sumatra

Visit to the Jungle: Bukit Lawang

View from our porch at Green Hill Guest House, Bukit Lawang. Typical late afternoon: pouring rain.

Situated along the hard flowing Bohorok river at the edge of rainforest, it is a gateway for trekkers wanting to access the Gunung Leuser National Park. This is one of the last places you can see wild or semi/wild orangutans.

Foot path along the village that lines the river. Watch out for motorscooters though!

We have signed up for a full day trek in the jungle. We luck in with a knowledgeable  guide, Amen. Before entering the park we pass through a rubber plantation.

Amen explains the process of rubber sap collection while a worker cuts a thin strip of the bark with sap slowly flowing into cup.
Twists and turns in our trek like the paristic strangler fig on tree with is aerial roots
Critters along the way: large female working ant and pretty-faced peacock

…………..

Did you hear that? [Branches cracking, leaves shuffling]. We are in luck.

An orangutan very nearby. A very big guy.

Approaching

On second thought …

Big guy pauses 10 seconds mid way so be patient!

This area had a Rehabilitation Centre for captive Sumatran Orangutans from 1972 to 2002. The current population is well under 14,000, a decrease of 80% in the last 75 years.

(https://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/orangutans/population)

These animals are critically endangered, primarily due to logging and palm oil plantation expansion into their arboreal territory and to their slow reproductive rate.

More treasures of the jungle include a Thomas’ Langur (leaf monkey) and termites:

Left: termites don’t like rain so build tunnels; right: Thomas’s monkey “mother and child”.
Amen and Sada, from the Guesthouse, prepare a snack
Many ups, downs and roots on our trek
Another encounter with a mom and child. Offspring stay with their moms close to 5 years of age.

After a yummy late lunch of nasi goring, veggies and more fruit we take a swim in the river and then it’s a 20 minute tubing experience back into town.

Not us but same…a wet yet very fun end to our adventure.

A little sore the following day, we take it easy. At happy hour on our deck we get unexpected visitors quite determined to steal our snacks.

Little guy’s okay.
Big papa not so.   I disappear inside and lock up our treats (which included yummy Penang peanuts….what were we thinking?)

Final day in Bukit Lawang, we head to the Friday Market in the town core a kilometer + downriver.

Scenes along the way

We find a typical SE Asian market:

Wonderfully fresh fruit and vegetables. Top left: snake fruit
Main transport to market: motorbikes
Walking back from the market, palm oil groves.
Heading back home. Boys collecting something?
So ends our four day stay in Bukit Lawang.
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kerry

Love slow travel, following paths less trodden where possible. Meeting locals. Sharing.

4 thoughts on “Visit to the Jungle: Bukit Lawang”

  2. Hi there and you absolutely adore Asia etc!!

    Good for you, as we do also, but it’s difficult for 2 women now to make a voyage like that!!

    Sad, but that’s the World today!

    We try to make holidays closer to home!

    That is also difficult but we try!

    Great to keep in contact with you!

    PS How is Diane??

    You said her Mother was “sick” ???

    Send her a “hello” from us both!

    Maybe we can “cross” paths someday???

    Wouldn’t that be something?????

    Love and hugs to you

    Shasha and Lucie

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    1. Diane was supposed to be with us on this trip Shasha but unforeseen circumstances arose. Mom stable though.
      Yes keep in touch. Do get to France on occassion!
      Love to you and Lucie!!

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