Last updated on September 3rd, 2026 at 11:11 am
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I don’t know about you, but seeing wildlife for me is one of the most thrilling travel experiences you can have.
Whether it’s swimming with Humpback Whales in Tonga, searching for the rare desert elephant in Namibia, or scuba diving with Manta Rays in Komodo, these animal encounters are some of my most precious memories.
I do also have a special place in my heart for the Great Apes, which is why I spent 6 months volunteering at a Chimpanzee sanctuary in Cameroon – the most challenging yet rewarding experience of my life to date. I’m not up for going to live in the jungle again, too many protein-eating ant armies for my liking, but I’m still up for the occasional multi-day rainforest trek to see more of our primate brothers and sisters.
Still on the bucket list is trekking to see the Gorillas in Uganda and visiting the Bonobos in Congo – so watch this space!
But this article is about Orangutans, which are only found in the wild in Borneo (an island shared by Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei), and Sumatra (Indonesia). I visited Malaysian Borneo back in 2016, and after travelling past palm-oil plantations for hours on end to reach the Kinabatangan River to do a cruise to see the Orangutans, I was thoroughly depressed.
The one lonely Orangutan I saw, sitting on the one lonely tree, made me cry and hate humanity (and make a conscious effort to avoid buying anything with Palm Oil in it).
Now don’t get me wrong, Sumatra has also been affected by the raging palm-oil industry, but what drew me to here was this big island’s mountainous spine, which still contains some of the largest contiguous, heavily protected virgin jungles in Southeast Asia, most notably within Gunung Leuser National Park.
I wanted another chance to spot the Orangutans, but this time deep in the jungle in a less depressing environment, and to combine our trip with a couple of weeks in Nias, an island off the west coast of Sumatra famous for its world-class surfing.
So here is how we put together a trip to see the Orangutans of Sumatra, how to get there, how much we spent, and my thoughts on the experience.
CONTENTS
- Where to See Orangutans in Sumatra
- Best Time to Visit Sumatra to See Orangutans
- How to Get to Bukit Lawang (Public Transport & Taxi Options)
- Where to Stay in Bukit Lawang
- Gunung Leuser National Park Jungle Trekking Guide
- Ethical Companies – What to Avoid
- Total Budget for trekking to see the Orangutans in Gunung Leuser
- Final Thoughts on my experience
Where to See Orangutans in Sumatra
The best place to see Orangutans in Sumatra is the Gunung Leuser National Park, which spans 8000 km², stretching across the Indonesian provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra.
The wider, surrounding buffer zone (which includes the National Park) covers over 2.6 million hectares (26,000 km²) of contiguous jungle and is known as the Leuser Ecosystem.
There are two main entry points for trekking: Bukit Lawang (North Sumatra) and Katembe (Aceh).
Bukit Lawang:
- 3-hour drive from Medan International Airport (Kualanamu, KNO)
- There was formerly an Orangutan rehabilitation centre in Bukit Lawang, so because of this, the nearby Orangutans are ‘semi-wild’ and comfortable around humans. This means you are almost guaranteed an encounter, and if you’re lucky, some great photos.
- The town has a vibrant, traveller-friendly atmosphere, with riverside guesthouses, lots of restaurant choices and live music.
Katembe:
- Reaching Katembe is a much bigger commitment, as it usually takes 8 to 10 hours by car from Medan, often involving winding mountain roads.
- The Orangutans here are 100% wild. While this sounds appealing, it means sightings are never guaranteed. You may need to trek deeper and longer into the dense canopy and may only be able to spot them high in the trees.
- Katembe is very quiet and remote. Accommodation is basic, and there are very few places to eat outside of your guesthouse.
- Katembe is in Aceh province, the only part of Indonesia that is subject to Sharia Law. As a foreigner who is not Muslim, I would not be subject to it, but I would still need to dress modestly, and alcohol is illegal.
For this trip, I chose to go to Bukit Lawang. As we were travelling in shoulder season, it meant we still had a chance of a quiet encounter, as Bukit Lawang can be a bit crowded in high season.
We also liked the sound of being able to enjoy a cold beer and some live music after a 3-day trek!
Best Time to Visit Sumatra to See Orangutans
The dry season in northern Sumatra and Aceh is May to September, which is a better time for trekking. While most of the trails are well kept, when it rains it can still be difficult and slippery. Don’t forget, this is a rainforest, so even in the dry season it will rain, but downpours are mainly in the evenings and for short periods.
High Season for Orangutan trekking is June, July and August, with a mini-spike in guests over Easter and Christmas as well. During this summer period, even though there are ample guesthouses in Bukit Lawang, they can be fully booked.
Also, if you spot an Orangutan, it’s likely you will be sharing that encounter with 20+ other people, all crouching and teetering to get a better look. That is, unless you have a very experienced guide who can get you to secluded spots to have a more private encounter, but that will involve some sliding and scrambling into the denser jungle.
For this reason, I think the best time to go trekking to see the Orangutans in Leuser National Park is MAY or SEPTEMBER (we went in May).
Trekking is not that fun in the rain, especially when you have to put your wet, stinky clothes back on the next day because they didn’t dry. But if that doesn’t faze you and you want to avoid other travellers completely, trekking is still available October – April.
My Sumatran Jungle Packing Essentials:
- Hand towel (for sweat!)
Check out my full female backpacking packing list to see what else I take with me on my travels to Indonesia!
RELATED POST: Learning to surf on Nias, Sumatra
How to Get to Bukit Lawang
Bukit Lawang (pronounced Bookit LAH-wang) is around a 3-hour drive from Medan, which is home to Sumatra’s main airport. Medan is only an hour’s flight from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, or a 2.5-hour flight from Jakarta.
From Medan, you can get a private transfer to Bukit Lawang (700K IDR/ £30) or a shared taxi (210K IDR/ £9 per person), and these can be arranged by whichever accommodation you choose.
If you would like to shave off some pennies, or just prefer to have the local experience, you can also get there by public transport:
- Begin by boarding the local ALS bus (Antar Lintas Sumatera), recognisable by its orange colour, from Medan Airport to Binjai. The journey takes approximately 2 hours and costs around 50,000 IDR per person.
- Upon arrival at Binjai bus station, you’ll need to take a tuk-tuk, priced at 5,000 IDR, to reach either Tanah Lapang Binjai terminal or Binjai Supermall. The buses run regularly, but timings may vary. Ensure you arrive in Binjai before 4:30pm, otherwise, consider taking the tourist bus or private car.
- Next, board either the L300 or PS bus from Tanah Lapang Binjai terminal or Binjai Supermall to Bukit Lawang. This leg of the journey lasts approximately 3 hours and costs 30,000 IDR per person.
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Where to Stay in Bukit Lawang
Budget: Orangutan Bungalow or Cheeky Monkeys Jungle House
Comfort: Cheeky Monkeys Villa
Prices per night for somewhere half-decent in Bukit Lawang start at £5 per night. If it is less than that, I would consider the ethics of the situation, which I will talk about more in the Ethical Companies section of this post.
We stayed at Cheeky Monkeys Jungle House, which was a double room with a fan and (an amazing) shower for 300K (£10) per night. If you prefer a more spacious villa with AC, they offer that as well.
We really loved the vibe at Cheeky Monkeys, which is a 30-minute walk away from Bukit Lawang town centre (or a 50K/ £2 tuk-tuk). They have a really good restaurant and their chef is very talented, as well as a beautiful garden with a pool table and live music some nights.
I also added Orangutan Bungalows to this post because we stopped there for a drink on our way to begin our trek, as it is right outside the gate to the National Park. The bungalows looked really pretty with monkeys playing in the garden, so I thought it would be a lovely place to stay as well.
Bukit Lawang itself is the most touristic place in Sumatra, but it doesn’t give tacky-tourist-toy-town vibes (like Cappadoccia, in Türkiye) – but instead cute riverside town with a smattering of restaurants and bars (Jack’s Bar on a Saturday night is the place to be), a tattoo shop, a few galleries and a little market, it was very cute, and locals (like most Indonesians) are very chilled-out and welcoming.
Jungle Trekking in Gunung Leuser
When you book accommodation in Bukit Lawang, most guesthouses require/prefer you to also book your trek with them.
There are trekking options starting from 3 hours to 10-days in length, with various basic campsites set up all through the park next to the river.
We opted for the 2N/3D trek, which felt like the perfect amount of time. The trails are well-marked, but as the campsites are by the riverside (where you will also bathe) – there is ordinarily a steep descent at the end of the day to reach camp (which can be very difficult and slippery) and a steep ascent to start the trek the next morning.
This trek isn’t glamorous, guys…
- It is HOT. It essentially feels like trekking in a sauna; you just have to deal with it. I kept a hand towel in my pocket the entire time so I could wipe my face every few minutes to stop the sweat pouring from my brow from blinding me.
- There are LEECHES. I got a few; they’re so gross, but again, just flick them off, stick a plaster over it (or a bit of foil from your guide’s cigarette pack, as I did) and carry on.
- If it rains, you will STINK. Drying your wet clothes on the rocks by the river only does so much.
What’s Included in the trek fee:
- English-speaking Guide
- Jungle Chef
- National Park Permits
- Guiding Association Permits
- Camping Equipment
- All Meals, fruit, and tea/coffee
- Drinking water
- River Tubing
What you need to bring:
- Walking boots/trainers
- Sliders/flip-flops
- Water Bottle
- Suncream
- Insect Repellent
- Towel
- Swimwear
- Tissue Paper
- Rainjacket
- Change of clothes (optional)
- Camera (optional)
- Kindle (optional)
- You’ll need to get good travel insurance; I currently use SafetyWing, and they are great.
Despite its challenges, we LOVED our jungle trek to see the Orangutans.
Our guides Felix and Yoris from Sumatra Cheeky Monkeys were unmatched in their energy and expertise. We managed to see 5 different Orangutans, as well as Gibbons, Hornbills, and lots of other amazing animals.
Camping was very basic but so peaceful; we loved sitting by the fire playing card games with our guides in the evenings, and bathing in the river and reading in the sun in the mornings.
On Day 1, we were hiking for 7 hours. But in reality, we stopped to observe Orangutans for almost 2 hours and had a long lunch break, so actual walking time would have been closer to 3 hours.
On Day 2, we also hiked for around 3 hours total, plus breaks
On Day 3, we had the option to hike back up into the rainforest, but we decided to relax and swim and spend the morning by the river instead. Then we and all our belongings (wrapped in plastic) were bundled onto a rubber-ring-raft where the whole team hurtled down the river for about half an hour back to town.
Ethical Companies – What to Avoid
The standard trekking fees (in euros) set by the local trekking association are as follows:
3 Hours: €55 per person
1 Day: €70 per person
2D/1N: €120 per person
3D/2N: €170 per person
4D/3N: €250 per person
(+ a tip to your guide of 10% of the package if you thought they gave you a great experience is very welcome.)
Due to the high season being a bit quieter this year because of the flight situation in the Middle East, some local tourist operators are trying to offer cheaper packages to attract more guests.
If you are paying a price that is less than stated above, you are actively involved in unethical tourism (not paying park permits) or exploitation (not paying guides a fair wage) – so I strongly recommend you book elsewhere and pay the fair price.
Other things to note to ensure an ethical experience when in the forest:
- Never feed wildlife – Some of the Orangutans you may see are rehabilitated, meaning they have no fear of humans. This is great for photos, but sometimes they can get too close to humans, especially if they think you have food.
- Keep a respectful distance – If an Orangutan moves towards you, you are expected to take responsibility in keeping a distance of 10 meters between you.
- Leave nothing but a footprint – Take all of your trash with you
Total Budget for Trekking to See the Orangutans in Gunung Leuser
Here is how much we spent on a 6-day trip visiting the Orangutans in Gunung Leuser National Park:
- Shared taxi Medan to Bukit Lawang 210K IDR p/p (£9)
- 2 Nights Accommodation in Bukit Lawang – 600K IDR (£25)
- 2N/3D Jungle Trek – 7million IDR (£290)
- 2 Nights Accommodation in Bukit Lawang – 600K IDR (£25)
- Tip for guides and chef – 700K IDR (£29)
- Food, coffee, beers and souvenirs while in Bukit Lawang – 2million IDR (£82)
- Shared taxi Bukit Lawang to Medan 210K IDR p/p (£9)
Total = £240 per person (give or take)
Final Thoughts
I truly had an incredible time trekking to see the wildlife in the Gunung Leuser NP, and spending time in Bukit Lawang. For me, Sumatra feels like one of the most underrated travel destinations in Indonesia.
Sumatra doesn’t get nearly as much attention as Bali and Java, but it has these amazing rainforests, as well as the world-class surf of Nias and the Mentawais, and the tropical islands of Pulau Weh with amazing scuba and snorkelling – what’s not to like?
Thank you for reading my travel guide for trekking to see Orangutans in Sumatra!
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Happy Travels! xx
