So we’re on Sumatra in Bukit Lawang. I was really looking forward to this spot because this is where you can spot wild orangutan. And luckily, we did. What an amazing moving experience this was. We did a 2-day trekking through the Gunung Leuser National Park under the supervision of our guide ‘Jungle Man’ Thomas. The first day started by trekking and learning a lot about the flora and the jungle itself. It became clear that Thomas was a funny guy and we instantly knew we would be enjoying these two days. Oh and people, this was NOT a ZOO!
We were lucky to see Gibbons just after 30 minutes. Usually they are very hard to spot. Funny monkeys yet tricky as they can snatch your goodies within a flash.
Accomodation/hotel/guesthouse: Jungle Inn, Bukit Lawang.
Not much later we saw a group of Thomas leaf monkeys. We got really close and were able to get some good shots. Taking photos in the jungle is very hard because there’s not much light and objects move quickly between shade and sunlight. So hi ISO and try to have a real steady hand which didn’t always was the case. But we’re stoked with some of them how they turned out.
As we walked and walked uphill/downhill he was whispering ‘there, there’ and yes, the first two Orangutans Rada and Petri. These were semi wild ones which means they’ve been rehabilitated once to survive in the jungle on their own. You can tell the difference between wild / semi-wild by the color. Darker ones are wild because they’re deeper into the jungle and therefore more protected against sunlight.
Not long after that we saw another two semi wild ones, Minah & Suma. Both carrying little ones. Minah has the reputation of being quite hostile so we had to be careful with these two. Luckily we survived.
Then we had lunch. Thomas had a big backpack stuffed with food (I think we gained two kilo’s by trekking with this guy!). We had really nice rice with egg and vegetable in banana leaf packages. As dessert he had different fruit (way too much) for us with the delicious passion fruit included.
Just after maybe 10 minutes walking again with an almost exploding belly we encountered a complete wild orangutan. And Thomas kept saying ‘you bloody bastard lucky’ meaning it’s not that common to see that many orangutans. This one was coming really close and swung from tree to tree to show off his skills. When everyone had taken their pictures we went on.
Things started to heat up and we were longing for some water. We passed a little pool before eventually reaching the river and our camping spot for the night. We just had walked for 7 hours! Everyone went in and tried to swim against the stream. That was refreshing! Quite surprising were the two new orangutans which passed along the river. We were really blessed.
With the camp set up and food already being prepared we sat down and talked and talked. About the forest. About the animals. It was nice to hear such passion Thomas has for the forest. He’s very aware of the dangers and all. Yet, his heart belongs to the jungle and doesn’t see himself doing a desk job or something.
Thomas started telling about his trip to Europe. He visited Denmark once when he went to see his brother who is married to a Danish woman. So imagine, this is a guy who was never on a plane before and never experienced a lot of things which involves technology. The stories were almost similar to the program we had on tv where Zulu people were taken to the city. It was hilarious! We had so much fun. He definitely should write a book about it.
Then, sleeping time. In the open air in the middle of the jungle. All these sounds, insects, leeches, lightning, rain, the river flowing and… a flat ground. My back did hurt a bit when I woke up but it really wasn’t as bad as we expected. So breakfast time (breakfast and lunch within one hour) and a bit more relaxing down the river.
We got a real final dessert by Jackie (also a semi-wild one) and her little one who were sitting in a tree not far from us across the river. That’s number 11 in total! Thomas told us to just cross the river and maybe they’ll come down. So we did. It looked like they’re sleeping at first but after 10 minutes they descended towards us. It was amazing! So close, so cute! It got me the shivers and just by watching these incredible creatures I certainly got moved from the inside. Truly beautiful!
After we said goodbye to Jackie we did some tubing down the river. Quite fun and refreshing. We got back in Bukit Lawang after one hour and thanked Thomas and his crew for the lovely trekking. I highly recommend this guy if you’re want to pay Bukit Lawang a visit. He’s a professional, knows his stuff and delivers. He’s worth every penny. You can find his website here.
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So was it all good. Yeah! However, palm oil plantations, governments and NGO organizations fooling around. It got me a bit down for a second. You know, because of people. We should leave these forests the world is having and leave it to the eco system and nature itself to evolve. It’s quite disturbing how fast the population of orangutans is decreasing. And not only their number but also many other species. However companies and governments are willing to cut large pieces of forest to gain money. It’s really sad these people exist. Luckily, all people living near the jungle are very aware of all this and are protective about the forest. Hopefully this place will be the same in the future so this little one gets a fair chance of surviving and playing in the jungle.
We had fun and ♥ Bukit Lawang!
Comments ( 6 )
er zat een aapje op een stokje…wat een leuke foto’s. Ik volg jullie Azie avonturen sinds de post op Bloesem en geniet van de mooie foto’s en teksten. Een veelzijdigheid van indrukken en een geweldige promotie voor Azie.
hedy added these words on
Mar 08 10 at
9:58 am
Leuk hoor aapies kijken! Ziet er geweldig uit. Liefs
Esther* added these words on
Mar 11 10 at
3:35 pm
Hey! Bukit Lawang is tof!! Wij zijn er ook geweest tijdens onze trip.. Ik ben er vrij zeker van dat ik een paar van die oranje doerakkies herkende
Toffe foto’s btw!
Have fun! Tot snel
Bam added these words on
Mar 22 10 at
6:22 pm
Did you see the fire flies at the camp out. I loved them
Hug
Marleen
Marleen added these words on
Apr 07 10 at
8:27 pm
Er waren een aantal ja. Heel tof om te zien! Met de komst van een flinke bui waren ze echter al snel verdwenen.
Joey added these words on
Apr 18 10 at
3:56 am
What an amazing experience! Your photographs are BEAUTIFUL! I was lucky enough to see many primates on my last trip to Borneo – but my pictures look more like little specs in trees. The Sumatran Orangutans do look different from their Borneo cousins. I really want to go to Sumatra!
Thanks so much for sharing your experience!
Daughter Earth added these words on
May 04 10 at
7:14 am
