Published on May, 2024

We gave Sumatra Orangutan Treks a well deserved 5 out of 5 rating in all areas. To be honest, we expected this tour company to be reputable and reliable based on its excellent ratings on Trip Advisor. To our surprise this family run tour company is truly exceptional and it exceeded our expectations in every way. When our Batik flight’s arrival time was delayed from 9 am to 8pm we thought our tour would have to be shortened by a day but Sumatra Orangutan Treks managed to have a driver meet us at the airport, wait for us to eat a quick dinner in the airport and then drive us to Bukit Lawang that evening so that we could still start the tour on time. The family met us with refreshments at 11 pm for our orientation and then took us to an amazing new cottage in the middle of some very scenic rice paddies. The large bedroom and gigantic upscale bathroom were over the top. The restaurant food in the main building was excellent even for people like us who are vegan. The jungle trek and raft trip the next day ended up being more memorable and adventurous than we expected. We were lucky to spot a mother orangutan and her child early in the trek and another similar pair later in the trek. The spread of exotic fruits and the lunch on banana leaves were great. The next day we saw the bat cave before being driven to Berastagi. That cave and its bats were orders of magnitude more impressive than what we were expecting. This series of caves is not to be missed if you are reasonably fit and agile. A similar world class system of caves in the U. S. would be electrified with man-made steps and guardrails. The Indiana Jones experience of going through these caves was the most unexpected highlight of the tour. Later that day we saw the ghost town near Mount Sibuatan volcano. Before dinner we saw Berastagi with its fruit market, etc. The tour guide spoke excellent English and was very knowledgeable about the local flora and fauna. We got to sample medicinal plants, local fruits and spices in the field and in the market. That night the tour had us stay in a very high-end Berastagi hotel with a rooftop restaurant and a miniature jungle with a Koi pond and bridge that you walked over to reach the reception. I’m not sure why … but we lucked out and got bumped up to an amazing rooftop suite. However, I don’t think this particular room is usually included in the tour. The next day we saw Mount Sibayak volcano which was very scenic with its various steam vents. That trek was actually easier than we expected. We opted to skip the hot springs stop as it was Sunday and it wasn’t directly on the way back to Berastagi. Instead we had a memorable lunch overlooking Berastagi before heading back to our airport hotel. We had a very successful private tour in Sumatra with Sumatra Orangutan Treks where we felt like VIP (very important persons) every step of the way. Even the SUV that we traveled in was new and luxurious. We even received a follow up call from Sumatra Orangutan Treks back in the U.S. shortly after we got back. I’m 71 yrs old and my friend is 63 yrs old. I’ve visited over 100 countries and this tour was among the top three tours I have ever taken. Sumatra Orangutan Treks has definitely earned our highest possible recommendation. Greg Cook Mark Peterson Utah, U.S.A.

Published on Jul, 2023

We booked the 6-day Bukit Lawang & Beristagi tour with Sumatra Orangutan Treks and it was a once in a lifetime experience. The driver met us at the airport and drove us to Bukit Lawang where we were greeted warmly by Heri and his friends at the Sumatra Orangutan Treks HQ. The accommodation there is brilliant and the food and drinks at the bar that run by Didi is fresh and delicious. The next day we began our 2-day jungle trek into Mount Lesuer National Park. Our three guides were Amet and Anton as well as Konong. They were all absolutely amazing throughout the trek and helped with our three year old daughter who they all really bonded with. They are incredibly knowledgable about the jungle and the orangutans. We were very lucky and saw a total of 20 in the wild including an alpha Male on the ground. The night stay in the jungle is basic but comfortable, and shares an area with a lot of other companies by the river. They keep you well fed throughout the trek with fresh fruit and food prepared beforehand. You return to the beginning via river tubing which was really fun and unique. The next day we travelled to Beristagi with Konong and a driver and visited a ghost town of Mount Sibuatan volcano. We also had a tour of the markets from Konong who lives in Beristagi and is very knowledgable. The accommodation we stayed in was again really nice and comfortable. On the fourth day we did a sunrise trek of Mount Sibayak volcano (also offered the option of doing it in the morning instead). It was a relatively easy climb and the views from the top are spectacular. The sunrise got covered in cloud at the very last minute but other than that, it was awesome. It’s quite a dangerous volcano to trek if you don’t have a guide as it is easy to get lost at the summit in low visibility. When we got to the bottom we visited the geothermal spa baths up the road which were nice and basic. After that we returned for breakfast at the hotel followed by visits to a waterfall near Lake Toba and a village with traditional houses. The next day we were driven back to the airport in time for our flight back to Jakarta. Konong was amazing and was brilliant with our daughter through the six days. Overall it was wonderful experience, really well organised, and one of the few tour companies that are owned and ran by Sumatran people. Everyone involved is very friendly, knowledgable and make sure you have a fantastic time. We would thoroughly recommend booking your tours and treks with these guys!

Published on Jun, 2023

Do it. It was an I Incredible experience I would recommend for anyone considering a Sumatran jungle + volcano trek. They use local guides from each area and support local food market vendors. There is ethical treatment of wild animals in that there was no feeding of the orangutans to encourage them to come close to us and all fruit was cut so scraps left for compost wouldn’t introduce diseases to foraging animals. We managed to see 11 orangutans, some up close, countless monkeys and gibbons, a turtle and peacock. Our guides, Konong and Helmi, went above and beyond to support us and make sure we had an amazing time. This included helping to fix my trekking boots 2km into the trek when the rubber gave out, first aid for a leech, and keeping me laughing at the same time. I was nervous about trekking the inclines but we took a steady pace and it was lots of fun. The drivers and accommodation staff were brilliant, the food was delicious and they were able to cater for my vegan boyfriend as well. Absolutely recommend!

Published on Sep, 2022

We had an amazing time Jungle Trekking through the jungle in Bukit Lawang! Heri organised the whole trip for us, and even customised it to fit in with our schedule. We did 3 days (2 nights) in the Jungle, where we saw Orangutans, Gibbons and Macaques, then a day at Tangkahan to see the Elephants, and then stayed at Berastagi for a sunrise trek up a volcano! We had guides, drivers and nice hotels for the whole trip, and everything was organised in advance and explained to us over email and in person. I can't recommend this company enough, we had a once in a lifetime experience!!

Published on Jun, 2022

Go to the other jungle Trekking Adventure Bukit Lawang Ecotrek North Sumatra Indonesia again later or make sure to start this time or enjoy your experience here and share your easy to talk about the really enjoy your stay