Trek & Trees

DAY 01: This unique EcoTravel tour will start at the entrance of Gunung Leuser National Park in Bukit Lawang und take you about fours hours through the rainforest with unforgettable scenic viewpoints. If you are lucky, many gibbons, Thomas Leaf monkeys, pigtail macaques, flying squirrels, Sumatran peacocks or hornbills might cross your path. Then your guide will take you away from the “tourist area” to the peaceful Landak River, where you will take a break for a swim and have a delicious lunch. Afterwards you will learn about forest reproduction and see how rubber is harvested by trekking on secret back trails along the „buffer zone“, the border of the national park. You will spend the night in the Batu Kapal Lodge by NFC at the Landak River. At this amazing hidden spot you can also observe many kinds of monkeys like Thomas Leaf monkeys, longtail macaques, silver tail macaques, honey bears, wild boar, gibbons and also wild orangutans. On top of that a lot of birds will join you there. After a local style dinner you have the opportunity of playing games or just looking at the stars.

DAY 02: Although regular “visits” from wildlife may make our EcoTravel guests happy, this behaviour also damages or even destroys the local harvest. And it leads to a permanent fight of the villagers against “fruit thieves”, sometimes resulting in a bloody battle. Our EcoTravel team and our partners from local organisation “Nature for Change” made it our goal to protect the buffer zone at Ranto Panjang Landak River and minimize the conflicts between farmers and wildlife through a detailed and well planned tree planting program. So after breakfast you will join villagers from this area to plant small native trees as Durian, Rambutan, Mango, Jengkol or Petai – supported by our EcoTravel guides and members of NFC. Wildlife and local communities alike will benefit from more trees because there will be plenty of fruits to share for all! After this activity you will have time to relax or swim. You will have a delicious lunch together with the villagers and get a deep insight into local culture. Afterwards our EcoTravel team will pick you up and take you back to Bukit Lawang.