Bukit Lawang - Sumatra

Bukit Lawang, Sumatra - Indonesia

Bukit Lawang is one of the top destinations in Sumatra, Bukit Lawang is a small village on the edge of Gunung Leuser National Park located in North Sumatra. Bukit Lawang means Gateway to the Hills. Bukit Lawang is famous for the Bohorok Rehabilitation Centre now known as the Orangutan Centre.

The Gunung Leuser National Park is home to Orangutan, Thomas Leaf monkeys, Black Gibbons, White Handed Gibbons, the Sumatran Tiger, Sumatran elephants, clouded leopards, marbled cat, crocodile, sun bear and the Sumatran Rhinoceros.

View of Bukit Lawang trail

Bukit Lawang is 68 km from Medan. A bus trip will take around 3 - 4 hours. The road from Binjai to Bukit Lawang is the worst it has been in 10 years. The good news is that in Dec 2008 they started extensive repairs to the road, resurfacing it in many places.

White handed Gibbon

At the top of the village of Bukit Lawang is the Bohorok Rehabilitation Centre which has not operated since the flood. They still have a few orangutan in their care but no new animals are brought in for rehabilitation. There are 2 feeding sessions each day (8am and 3pm) open to the public where you have a good chance of the seeing some the orangutan that have been released to the wild. They often come back for an easy feed. You will need to get a permit to enter the National Park. Ask in your hotel as they can arrange the permit, you can arrange it yourself at the PHPA office at the beginning of Bukit Lawang or you can pay for your permit when you cross the river at the Orangutan Centre. Permit costs 20,000Rp.

 

Bukit Lawang Jungle Trekking

 Sumatra Travel now have packaged tours to Bukit Lawang

The best way to experience the jungle is to go trekking. You can arrange 3 hours trekking, 6 hours or 1, 2, 3 days or more with the chance of spotting various wildlife as well as some beautiful spots like waterfalls and swimming holes.

The guides in Bukit Lawang need to be certified with the local PHPA office and need to renew their license each year. The guides will generally find you as they are always hunting tourists. Many of the current trekking guides have come from other areas of Sumatra and learned to be guides. If you are looking for an authentic trekking guide who grew up in Bukit Lawang then go to Indra Inn, close to Garden Inn and Jungle Inn. Ask for Iwan also affectionately know as Obiwan. Iwan's grandfather and father were some of the original trekkers to take scientists and then tourists into the jungle so his knowledge was passed down from them. I personally knew Iwan's father and brother, both called Indra and have been trekking with Iwan and totally trust him. He generally cares for the jungle and has a good understanding of the plants and animals that live there.
Cost for trekking is 65 Euros per night per person. This includes your food and coming back via tubing down the river. You can arrange for a half day trek, up to 4 hours for 20 Euros per person or a 6 hour trek for 35 Euros per person.
We now have package tours available for trips to Bukit Lawang from Medan. For more details on the tours check out our Bukit Lawang Tours page.

            

Obiwan - Trekking Guide Bukit Lawang

The guides have various campsites setup throughout the jungle, generally next to the river. Usually with small covered shelters which protect from rain during the night.

A short walk from Bukit Lawang is a bat cave. Cross the suspension bridge to Eco-Lodge Hotel and then turn left. Follow the trail for a pleasant 15 minute walk past corn fields and there is a small sign pointing you to the bat cave. Admission fee to enter the cave is 5000Rp.

Tubing can be easily arranged along the Bohorok river as many of the hotels hire out inflated truck inner tube tires. Be warned that many people have encountered problems. The river runs quite fast along the village and the river can rise very quickly when it has been raining.

Indonesian Cooking Classes

If you are interested in learning to cook some Indonesian dishes, Nora at Rainforest Guesthouses holds cooking classes for 100,000Rp. The classes will teach you how to prepare a 3 course meal, entry, main and desert. A selection of dishes are available for you to select.

Rafting trips from Bukit Lawang

Day trips can be arranged from Bukit Lawang to the Wampu River for a day of whitewater rafting. The Wampu River has grade 1 - 2 rapids so is perfect for beginners. You will need a minimum of 3 people to take on one of these trips though you may find other travelers in Bukit Lawang to join you. The day trips costs 880,000Rp (around US$78) per person and includes return transport to the Wampu River (around 2 hours there), raft, safety equipment, rafting guides and lunch. If you would like to pre-book one of these trips before you arrive please click here. contact us

 Bukit Lawang September 2007

On Nov 2 2003, Bukit Lawang experienced a flash flood that destroyed most of the village and killed over 200 people.  The village along the river was hit by a 30 foot wall of water, mud and trees coming down from the jungle. Illegal logging has been rumored to be the cause of the flood although Indonesian Government officials deny this. Accommodation has been rebuilt now although there are probably half the hotels that there used to be.

Bukit Lawang. September 2007

Internet, ATM and money exchange in Bukit Lawang

There currently is no internet access in Bukit Lawang. There was one internet cafe operating though closed for business in 2008.
There are no telephone offices like Wartel in Bukit Lawang. The closest of these services is in Bohorok, 10km away.  There are no ATMs, bank services or money transfer offices like Western Union. Again the closest of these are Bohorok 10km away or Binjai - over 2 hours by bus. Some money changers have started appearing again in Bukit Lawang although the exchange rate will be lower than you can get in the larger cities like Medan. Sam's Bungalows do money exchange.

How to get to Bukit Lawang

There are tourist buses leaving from most towns in North Sumatra to Bukit Lawang. In Medan you have the option of catching a local bus, very large, slow and crowded but very cheap, 10,000Rp. It will take 3.5 to 4 hours in the local bus as it also stops many times along the way to drop and pick up locals. You will need to get a becak or taxi to the bus depot in Medan - Pinang Baris. It will cost around 35,000Rp for a becak. A taxi will cost aroun 70,000 - 80,000Rp from the centre of Medan to get to Pinang Baris Bus Terminal.
You can also take a mini-bus from Pinang Baris for 12,000Rp. The mini-buses take around 3 hours to get to Bukit Lawang as they do not stop as many times along the way. The mini-buses do not leave from the main bus terminal. Travel down the road that runs past the bus terminal a few hundred meters and your will find the mini-buses outside the large pastry store (you can't miss it).

Private Transport from Medan to Bukit Lawang

If you would like a car to collect you from your hotel in Medan or from the airport and be taken to Bukit Lawang click here to contact us. Price is 600,000Rp (around 49 Euros) for up to 4 people. This is a quicker, safer trip of under 3 hours from your hotel or the airport. The vehicle used is a new air-conditioned Ford Everest SUV.

CP :  0812 5340 3140 ( ARLI )

Lake Toba - North Sumatra

Lake Toba, the largest lake in South East Asia, and the deepest in the world, was formed 75,000 years ago after an earth splitting volcano eruption. It is the largest and deepest volcanic crater lake in the world. It's 906 meters above sea level with an average depth of 450m. The lake has an island in the middle called Samosir. You can get to Lake Toba from Medan in around 3 - 4 hours.

Lake Toba is in the centre of the homeland to the Batak people but 'Tano Batak' covers an area the size of Belgium within North Sumatra. With their own language, the Batak are mainly Christian, encountering Christian missionaries in the 1850's and 1860's from Holland and Germany.

 

The current estimated population of Samosir is 120,000. Including Lake Toba there are six major Batak regions - Toba Batak, Karo Batak, Kakpak/Dairi Batak, Simeulungun Batak, Angkola Batak and Sipirko Batak. Around 1.5 Million Batak live amongst these regions. The Karo Batak and centered around Berastagi.
There is a regular ferry service, every half hour, between Tuk-Tuk on Samosir Island to Parapat. The ferry runs between 7.30am and 7.30pm during peak tourist seasons. During off peak times the last ferry back from Parapat is 6pm. The cost of the ferry is 7000Rp. Buy your ticket on the boat. At the ferry wharf and on the ferry you will be approached by many of the local young men trying to persuade you to go to the hotel they are affiliated with. These guys are mostly harmless and just trying to make a living guiding tourists. They can be a good resource for information. There is no harm in going and checking their hotel out and if you're not happy with that hotel move on to the ones close by. Tuk-tuk is not that large so the hotels are close. See the list of hotels at the bottom of this page.

View across to Tuk-Tuk Peninsula

On the island there are waterfalls and hot volcanic springs (Air Panas). In the dry season most of the waterfalls stop flowing.
Three megalithic sites on Samosir bear witness to the glory - and horror - of Batak history. The three consist of 300-year-old stone seats and benches arrayed in a circle. The first set of ruins was used as a conference area for Batak kings. At the second site, the rajas would sit in judgment of a criminal or enemy prisoner. If the accused were found guilty, the assembly would move to the third set, which features the ghastly addition of a central stone execution block.

    

The Air Panas - hot springs is on the other side of the island to Tuk-Tuk. The hot springs are not on Samosir Island but you do not need to take a ferry off the island to see them. On the opposite side of the island from where Tuk-Tuk is there is a town called Pangururan. There you will find a small isthmus that connects the island to the mainland. So is Samosir actually a true island? On the other side of this isthmus you will find the hot springs. It takes about 1 hour to ride the local bus to Pangururan from Tuk Tuk. If you hire a motorbike to travel around Samoris Island ride carefully as often dogs, chickens and school children dart across the roads as well as water buffalo on the side and often on the road.
Overlooking the hot springs is Mount Pusuk Buhit (1981m). Gunung Pusuk Buhit is sacred to the Batak people as the first ruler, Si Raja Batak, is believed to have descended from heavan onto the mountain.
At Simanindo, 19km from Tuk-Tuk, is the Batak Museum built in the house where Raja Sidauruk lived. Here you can see traditional dancing (Tordon) and puppet performances (Sigalegale). Sigalegale was originally performed at Batak funerals, the puppets being the receptacle for the soul of the deceased.
All over Samosir Island you will see lots of traditional Batak houses as well as the Batak grave sites which are suspended above the ground.

The Batak houses have lots of symbolism built into their design.

The roofs of the house are designed so the back of the roof in higher than the front. The father of the house always sleeps at the front of the house and the children in the back. The higher roof in the back signifies that the father wants his children to reach higher in life than himself.

The steps leading up to the small entrance are always atleast 4, 5 or 6 to signify how many children the family wants to have.

The small entrance into a Batak house are designed so you have to bow down to enter the house paying respect to the people inside the house.

In July every year the Batak people hold the Lake Toba festival. The festivities include Dragon boat races, traditional dancing, canoe races and a swim from Parapat to Tuk-Tuk. This festival was suspended in 2007 due to the economical climate and lack of tourists.

In the middle of Samosir Island there is a small mountain (780m) which is quite an easy climb to get to the top. On the journey up you will experience fantastic views over the lake and Tuk-Tuk. There are two guesthouses at the top of the mountain, John and Jenny's which makes for an interesting night away.

Internet access on Samosir Island is fairly slow and sometimes unreliable. There are often power cuts especially at night. The cost is fairly standard at all internet cafes and hotels set at 20,000Rp per hour, usually charged by the minute.

Getting to Lake Toba

You can catch a bus to Lake Toba from most to the main towns in Sumatra. You can catch a train from Medan to P. Siantar which is only 40 minutes from Lake Toba by bus. The train leaves Medan at 10.05am and arrives in P. Siantar at around 12.45pm.

A public bus to and from Medan to Parapat costs 18,000Rp and takes around 3 - 4 hours.

There are also daily flights on Susi Air that fly from Medan to Silangit (12.40pm) and flights from Silangit to Medan (1.20pm). Silangit is just south of Lake Toba with buses available to transport you to Parapat after your flight. The flight times are 40 minutes.

BERASTAGI

Berastagi, usually pronounced Brastagi, with an elevation of 1220m, close to Lake Toba is a small, normal busy Indonesian town. Berastagi is located 70km from Medan. It does not rely on tourism so you'll get to see the locals getting on with their lives rather than hassling tourists to make a living.

There are some great day trips to be done from Berastagi. The area around is the main fruit, vegetable and flower growing area for North Sumatra.
There is 2 active volcanoes close to Berastagi. Sibayak, closest to town, 2100 meters high and fairly easy to climb and a great place to view the sunrise. And Sinabung, 2400 meters high, quite steep and difficult to climb, often getting on your hands and knees to climb at times.

Sibayak Volcano

Recent eruptions of Sinabung Volcano

7th September 2010 - Sinabung Volcano erupted today pumping black smoke 5km into the air, the most violent eruption since it became active again over 1 week ago after laying dormant for over 400 years. The eruption could be felt up to 8 kilometers away. Sinabung Volcano had 24 smaller eruptions the day leading up to this mornings eruption. 30,000 residents around the surrounding villages have been evacuated to camps.

Sinabung Volcano erupted on the 29th August 2010 and again on Monday 30th August 2010 spewing smoke and ash 2 kilometers into the air. This is the first time Sinabung has erupted in over 400 years. The second eruption on Monday was larger than on Sunday with possible increased volcanic activity.

An exclusion zone of 7 kilometers has been setup around the volcano though the smoke has been causing respiratory problems to locals around the Berastagi area. Some flights into Medan airport were delayed or re-routed on Monday though all flights are normal into Medan now. - last updated 31st August 2010.

Sinabung Volcano

12kms south of Berastagi is Kabanjahe, from where you can walk 4km to the ancient, traditional village of Lingga where the design of the houses with their horn-shaped roofs has remained unchanged for centuries. Five or six families (or from the Karonese perspective, one extended family) live in each house, but each has its own family stove.

 

Right next to the centre of Berastagi is Bukit Gundaling which is a hill overlooking Berastagi, Gunung Sibayak and Gunung Sinabung. At the top of the hill are some food and coffee stalls with excellent views over the town. There are also horse riding available up and down the hill.
Day trips out of Berastagi
Tahura National Park is a beautiful spot for exploring the jungle. There is a good waterfall and many clear and easy paths. You will almost certainly see wildlife a short walk into the jungle, gibbons or other primates, and have a good chance of seeing a hornbill or some other exotic birds. The Park also offers rides on Elephants and horses.
Hot springs are located at the base of Mount Sibayak with a variety of places offering pools for therapeutic bathing. Admission is generally 5000Rp.
40 minutes from Berastagi is the Sipiso - piso waterfall ('like a knife') on the northern edge of Lake Toba. The waterfall is 120m high and is formed by an underground river which flows out into the Toba caldera.

Sikulikap Waterfall around 30m high is 20 minutes from Berastagi. To get there catch any bus from Berastagi going to Medan and ask to be dropped off at Sikulikap. It should cost about 3000Rp for this trip. On the main road there are a series of basic food stalls with great views out over the gorge where the waterfall is located but you are unable to see the falls from there. At the bottom of the hill near the road bridge, on the right there is a path that leads through the rainforest to the falls. Should take about 15 - 20 minutes to walk to the falls. There is a good chance you will see monkeys within the rainforest.

         

The Sibolangit Botanical gardens are on the road between Medan and Berastagi, about 20km north of Berstagi. The botanical gardens contain giant ferns and moss covered trees.

Lingga Traditional Village

Lake Lau Kawar
How to get to Berastagi
Berastagi is 2 hours by bus from Medan. Local buses costs 7000Rp. Go to the Padang Bulan Bus terminal in Medan are there will be plenty of different buses to catch to Berastagi.