sumatra jungle challenge,
indonesia
This unique trip includes a tough 6 day jungle trek
deep into the Gunung Leuser National Park, the
home of the Sumatran Orangutan, followed by a
one day ‘planting trees for the future’ Tree
Replanting Project. You will be trekking through
mountainous jungle, camping in prime rainforest,
tracking wildlife, river walking, meeting local
people and helping to restore and protect critical
Orangutan habitat. You will start your challenge
with a visit to the Gunung Leuser National Park’s
orangutan feeding platform where you will be able
to see these beautiful creatures in their natural
habitat.
you trek with your kit 6 days in the humidity of the
mountainous Gunung Leuser National Park.
By participating in this challenge you will help to
contribute vital funds towards the Sumatran
Orangutan Society (SOS), who are dedicated to
the conservation of Sumatran Orangutans and
their forest home. You will have a chance to learn
more about SOS from your expert local guides.
Indonesia has a tropical mountainous climate
and is very hot and humid all year round.
Trekking in this jungle is not to be taken lightly.
You will be trekking deep into Gunung Leuser
National Park for 6 days. In this dense rainforest
terrain, you will encounter steep slippery
ascents and precipitous drops amid intense
humidity, so a high level of fitness is essential.
The trails can vary from well worn paths to
barely visible breaks in the maze of the forest
underbrush and you will no doubt have to
negotiate several river crossings along the way.
This itinerary is graded tough due to the harsh
conditions, steep terrain and its extreme
remoteness.
Gunung Leuser National Park is one of the only
places in the world where you can still see the
Sumatran orangutan in the wild. They share these
forests with a whole host of other wildlife, with
gibbons, elephants, hornbills, Thomas leaf
monkeys, macaques, sunbears and the elusive
Sumatran tiger just a handful of the thousands of
animal and plant species found in this unique
World Heritage ecosystem.
Throughout your trek you will learn to spot an
astounding array of plants and wildlife and hone
your rainforest survival skills. Sumatra’s forests
are a last refuge for many of the world’s most
endangered species. This trek is designed to
make you feel at home in their world but do not
underestimate the toughness of this Challenge as
Day 1 – International travel
Meet at the airport for your flight to Indonesia. Our
Charity Challenge representative will be there to
assist you with check-in.
Day 2 – Arrive Medan and transfer to Bukit
Lawang
You will be met at Medan airport by a Charity
Challenge local agent who will accompany you to
Bukit Lawang (approx. 3hrs drive). Bukit Lawang
literally means ‘door to the hills’. The Government-run
Bohorok Orangutan Centre released more than 200
orangutans, rescued from captivity, into the
surrounding forests, but it closed in 1996 and no
longer operates as a rehabilitation centre. Once at
Bukit Lawang you can enjoy the rest of the day
acclimatising and relaxing before your evening dinner
followed by a challenge briefing and an opportunity to
ask any questions of your challenge leader. Overnight
in the Ecolodge.
Day 3 – Warm up trek to the orangutan feeding
platform (approx 5km, 4-5hrs)
This morning you will have an early start to for your
trek to the orangutan feeding station in the Gunung
Leuser National Park, the first step for once captive
orangutans learning to live in the wild. This morning’s
trek gives you the opportunity to find your forest feet.
At the feeding platform you will be able to see the
semi-wild orangutans in their natural habitat. The
free-living orangutans are normally fed twice a day at
the feeding platform. They are offered a deliberately
monotonous diet of bananas and milk to encourage
them to forage in the wild. This also enables the
rangers to monitor how well the apes are coping in
the wild. It is a wonderful opportunity to see
orangutans in their natural habitat and for you to
adjust to the terrain and the climate. Tonight you will
stay in the Ecolodge.
Day 4 – Trek to Camp 1, Adi Black (approx 5-6hrs
trekking)
This morning you will split into smaller groups of no
larger than 7 for your Jungle Trek experience. With a
cheerful farewell and good luck wishes you will start
your trek at the entrance of the Gunung Leuser
National Park. Over the next five days you will
experience some steep climbs and ascents with the
aid of rope and a hand or two from your local guides.
You will learn to navigate around tree routes and
jungle vine alongside learning some rainforest
survival skills from your local guides: path-finding,
setting up camp, fishing, foraging for food and
medicine, making fires and cooking. The terrain you
will be trekking on will be extremely steep, but the
views spectacular, with plenty of stops to help you to
acclimatise and adjust to the local conditions.
Gunung Leuser National Park is mostly mountainous,
covering a million hectares, straddling the borders of
North Sumatra and Aceh provinces. Tonight will be
your first night’s experience in the jungle. You will
have time to relax and bathe in the River before your
evening dinner. You will be amazed at the delicious
food your guides are able to cook up in the middle of
the forest! Your tent each night will be a simple
bamboo frame, covered with a plastic tarp.
Overnight Jungle camp at Adi Black.
Day 5 – Trek to Jamur Batu Atas Waterfall (approx
5-6hrs trekking)
Today you will trek deeper into the Jungle and today
you will start to feel the real remoteness of your jungle
trek. You may wake to hear gibbons whooping in the
morning, or the whooshing wings of hornbills
overhead A full days trekking to the beautiful Jamur
Batu Atas Waterfall through dense Jungle and a few
steep climbs and descents. As you venture deeper
into the rainforest your senses get more finely tuned,
and your chances of encountering wildlife increase.
You will arrive at the charming Jambur Batu River
where you will have a night camping in the Jungle
near to the Jamur Batu Atas Waterfall. Overnight
Jungle Camp at Jamur Batu Waterfall.
meal as you catch up with your group on the
adventures of the past few days.
Overnight Jungle Camp at Limau Hantu
Overnight Jungle Camp at Jamur Batu Waterfall.
Day 8 – Limau Hantu to Bukit Lawang (approx,
4-5hrs trekking)
Today is your last day’s trekking with your new, hardwon rainforest awareness and skills. After your final
Jungle Breakfast, pack up camp and trek your final steps
through the jungle back to Bukit Lawang for an evening
of R & R before a day’s tree planting tomorrow. Dinner
and Jungle debrief . Overnight Ecolodge.
Day 9 – Tree replanting Project
Help to restore and protect critical orangutan habitat!
After 6 days of trekking with your Indonesian guides
learning about the Sumatran Jungle and orangutan
you will by this point want to know how you can do to
help to restore and protect critical orangutan habitat!
Day 6 – Trek to Camp 3, Tapak Begu (approx 56hrs trekking)
By now you should be ready to test your tracking
skills. Keep your eyes peeled for orangutans – they
are surprisingly tricky to spot! Look for signs that they
are nearby, like the nests they build each night,
movement in the canopy, broken branches, or calls
from other animals. Your guides will point out a
variety of wildlife and plant species and you will begin
to see the forest through their eyes. Even though
sightings of orangutans and other wildlife can never
be guaranteed, when following the instructions of your
guides the chances are more favourable. Trek to your
third nights camping spot at Tapak Begu. Overnight
Jungle camp at Tapak Begu.
After breakfast walk 30 minutes to the replantation area
near to the Landak River. Help out with clearing the land
to make space for new saplings and maintain and clear
around previously planted saplings. Have lunch next to
the Landak River. Take a refreshing swim whilst
enjoying a well earned rest. Continue replanting for a
few hours after lunch. Return to Lodge and freshen up
for your evening Celebratory Meal. Overnight at
Ecolodge.
Day 10 – Return transfer to Medan for
International Departure
After a final morning’s group breakfast you will pack
up your travel gear. You will then be driven back to
Medan where you will catch your international flight
home.
Day 11 – Return to UK
Arrive back in the UK today.
Day 7 – Final night in the Jungle, Trek to Limau
Hantu (approx 6-7hrs trekking)
Early rise for your final night in the Sumatran Jungle.
Today you will trek to the Landak River. With a final
full day in the Jungle you will have a last chance at
river crossings and spotting wildlife with the help of
your guides. You will arrive at Limau Hantu where you
will have your last night camping in the Jungle. Your
guides prepare you a special last night traditional
N.B. The itinerary is there as a guide and may change due to
unusual weather patterns, wildlife movements, the strength of the
group, and so on. We will do our very best to keep to the set
itinerary; however we cannot be held responsible for any last
minute changes that may occur. In all such circumstances, your
challenge leader will have the final say.
Optional Extension:
Jungle Retreat and Elephant Safari in Tangkahan
(3 days, 2 nights)
Tangkahan is a small village on the border of Gunung
Leuser National Park where SOS also help the
community develop sustainable eco-tourism. This
enables the local people to benefit from preserving,
rather than destroying, the natural environment. The
people of both Bukit Lawang and Tangkahan are
proud ambassadors and guardians of the Gunung
Leuser National Park.
This extension includes the following activities:
Travel to the beautiful village of Tangkahan on the
edge of the Gunung Leuser National Park.
Stay in guesthouse accommodation and enjoy the
company of the local Karonese people.
Cross the Buluh River and help the mahouts
wash the elephants in the river. The elephants are
part of a Conservation Response Unit that helps
safeguard the national park to protect it from
conducting illegal logging in the surrounding
forests.
Swim in the river, visit a nearby rainforest
waterfall and hot springs, or relax on the pebble
beach, watching for macaques in the trees around
you.
To find out more information, visit the Sumatra Jungle challenge
page on our website or click on “extensions” in your member’s
area.