomas Leaf monkeys. The strain on your body will be felt much more on the 2nd day of trekking with your legs taking a beating going up and down the hills. The reward at the end of your journey however is a stunning camp site along a river frequented by many monkeys, where you can swim and bathe while being lulled into relaxation from the hum of the river and the sounds of the jungle. The camp here is slightly more built-up, with the mattress being a little more comfortable, along with better toilet facilities (though still very rudimentary). The 3rd day is spent relaxing by the river and visiting a nearby waterfall where you can swim and truly take in the surroundings. The journey back to town is by rafts made from tubes that you see the locals using when they float down the river for fun. This is an experience in itself, with the entire journey taking roughly 30 minutes going down a fast moving river with rapids, flowing through the towering jungles and offering more lifelong memories to cherish.

Getting to Bukit Lawang – Gunung Leuser National Park from Medan

Getting to Gunung Leuser National Park is one of the main challenges you’ll need to overcome. Getting to Gunung Leuser National Park will require you to fly to the city of Medan and from there travel to Bukit Lawang by one of the following ways.

Option 1: First and most expensive method is hiring a driver to take you to Bukit Lawang, the town that serves as the main entry point to the national park. This option will cost you roughly 700 000 IDR (price quoted to me in May 2022) and must be arranged ahead of time through either the hostel/hotel you will be staying at in Bukit Lawang, or the tour company that you will use. Though more expensive, this will afford you A/C on your drive there, a must faster drive than the alternative, the ability to bring all your luggage without any worry and can be a more affordable option if you’re traveling in a group. Furthermore, this option can allow you to be picked up from the airport directly, saving you the cost of staying in Medan, a city that doesn’t offer a tremendous amount of things to see for tourists.

Option 2: The alternative option is for the more adventurous travelers who are not afraid of traveling the local way. This means being one of roughly 20 passengers packed into an old van with no A/C. This journey will also be longer (roughly 4 hours) since you will be stopping along the way to pickup and drop off passengers and you will need to pack lightly as there is not much room for bags. I chose this option and to mitigate the amount of luggage I had with me, I left the bulk of my things at the hotel I stayed in Medan with the promise that I would spend the night I returned to the city at that same hotel. This allowed me to pack only the essentials in a backpack and have it on my knees during the drive. Since I had expensive camera equipment with me, I did not let them take my bag to store on the roof or in the trunk of the bus. Furthermore, this option means that you may encounter local scam artists that will try to make you pay a much higher price. BEWARE : YOU MUST ONLY PAY UPON ARRIVAL IN BUKIT LAWANG. Any person approaching you asking for money up front is trying to scam you, which can lead to an uncomfortable situation. Once again, this travel method is for those who are perhaps more capable or experienced travelers. However, I should mention that I traveled this way and had no issues, other than having to pay slightly more than the local rate, which still amounted to only 40 000 IDR, though this may vary depending on your driver.

Where and how to get the bus from Medan to Bukit Lawang

How to get the bus from Medan to Bukit Lawang: You will not be going to a bus terminal, as you would expect, but rather take a Grab Taxi to Mawar Bakery, here are the coordinates: Jl. Pinang Baris Medan No.261, Lalang, Kec. Medan Sunggal, Kota Medan, Sumatera Utara 20218, Indonesia https://goo.gl/maps/KbLGvBwY7ZJ2JoSj7 , make sure you select the one nearest to Pinang Baris Bus Terminal, since there are many Mawar Bakeries in Medan. On the side of the road close to this bakery is where you will find the buses that go to various locations. Look for the red or orange bus that shows Bukit Lawang on the window, tell the driver you want to go to Bukit Lawang and hop in. Best to choose a seat next to the window if possible and know that even if seats aren’t all taken upon leaving, they will all be filled up during the course of the journey. Remember, anyone asking you to pay ahead of time is trying to take your money.

Where to stay in Bukit Lawang

No matter where you stay in Bukit Lawang, you will only be able to reach your accommodation by foot, since there are only a few people that ride motorcycles along the narrow paths that serve as roads in the village. When choosing a place to stay in Bukit Lawang, keep in mind that depending on the tour you take you will only be staying there the first night you arrive in town and the night you return from your jungle trek. Obviously, if you want to stay longer in Bukit Lawang, that is a possibility since the town does have a certain charm to it, nestled along the river that serves as the natural border between man and jungle. Depending on your level of desired comfort, Bukit Lawang offers accommodation suited for all types of travelers. Things to keep in mind when booking accommodations are that some homestays/hostels do not have WiFi, some can arrange tours and expect you to arrange tours with them when booking at their location.
Find accommodations here : WHERE TO STAY IN BUKIT LAWANG
The only place I can truly recommend is Sahnan Guest House, the price is fair for the quality of the rooms, it has reliable WiFi and has a decent restaurant on-site. It is also located close to Gunung Leuser National Park entrance.