Part deux of our Sumatra adventure. I don’t want to make these blog posts all about the roads to the places we’ve been, but the road to Bukit Lawang from Lake Toba is… barely a road at all, in some places.
The road is 260km and the last 50km takes about 1.5 hours.
When you arrive, however, you’re in the “Garden of Eden”, to quote one online review, which pretty much nails it. A chilled out, jungle vibe where everyone lives by (and bathes in) the river.
We immediately felt at home at Indra Valley Inn. The owner — Obiwan — is a suave, laid-back jungle veteran with long hair and a cool motorbike. He’s the type of guy that makes you feel special when he’s talking to you. The whole team that works there is like a family, welcoming you and just having a great time. And a great time we had.
Jungle trekking
The big draw to Bukit Lawang is the jungle trekking to spot monkeys and orangutangs. We were debating whether to do Bukit Lawang or Ketambe, the latter being more wild but also slightly more difficult to get to. At Bukit Lawang, spotting orangutangs is guaranteed, because this is the place where they were rehabilitated into the wild, so some of them are semi-tame.
One worry was that it would be too touristy with lots of feeding for the sake of tourists. It would be a lie to say that doesn’t happen, but from what I saw it’s not overtly done and can be avoided by going with a reputable tour guide. Our tour guides (from the team at Indra Valley Inn) were extremely respectful of the jungle and the animals — it’s the home they’ve grown up with, after all.
There is one exception to the “no feeding” rule and that is if you run into Mina, the legendary orangutang, who is a grumpy old lady and likes to bite (you only have to Google ‘mina bukit lawang‘ to see her world fame). You must appease her with gifts, because she rules the roost around those parts.
After a long day of trekking into the jungle (or days, depending whether you want to stay one or more nights), you might normally dread the return journey. But thanks to the flowing river and gentle rapids, you can hitch a ride straight back to your homestay on rubber tubes, driven by two local people navigating you with bamboo sticks.
A home away from home
When I talk to people or read about Bukit Lawang, people rave about it, and for good reason. It is truly an unforgettable experience. Not only that, but it’s an extremely traveller-friendly community that makes you feel like you never want to leave. We stayed another night to enjoy our balcony views of the natural river and jungle just opposite. Indeed, on the last night we met a couple who return to Bukit Lawang each year.
It’s truly a jungle home where you can relax and soak up the chilled out vibes, see locals playing in the river and spot some cheeky monkeys living alongside humans.
For those who have visited Thailand, I found myself comparing Bukit Lawang to Pai. Except that it’s less discovered and developed and the natural beauty is more on your doorstep.
Definitely on my “places to revisit” list. I only hope they’ve repaved the road by then.
P.S. Oh, and Bukit Lawang is a cat haven
Was it the Obi-wan