Gunung Leuser: 2-Day Orangutan Trek & Jungle Camp

5.00

(7 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“Did you hear that?” our guide whispered, just as something rustled above us. I’d barely finished my cup of sweet coffee at the homestay in Bukit Lawang when he showed up with this easy grin and a bag of fruit. We set off early into Gunung Leuser, still foggy from the night rain — everything smelled green and alive. Within an hour, we spotted our first orangutan swinging lazily overhead. I swear my heart stopped for a second. The guide (I keep forgetting his name — Sardi? Sorry!) pointed out how they move so quietly, even though the branches creak like old doors.

The trek itself wasn’t what I expected — there were options for easier or steeper trails (I picked the “not heroic” one). Every now and then we’d stop to peel rambutans or just listen to gibbons calling out somewhere deeper in the forest. Sardi told stories about Thomas leaf monkeys and how locals can tell them apart by their mohawks (which is true — they look like tiny punk rockers). Lunch was wrapped up in banana leaves, sticky rice still warm somehow. My shoes were already muddy but honestly, it felt good to not care.

By mid-afternoon we reached the campsite by a river bend. The water was cold enough to make you gasp but after sweating all day, it was perfect. Dinner was cooking over a fire — noodles with vegetables and some spicy thing that made me cough and everyone laugh. At night we sat around watching sparks drift up into a sky so full of stars it almost looked fake. Someone played music quietly on their phone; I fell asleep listening to frogs and distant monkey chatter. In the morning, after breakfast, there was time to swim at a waterfall or just sit by the water doing nothing (which is harder than it sounds). We floated back to town on big tubes — I nearly tipped over twice but managed not to embarrass myself completely.

I didn’t expect how much I’d remember those little moments: orange fur against green leaves, wet socks drying by the fire, laughing at my own terrible Bahasa Indonesia. If you’re thinking about a day trip from Medan or want something real near Bukit Lawang, this orangutan adventure is worth every mosquito bite.