ID · North Sumatra · 3.55°N 98.12°E

bukit lawang

Jungle treks to spot orangutans, then tube back down the river.

Best time
You can go all year. Trails are muddiest and the river runs highest in the wetter months towards the end of the year.
How long
2–3 days
Getting there
About an hour's flight from KL to Medan, then about 3–4 hours by road to the village.
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ID · North Sumatrabukit lawang3.55°N 98.12°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Jungle treks to spot orangutans, then tube back down the river.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingBukit LawangID, North Sumatra
KLbukit lawang
≈ 399 km from KL, as the crow flies
Kawasan Bukit Lawang yang menjadi bagian dari Taman Nasional Gunung Leuser di Kecamatan Bahorok, Kabupaten Langkat, Provinsi Sumatera Utara merupakan rumah bagi satwa-satwa liar salah satunya monyet.

Photo: Andreiromario · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

A small village on the Bahorok River, at the edge of Gunung Leuser National Park. It's one of the few places where you can see Sumatran orangutans in the forest, on guided treks. After the trek, many people ride rubber tubes back down the river to the village.

Things to do

  1. Jungle trekHalf-day to multi-day treks with a guide, looking for orangutans, gibbons and Thomas's leaf monkeys.Map ↗
  2. Overnight campSleep at a riverside camp in the forest on a two-day trek.Map ↗
  3. River tubingFloat back down the Bahorok on rubber tubes at the end of a trek.Map ↗
  4. Bat CaveA short walk from the village to a cave with bats and limestone formations.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Treks must be done with a licensed guide. Book through your guesthouse or a known guide association.
  • Never feed or touch the orangutans, and keep your distance. Don't trek if you have a cold, as they can catch human illnesses.
  • Bring leech socks and something waterproof for your phone.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.