Posting by : Sheiril Raihan AnnasWelcome to Bukit Lawang North Sumatera Indonesia
Welcome to BukitLawang.com. Providing information on tourism and visits to Bukit Lawang, Sumatra, Indonesia.
Bukit Lawang is a popular tourist destination for its laidback riverside lifestyle, jungle treks in the Gunung Leuser National Park, and its world-famous orangutan rehabilitation centre..
Getting There
Location
Bukit Lawang is located 86km from Medan, the largest city in Indonesia's Northern island of Sumatra, at the entrance to Gunung Leuser National Park, the last sanctuary of the Sumatran orangutan.
Getting there from Medan
In order to reach Bukit Lawang, tourists can either:
take a taxi direct from Medan city centre or airport to Bukit Lawang (about $25)
hail a becak (motorised rickshaw) or taxi (about $4), or a local yellow bus (about $0.20) to Pinang Baris station; from there large orange buses travel to Bukit Lawang for approx $0.50, or faster minibuses for $1. Buses run until roughly 5:30pm.
take a bus or taxi to Binjai, about 15km from Medan on the road to Bukit Lawang, where minibuses continue until around 6:30pm
Getting to Medan
As Medan is at the top of Indonesia it is a natural first step in an Indonesian trip. Most international visitors arrive from either Singapore, Penang, or Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For flights routed to Medan from Europe and the USA, either Singapore or Malaysia Airlines will provide through tickets with a change in Singapore/Kuala Lumpur. To Australia, the Indonesian airline Garuda is the third carrier.
The full list of international destinations is:
MalaysiaIpoh: Kartika Airlines (twice weekly), Riau AirlinesJohor Bahru (across the causeway from Singapore in Malaysia): AirAsia, Malaysia AirlinesPenang: Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Lion AirKuala Lumpur: Air Asia, Malaysia AirlinesSingapore: Singapore Airlines/SilkAir (codeshare with Garuda), Valuair
Flights to Chennai (Madras), India are due to start on Garuda Indonesia in June or July 2008.
Access from Penang via high-speed ferry to Medan's port of Belawan is also an option, though the flight is a better option and may only cost $20 more.
The SilkAir Singapore - Medan flight is usually the most expensive, and the short and competitive Penang-Medan fare the cheapest. It can be difficult to book tickets on the Indonesian budget airlines online: a local travelagent is preferred, however, Valuair and AirAsia are good for online bookings.
Within Indonesia, the main route is to Jakarta: the route to Banda Aceh (for Aceh and Pulau Weh), busier due to post-tsunami reconstruction is also well-served.
Other domestic routes include:
Gunung Sitoli (Pulau Nias)Batam (Riau)Padang (West Sumatra)Palembang (South Sumatra)Pekanbaru (Riau)The domestic airlines serving Medan are Batavia Air, AirAsia, Garuda, Kartika Airlines, Lion Air, Wings Air, Mandala, Merpati, and Sriwijaya Air; you are advised to consult a local travel agent for bookings.
The main tourist destinations near Medan aside from Bukit Lawang, are Berastagi, a hill-station, and Danau Toba, the world's largest voclanic lake. Both Berastagi and Bukit Lawang are generally visited as a return trip from Medan, although it is possible to arrange to take a tourist bus or charter a bus between the two towns to cut out the stay in Medan. Danau Toba is a little further afield: a tourist bus/charter can be arranged from Bukit Lawang, or from Medan itself, about a five-hour journey. A slightly cheaper option is to take the local bus from Amplas bus station, Medan.
All will drop off in Tuk Ton the shores of Lake Toba, for a ferry across. From Lake Toba, travellers will either double back to Medan for an onward or homeward flight, take a six-hour bus journey to Sibolga, the port for Pulau Nias (which is then an 8 hour ferry journey), or continue on by bus to Bukittinggi (which offers cool air, and Danau Maninjau, another lake), a 12-hour journey (longer in slower, cheaper buses). Travelling by bus back to Medan and flying onto Padang, near to Bukittinggi, or to Gunung Sitoli (on Nias itself) would be a slightly shorter and more comfortable journey, albeit more expensive. From Bukittinggi, most people will take the long bus journey to Java, or fly onto Jakarta.
Hotels and Guesthouses in Bukit Lawang
The current accommodation options in Bukit Lawang are in two main areas - on the left bank of the River Bohorok near the Village Entrance, and on the right bank, near the Feeding Centre
Near the Village Entrance, across the river:
Wisma Leuser Sibayak, located immediately across the river
Bukit Lawang Cottages Eco-Lodge, operated by Paneco, across the river
Batu Mandi, across the river, on higher ground, a short walk on the path towards the bat cave
Rindu Alam, across the river, further downstream of the village
Yusman, upstream of Wisma Leuser Sibayak
Bukit Lawang Indah, also just upstream of Wisma Leuser Sibayak
Towards the Orangutan Feeding Area, 10 minutes walk along the right bank of the river
Jungle Inn. Telephone: +62 813 7073 0151
Sam's Bungalows. Three rooms, Telephone +62 81370093597
Garden Inn
Indra Inn
Bukit Lawang is a popular tourist destination for its laidback riverside lifestyle, jungle treks in the Gunung Leuser National Park, and its world-famous orangutan rehabilitation centre..
Getting There
Location
Bukit Lawang is located 86km from Medan, the largest city in Indonesia's Northern island of Sumatra, at the entrance to Gunung Leuser National Park, the last sanctuary of the Sumatran orangutan.
Getting there from Medan
In order to reach Bukit Lawang, tourists can either:
take a taxi direct from Medan city centre or airport to Bukit Lawang (about $25)
hail a becak (motorised rickshaw) or taxi (about $4), or a local yellow bus (about $0.20) to Pinang Baris station; from there large orange buses travel to Bukit Lawang for approx $0.50, or faster minibuses for $1. Buses run until roughly 5:30pm.
take a bus or taxi to Binjai, about 15km from Medan on the road to Bukit Lawang, where minibuses continue until around 6:30pm
Getting to Medan
As Medan is at the top of Indonesia it is a natural first step in an Indonesian trip. Most international visitors arrive from either Singapore, Penang, or Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For flights routed to Medan from Europe and the USA, either Singapore or Malaysia Airlines will provide through tickets with a change in Singapore/Kuala Lumpur. To Australia, the Indonesian airline Garuda is the third carrier.
The full list of international destinations is:
MalaysiaIpoh: Kartika Airlines (twice weekly), Riau AirlinesJohor Bahru (across the causeway from Singapore in Malaysia): AirAsia, Malaysia AirlinesPenang: Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Lion AirKuala Lumpur: Air Asia, Malaysia AirlinesSingapore: Singapore Airlines/SilkAir (codeshare with Garuda), Valuair
Flights to Chennai (Madras), India are due to start on Garuda Indonesia in June or July 2008.
Access from Penang via high-speed ferry to Medan's port of Belawan is also an option, though the flight is a better option and may only cost $20 more.
The SilkAir Singapore - Medan flight is usually the most expensive, and the short and competitive Penang-Medan fare the cheapest. It can be difficult to book tickets on the Indonesian budget airlines online: a local travelagent is preferred, however, Valuair and AirAsia are good for online bookings.
Within Indonesia, the main route is to Jakarta: the route to Banda Aceh (for Aceh and Pulau Weh), busier due to post-tsunami reconstruction is also well-served.
Other domestic routes include:
Gunung Sitoli (Pulau Nias)Batam (Riau)Padang (West Sumatra)Palembang (South Sumatra)Pekanbaru (Riau)The domestic airlines serving Medan are Batavia Air, AirAsia, Garuda, Kartika Airlines, Lion Air, Wings Air, Mandala, Merpati, and Sriwijaya Air; you are advised to consult a local travel agent for bookings.
The main tourist destinations near Medan aside from Bukit Lawang, are Berastagi, a hill-station, and Danau Toba, the world's largest voclanic lake. Both Berastagi and Bukit Lawang are generally visited as a return trip from Medan, although it is possible to arrange to take a tourist bus or charter a bus between the two towns to cut out the stay in Medan. Danau Toba is a little further afield: a tourist bus/charter can be arranged from Bukit Lawang, or from Medan itself, about a five-hour journey. A slightly cheaper option is to take the local bus from Amplas bus station, Medan.
All will drop off in Tuk Ton the shores of Lake Toba, for a ferry across. From Lake Toba, travellers will either double back to Medan for an onward or homeward flight, take a six-hour bus journey to Sibolga, the port for Pulau Nias (which is then an 8 hour ferry journey), or continue on by bus to Bukittinggi (which offers cool air, and Danau Maninjau, another lake), a 12-hour journey (longer in slower, cheaper buses). Travelling by bus back to Medan and flying onto Padang, near to Bukittinggi, or to Gunung Sitoli (on Nias itself) would be a slightly shorter and more comfortable journey, albeit more expensive. From Bukittinggi, most people will take the long bus journey to Java, or fly onto Jakarta.
Hotels and Guesthouses in Bukit Lawang
The current accommodation options in Bukit Lawang are in two main areas - on the left bank of the River Bohorok near the Village Entrance, and on the right bank, near the Feeding Centre
Near the Village Entrance, across the river:
Wisma Leuser Sibayak, located immediately across the river
Bukit Lawang Cottages Eco-Lodge, operated by Paneco, across the river
Batu Mandi, across the river, on higher ground, a short walk on the path towards the bat cave
Rindu Alam, across the river, further downstream of the village
Yusman, upstream of Wisma Leuser Sibayak
Bukit Lawang Indah, also just upstream of Wisma Leuser Sibayak
Towards the Orangutan Feeding Area, 10 minutes walk along the right bank of the river
Jungle Inn. Telephone: +62 813 7073 0151
Sam's Bungalows. Three rooms, Telephone +62 81370093597
Garden Inn
Indra Inn
Rain Forest. Operated by Nora, formerly of Rain Forest Cafe.
Most of these, except for Sam's Bungalows, operated in Bukit Lawang before the flood; many of the other hotels that you may find in old guidebooks are not open any more.
Bukit Lawang flood
A major flood tragically hit Bukit Lawang in 2003 (see BBC News report). A third of the population of the village was killed. The Bukit Lawang Trust is working to support those orphaned and made destitute by the flood. They have built a hospital to provide access to healthcare for people in the village.
As the people of Bukit Lawang are almost 100% dependent on tourism for income, they have worked to rebuild the village, and as of 2008 numerous accommodation options and restaurants are available, as well as trekking and tour guides. The orangutans were less affected by the flood than the human population as they were mostly on higher ground.
Bukit Lawang and Gunung Leuser national parkpictures of orangutans, jungle trekking, getting there
Tragically, a massive flash flood hit the town of Bukit Lawang during November 2003. The national park is open again to visitors.
Many people come to Bukit Lawang to see Orangutans at the nearby rehabilitation centre. Bukit Lawang is also a good base for jungle treks into the Gunung Leuser national park.
The tourist town of Bukit Lawang is the main access point for the magnificent rainforest of the Gunung Leuser national park, covering an area of about 8,000 sq km. The park's extensive range of wildlife includes orangutans, gibbons, tapirs, elephants, tigers and rhinos. The park contains over 380 species of birds, notably the hornbills and argus pheasant, the largest flower in the world, the Rafflesia, and the tallest flower in the world, Amorophophallus. Up-stream of Bukit Lawang is the Orangutan rehabilitation centre where young orphaned orangutans are taught to live in the wild. Twice-daily the young orangutans are fed a ration of bananas and milk. Tourists are only allowed to visit the rehabilitation centre during feeding times, currently at 8.00 am and 3.00 pm. A permit, valid one day, must be obtained from the PHPA office at Bukit Lawang, before visiting the rehabilitation centre. To reach the rehabilitation centre from Bukit Lawang requires a 2 km walk along the river followed by a river crossing in a dugout canoe and a short climb along a steep muddy trail through the jungle.
Travel tips for Bukit Lawang
Location of Bukit Lawang: Northern Sumatra, nearest city is Medan. Bukit Lawang is situated about 80 km to the north-west of Medan.
map: north Sumatra [] Zoomable map of Gunung Leuser national park
Getting to Bukit Lawang: There are frequent public mini-buses from Pinang Baris bus station, Medan (2 hour journey). Tourist mini-buses are also available, these will pick you up from your hotel but only run twice a day and are much more expensive than public mini-buses. Don't take the public bus as this will double the journey time.
Access to gunung Leuser national park: Provided you are accompanied by a licensed guide you can go trekking (walking) into the national park whenever you like, wherever you like for as long as you like. You also need a permit but this is just a formality to obtain. Guides tout for business at all the guesthouses, prices are negotiable.
Accommodation: Lots of guesthouses dotted along the Bohorok river, upstream places have cleaner water.
Food: Mostly disappointing, a few restaurants are better than the rest.
Costs: Cheap. During 1999, a room with attached bathroom (no hot water), TV and fridge cost Rp30,000 per day. Meals cost between Rp10,000 to Rp20,000. A journey on a tourist mini-buses from Medan to Bukit Lawang cost Rp12,000, public mini-buses charge Rp3,000.
Other activities: A popular activity is tube rafting down the rapids of the Bohorok river. Lots of places hire out the inner tubes. If it has been raining heavily than the river becomes swollen, this makes rafting very exciting and also very dangerous. I can vouch for this from personal experience.
Warning: Don't carry a bag with you when visiting the orangutan rehabilitation centre. The park wardens use shoulder bags to carry the food to feed the orangutans. An orangutan may assume that your bag contains food and snatch the bag from you. Orangutans are much stronger than humans and also bite.
Good Points about Bukit Lawang
Good chance to see orangutan in the jungle and at the rehabilitation centre.
Go jungle trekking.
Bad Points about Bukit Lawang
The sky is often overcast (cloudy) and it can rain a lot.
Bukit Lawang, the Parish of the Orang Utan
Bukit Lawang might be one of the best place to meet this exclusive and unique primate. Bukit Lawang is one of the largest stronghold community of Orang Utan. Bukit Lawang situated at the eastern side of Gunung Leuser National Park, leap with the track of Sungai Bohorok, Medan. With more than 5000 orang utans occupied the jungle, Bukit Lawang considered as the house of the enormous orang utan by the visitor.
Bukit Lawang founded in the early of 1973, set up to preserve the decreasing number of orang utan as the negative result of hunting, orang utan trading and etc. The rehabilitation center helps the orang utans to re-gain their nature habits and trained through certain programs before released to the wild. Once the primate heads the jungle, the rehabilitation center keep provide them with supplement and regular check-up.
If you wish to feed the orang utan directly, there are 2 feeding times 08.30 am and 3.00 pm; you could feed them with milk, bananas and other food supplements supplied by the rehabilitation center. All the activities within the Gunung Leuser National Park should be done under the permit and guide by professional provide by the rehabilitation center. Some visitor argued that the regulations is way too strict and stiff, but the rehabilitation center excuses that the wrong contact by human could harm the orang utan.
By Air - Daily international flights are available, flight from Medan to Singapore, Malaysia. The domestic flight hook up Medan to Jakarta, Aceh, Pekan Baru, Padang, Batam and Pontianak.
You can arrange your flight through the airline services listed below:
Garuda Indonesia (http://www.garuda-indonesia.com/)
Jatayu Airlines (http://www.jatayuairlines.co.id/)
Air Asia (http://www.airasia.com/)
Adam Air (http://www.flyadamair.com/)
Silk Air (http://www.silkair.com/)
Bus - Get to Pinang Baris bus terminals (located at Jalan Gatot Subroto) by taxy from the airport and then take the frequent public bus to Bukit Lawang for 3 hours trip.
If you traveling in group or wish for something more convenient ambience instead of the public bus, you can rent car that arrange trip through most of the main tourist destination. National Car Rent (+624157744) which located at Jl. Balai Kota 2 is a good alternative for car rental
Most of the hotels in Bukit Lawang run by the local citizens. Here are alternatives to stay in during your visit to Bukit Lawang.
Bukit Lawang Eco Lodge (+628126079983), an eco-friendly lodging situated in the forest.
Noras Homestay & Restaurant (+62813620706561), situated on the rice field side and the materials are dominated by bamboo huts.
Wisma Leuser Sibayak
Wisma Bukit Lawang Indah
Indrah Valley
Garden Inn
Jungle Inn
Most of the activities are done on Foot.
Most of the hotels have restaurants, so you can ask the owner to provide your meal. Along the river, there are some small cafes with chill surrounding; here you can have fruit salad, nasi goreng and snacks. Local pizza also available at Tonys restaurant
You can buy the souvenirs at souvenir shop near the Sungai Bahorok
Trekking
Over night trekking is the major tourists favorite. Most people choose to have a two days treakking in order to have the chance to witness the Orang Utans and other unique creature in their habitat.
Every single trekking activity should be guided by professional to prevent notorious event that might be occurred in the wild. Make sure to inform the guide if you have special interest to specific flora or fauna before trekking.Guide rates are including basic meals, guide fees, permit and camping equipmentAsk your guide to visit the bat cave
Jungle Hiking
Bukit Lawang might be one of the best place to meet this exclusive and unique primate. Bukit Lawang is one of the largest stronghold community of Orang Utan. Bukit Lawang situated at the eastern side of Gunung Leuser National Park, leap with the track of Sungai Bohorok, Medan. With more than 5000 orang utans occupied the jungle, Bukit Lawang considered as the house of the enormous orang utan by the visitor.
Bukit Lawang founded in the early of 1973, set up to preserve the decreasing number of orang utan as the negative result of hunting, orang utan trading and etc. The rehabilitation center helps the orang utans to re-gain their nature habits and trained through certain programs before released to the wild. Once the primate heads the jungle, the rehabilitation center keep provide them with supplement and regular check-up.
If you wish to feed the orang utan directly, there are 2 feeding times 08.30 am and 3.00 pm; you could feed them with milk, bananas and other food supplements supplied by the rehabilitation center. All the activities within the Gunung Leuser National Park should be done under the permit and guide by professional provide by the rehabilitation center. Some visitor argued that the regulations is way too strict and stiff, but the rehabilitation center excuses that the wrong contact by human could harm the orang utan.
By Air - Daily international flights are available, flight from Medan to Singapore, Malaysia. The domestic flight hook up Medan to Jakarta, Aceh, Pekan Baru, Padang, Batam and Pontianak.
You can arrange your flight through the airline services listed below:
Garuda Indonesia (http://www.garuda-indonesia.com/)
Jatayu Airlines (http://www.jatayuairlines.co.id/)
Air Asia (http://www.airasia.com/)
Adam Air (http://www.flyadamair.com/)
Silk Air (http://www.silkair.com/)
Bus - Get to Pinang Baris bus terminals (located at Jalan Gatot Subroto) by taxy from the airport and then take the frequent public bus to Bukit Lawang for 3 hours trip.
If you traveling in group or wish for something more convenient ambience instead of the public bus, you can rent car that arrange trip through most of the main tourist destination. National Car Rent (+624157744) which located at Jl. Balai Kota 2 is a good alternative for car rental
Most of the hotels in Bukit Lawang run by the local citizens. Here are alternatives to stay in during your visit to Bukit Lawang.
Bukit Lawang Eco Lodge (+628126079983), an eco-friendly lodging situated in the forest.
Noras Homestay & Restaurant (+62813620706561), situated on the rice field side and the materials are dominated by bamboo huts.
Wisma Leuser Sibayak
Wisma Bukit Lawang Indah
Indrah Valley
Garden Inn
Jungle Inn
Most of the activities are done on Foot.
Most of the hotels have restaurants, so you can ask the owner to provide your meal. Along the river, there are some small cafes with chill surrounding; here you can have fruit salad, nasi goreng and snacks. Local pizza also available at Tonys restaurant
You can buy the souvenirs at souvenir shop near the Sungai Bahorok
Trekking
Over night trekking is the major tourists favorite. Most people choose to have a two days treakking in order to have the chance to witness the Orang Utans and other unique creature in their habitat.
Every single trekking activity should be guided by professional to prevent notorious event that might be occurred in the wild. Make sure to inform the guide if you have special interest to specific flora or fauna before trekking.Guide rates are including basic meals, guide fees, permit and camping equipmentAsk your guide to visit the bat cave
Jungle Hiking
Bukit Lawang emerge as one of alternative-not to be missed. Leave at the earliest morning so you can have the chance to experience the wild life
Rafting at Sungai Bohorok
Ride the Sungai Bohorok rapids using tubes. This activity should be done under the assistance of guide, the stream can be extremely tough and strong.
To soak the entire Bukit Lawangs beauties, make sure you are in your best healthy, fit and well prepared because the Sumatran jungle is not an easy path.
Bring along mosquito & leech revolting.
Sunscreen and mineral water supply are highly recommended .
Make sure you wear special shoes with grip, since the ground is always slippery.
Long sleeves and long pants are considered as the best outfit to conquer the jungle fiesta, unless you think that you can outshine Tarzan.
Heavy rains are mostly downpour at the afternoon; please bring your rain jacket and a water resistant bag to keep your items.
Do not litter, make sure to collect your trash, any type of trash.
Dont feed the animal
Others:
For more info please visit
http://www.bukitlawangtrust.org/
Bukit Lawang Visitor Centre, open from 08.00 am " 15.00 pm
PHKA Ranger Station open from 07.00 " 15.00 pm
PHKA permit office
Bukit Lawang Guide Association
Decentralization
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