The closest airport is Medan airport, in the capital of Sumatra. The airport is served by many domestic and international flights. The trek starts in Gunung Leuser National Park in Ketambe, approximately 7 hours' drive from Medan. Your guide will arrange for a private pick up from the airport or your hotel in Medan. If you are travelling from somewhere else within Sumatra, just let us know and we will do our best to get you to Ketambe.

Do I need to go with a guide?

Yes, having a guide is mandated by the Gunung Leuser National Park. You'll be glad for one too as the jungle doesn't have marked trails and it will also be difficult to spot an Orangutan hiding in the trees without a guide!

Do I need to train up?

The trails starting in Ketambe can be categorized into easy, medium and strenous, and you can choose which one you take for the trek. For the easy one, the terrain is mostly flat so minimal fitness is needed and you only need to be comfortable with walking for several hours at a time. For the strenous one, there are sections with steep inclines so you should be used to moderate exercise on a regular basis. Medium is somewhere in the middle. The heat and humidity makes the trek feel more intense than it otherwise would be, but you can take breaks as often as you need!

What's the best time to go?

The best months to visit are April, May, June, July, August, September, OctoberWe recommend the above period because you would have good weather.

Any tips for what to do in the area?

Ketambe is a pretty small town with not very much outside of the guesthouses and a few warungs. You may want to give a try the kitchens of some of the other guesthouses if you are bored of the one you are staying in - for e.g. One Thousand Hills Guesthouse has a pretty good selection of food choices. If you have an extra day that you would like to spend in Ketambe, you can experience white water rafting on the Grade III-IV rapids of Alas River.

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Gunung Leuser Orangutan Trek

About

Gunung Leuser National Park (Ketambe) is one of the best and most sustainable places in Asia to spot elusive wild Orangutans. Here you can spend a few days trekking and camping in the jungle, and you might just be rewarded with views of the shy Orangutans swinging from tree to tree above you. Suitable for novice hikers.

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