Published on Jul, 2024
My 13-year old son and I went on a mother-son trip to see orangutans in Bukit Lawang, and I couldn't be happier with the 3-day package. We were picked up from the Kualanamu airport by our driver, Berlin. The drive was easy and smooth, and one can tell very quickly that Berlin is an experienced, reliable driver. The car was clean and brand new, and he made the 4-hour drive to Bukit Lawang very comfortable.
On the day of the hike, we saw many orangutans -- one mother with baby, one 40-year old male, and many others swinging between branches -- a few long-tailed Thomas monkeys, a family of pig-tailed monkeys, a monitor lizard, macaque monkeys. We also heard a herd of gibbons singing from afar, but we couldn't see them. It was an amazing experience. They were gentle and healthy, and we felt so lucky to be able to see orangutans in the wild. Our guides, Helmi and Anto, were fun, cheerful, knowledgeable, and respectful. They knew where to walk to help us spot the orangutans, and they prepared a scrumptious array of fruits (mangosteens, rambutans, passionfruits, bananas, oranges, watermelon) for our snacks, and some nasi goreng served in banana leaves for our lunch.
The hike itself was smooth, but there are no paved walks/steps and some parts are steep and slippery. We enjoyed the challenge, but I imagine this could be difficult for people with mobility and balance issues, especially after it rains.
We took the "jungle raft" down the river, which was so much fun! I had worried that the ride would be bumpy, but the water was relatively calm. We got wet, but our clothes dried off within less than an hour as we walked around afterwards. Compared to other, more touristy parts I've seen in Indonesia, I was so impressed by how clean the river was.
We saw the batcave immediately thereafter. We didn't spend too much time here, but we enjoyed the climb into the cave, the trees, and the stalactites and stalagmites we saw in the cave.
On the final day, Dedi took us on a tour of the village, where we saw demonstrations of how people make tofu, weave thatched roofs, and cook brown sugar. We topped off the tour with a drink of fresh coconut juice and ate some ubi goreng under the trees, before heading back to our villa, before Berlin took us back to Kualanamu airport.
All in all, it was a remarkable experience. I wish we had booked for a longer stay, where we could stay overnight in the jungle. Next time!
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