Leuser Rainforest, Volcano & Lake Toba
Sumatran Orangutans & Traditional Batak Culture (4-Day Tour)
Support the ecosystem of Gunung Leuser National Park, help its wildlife and local people while enjoying your holiday! This unique EcoTravel tour is a real innovation combining some of the most spectacular spots in Northern Sumatra with direct support for the environment. Around Bukit Lawang you will meet Sumatran orangutans and explore traditional local life. You also have the chance to hike up a volcano in Berastagi, see Karo Highlands and Lake Toba, the world’s largest crater lake. Your visits to traditional villages en route will be a direct contribution to the income of the locals.
Package details
- DAY 01: Air-con transfer (car or minibus) from your Medan hotel (3 hours) or from Kuala Namu Airport (4 hours) to Bukit Lawang: including driver, petrol & porter service for your luggage. Check in to your hotel in Bukit Lawang: EcoTravel Cottages, Jungle View Room, bathroom with western toilet and hot water shower, fan, minibar, safe locker, tea and coffee making facilities, balcony with jungle/river view, complementary items, WI-FI, breakfast. After arrival: take a rest, relax and recover from your journey to Bukit Lawang. Later, take part in our special “Meet & Relax Happy Hour” starting at 16:00 pm. Meet other EcoTravel guests before our team will answer all your questions. This social gathering is a good warm up for the tour starting the next day and not to be missed!
- DAY 02: “Welcome To The Jungle Trek” (1-day tour): 1-day trek in the Gunung Leuser National Park & traditional tube rafting down the Bohorok River back to Bukit Lawang after trekking: includes certified English speaking guide, porter, fruits, lunch, drinking water, tubes & safety jackets. Starts at 08:30 am. After trekking stay another night in Bukit Lawang: EcoTravel Cottages, Jungle View Room, bathroom with western toilet and hot water shower, fan, minibar, safe locker, tea and coffee making facilities, balcony with jungle/river view, complementary items, WI-FI, breakfast
- DAY 03: “Explore Local Life” (1/2-day tour): Unique tour by traditional Tuk-Tuk (or by mountain bike) along rice fields, rubber plantations and through the villages surrounding Bukit Lawang to Kampung Bukit where you stop at traditional sugar, tofu and bamboo/palm leaves weaving manufacturers. Then you will travel on to Simpang Mursal Timbangjaya having a typical local lunch with the villagers: includes certified English speaking guide, Tut Tuk taxi, driver & petrol (or mountain bike & equipment), lunch, drinking water, donation to the villagers. Starts at 08:30 am. Feel free to spend the afternoon at your pace: relax in your hammock, enjoy panoramic views of the rainforest from your balcony and watch stunning wildlife from the sun patio of EcoTravel Cottages. Take a refreshing bath in the Bohorok River or explore the village on your own. Stay another night in Bukit Lawang: EcoTravel Cottages, Jungle View Room, bathroom with western toilet and hot water shower, fan, minibar, safe locker, tea and coffee making facilities, balcony with jungle/river view, complementary items, WI-FI, breakfast
- DAY 04: Air-con transfer (car or minibus) from Bukit Lawang back to Medan hotel (3 hours) or Kuala Namu Airport (4 hours): including porter service for your luggage, driver & petrol. Nevertheless, if required our team will be more than happy to organize an additional tour around Bukit Lawang before departure, e.g. our Bat Cave Walk or our Landak River tour – subject to availability.
| Price Per Person (minimum 2 pax) | Low Season (October - May) | High Season (June - September) |
|---|---|---|
| Superior Option | 215 EUR | 242 EUR |
| Deluxe Option | 242 EUR | 266 EUR |
| Standard Option | 196 EUR | 215 EUR |
In order to meet the different needs of our lovely guests, EcoTravel’ Sumatra Tours come in different price categories. The Superior Package with room type Jungle View Room at EcoTravel Cottages in Bukit Lawang is always listed in detail on our website. At our partner Tabo Cottages at Lake Toba, our EcoTravel guests will stay in a Junior Suite. The higher price of the Deluxe Option results from the best room option in Bukit Lawang (Jungle View Suite / EcoTravel Cottages) and our choice at Lake Toba (Toba Suite / Tabo Cottages). Rooms chosen for our Standard Option are smaller and in a lower price range. Guests will stay right next to our EcoTravel Cottages in our new accommodation “Hangout@EcoTravel” (Orangutan Room/Jungle View Room). At Lake Toba you will stay in Tabo Cottages’ Batak Villa. In contrast to a variety of room types and rates in Bukit Lawang and at Lake Toba, there is only one room type chosen to accommodate EcoTravel guests at our partners in Medan, Berastagi and on Pulau Weh (Deli River Hotel/Deluxe Room, Nachelle Homestay/Volcano View Room, Freddies Santai Sumur Tiga/Seaview Beach Appartement). However, in cooperation with all our accommodation partners we are giving our best to present you with the best value for money. Note: EcoTravel guests who have to watch their budget are very welcome to book our small Batak Room at EcoTravel Cottages or our Budget Room at The Hangout @EcoTravel together with one of our popular Bukit Lawang packages (Hello Jungle, Orangutans & Elephants or The Jungle Book).
To keep up our good service we run all our tours and jungle treks in Bukit Lawang on fixed days suiting our well selected Sumatra touring packages. Arrival/departure in Bukit Lawang is usually on Fridays/Saturdays/Mondays. Some Sumatra tours also start on Tuesdays or Thursdays . However, we can tailor each package to match your specific requirements! It is possible to add some nights before or after a package. You are also welcome to skip, change or add some tours in Bukit Lawang and/or extend your stay with our partners on Lake Toba, in Medan or on Pulau Weh. We will do our best to suit your needs – subject to availability! And if all this still doesn’t match your travel plans, why not join our jungle trekking tours only and book accommodation and transport individually somewhere else? Unfortunately, for organisational reasons, our jungle treks cannot be booked separately in advance, as we only offer our trekking packages. We apologize for this inconvenience. Nevertheless, “walk-in” guests are always welcome at our EcoTravel Cottages/The Hangout in Bukit Lawang to check on last-minute availability! Just come to our office 1 to 2 days in advance, especially in the low season we usually have places available on our tours.
We really recommend arriving in Bukit Lawang no later than 18:00 pm! Between 16:00 pm and 19:00 pm there will be a meeting with your guide team in our EcoTravel Cottages where you will receive important information and an introduction to your trek starting the following morning. During our special “Meet & Relax Happy Hour” you will meet other EcoTravel guests and our team will answer all your questions. This social gathering, a nice warm up for the next day, is not to be missed! If direct airport transfer is required please note that your flight should arrive at Medan airport before 15:00 pm. Just remember that the transfer from Medan Airport to Bukit Lawang takes about 4 hours, so the later you arrive, the later you will arrive in Bukit Lawang. On arrival you will need to walk from the taxi stop to the EcoTravel Cottages for about 20 minutes – and if your jungle trek starts the next day you will need to get up early. If you arrive late you may also have problems with dinner, as most restaurants in Bukit Lawang close at 21:00 pm. However, if there is no other option than arriving late at Kuala Namu Airport in Medan, we would actually advise you to simply arrive a day earlier – and why not stay in an airport hotel before you start your jungle adventure? Our transfer service could arrange a relaxed pick up service from your hotel in Medan the next morning – and you could profit from another half day the jungle of Sumatra. Relax, swim, join an additional half day tour or simply discover this beautiful jungle village on your own. This is our very own Sumatra travel guide for EcoTravel guests – to help you all having an unforgettable time in the Sumatran jungle!
Berastagi & Samosir Island
Optional: Volcano Hike & Lake Toba Tour (5-Day Tour)
Package details
- DAY 04: EcoTravel’s volcano & Lake Toba trip starts with air-con transfer (car or minibus) from Bukit Lawang to Berastagi in the Karo Highlands, the centre of the batak-karonese culture (3-hours) & visit to the famous colourful fruit market of Berastagi: includes porter, driver, petrol, drinking water, fruits. Starts at 09:00 am. Afternoon check in at your accommodation in Berastagi: Nachelle Homestay, Double Room with volcano view, bathroom with western toilet and hot water shower, fan (note: Wi-Fi only available in the public living area!). Spend the afternoon exploring the town of Berastagi on your own: Why not try and get around the traditional way with a leisurely ride in a „Sado“ (horse carriage) or visit Gundaling Hill. Our partner Nachelle Homestay will be happy to organize an additional tour or even a cooking class, if required.
- DAY 05: „Sunrise Volcano Tour“ (1/2 day tour): Memorable sunrise hike on Sibayak volcano with panoramic views & followed by a relaxing stop at hotsprings, operated by our partner Nachelle Homestay. Starts at 04:30 am (note: you have to get up pretty early!), ends at 10:30 am: includes English speaking guide, transport to/from the volcano, all entrance fees, take-away breakfast. Our EcoTravel overland transfer service will pick you up at 12:30 pm to continue your Karo Highlands adventure with the famous Lake Toba. Stops en route at a traditional Batak Karo village and at the Sipiso-Piso waterfall: includes driver, petrol, all entrance fees on the way, drinks, boat tickets (one way!) from Parapat harbour to Samosir Island. Check in to your hotel on Samosir Island: Tabo Cottages, Junior Suite, bathroom with western toilet and hot water shower, air-con, minibar, tea and coffee making facilities, balcony with garden/lake view, complimentary items, WI-FI, breakfast
- DAY 06: “Culinary Tour” (1/2-day tour): This tour, operated by our partner Tabo Cottages, will give you impressions of the unspoilt part of this island with great views over Lake Toba. In a small village you will join the locals and prepare your lunch the traditional way on an open fire after harvesting spices and tapioca leaves right from the garden: includes guide, car, lunch, donation to the villagers. Starts at 10:00 am. Afterwards spend the afternoon with swimming, relaxing and just enjoying the beautiful scenery. Stay one more night on Samosir Island: Tabo Cottages, Junior Suite, bathroom with western toilet and hot water shower, air-con, minibar, tea and coffee making facilities, balcony/patio with garden/lake view, complimentary items, WI-FI, breakfast
- DAY 07: Spend your day winding down on Samosir Island. Or why not try and explore the island? Don’t miss a traditional Batak dance at the cultural centre in Simanindo and the historic Batak king’s residence at Ambarita. Our partner Tabo Cottages will love to organize tours around Lake Toba, if required. You could also rent a motorbike or mountain bikes and travel around by yourself. Stay another night on Samosir Island: Tabo Cottages, Junior Suite, bathroom with western toilet and hot water shower, air-con, minibar, tea and coffee making facilities, balcony with garden/lake view, complimentary items, WI-FI, breakfast
- DAY 08: Your Lake Toba experience ends with air-con transfer from Parapat harbour to your hotel in Medan (5 hours) or to Kuala Namu Airport (5 hours): including driver, petrol & highway toll. Starts at 10:00 am (flight departure not before 16:00 pm!)
| Price Per Person (minimum 2 pax) | Low Season (October - May) | High Season (June - September) |
|---|---|---|
| Superior Option | 314 EUR | 339 EUR |
| Standard Option | 299 EUR | 314 EUR |
