Review Author: Djabulani

Review Date: 23 Feb 2018

Review Body: Great stay, wonderful hosts and awesome trekking! What a fantastic place. Not only the location, but also the friendliness Pindra and the rest of the family. They will take great care of you. Pindra made sure we had all the correct instructions to reach the place from Medan. When we were all settled we talked about the trekking plans and everything was settled pretty quickly: a 3 day trekking and and another single day trekking. The three day trek was awesome. To delight Pindra himself was our guide and together with the porter they spoiled us. The jungle is beautiful and the locations we slept were really nice. We saw Orangutan everyday and it is just amazing to see them in the wild. Pindra and Budi (our porter) made sure we were well fed, had some good sleep and adjusted to our place if necessary. The food they cooked was amazing and we dubbed Budi the Jungle Chef as he managed to conjure up a Indonesian Rice Table in the middle of the jungle. Pindra explained us a lot about the Flora and Fauna and his English was excellent. The single day trek I went with Buyung (as arranged by Pindra). He is a great guide. Laughs all the time, is a great spotter and likes an adventure. I saw many different animals and Orangutan again! I would definitely recommend going with him if you're in Ketambe. His facebook is Buyung-Ketambe. Look him up and contact him. He will want to show you the town as well and probably invite you at his place for a kopi or tea. The rooms at Sadat Wisata are good and clean. The kitchen is great. They make lovely curries and great gado gado. The river is close if you want to take a cooling dive (whatch out for the current though)! All in all: definitely 5 stars. I'm not only recommending this here, but all my friends will have to visit!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: L_Newport90, United Kingdom

Review Date: 07 Nov 2017

Review Body: My boyfriend and I recently had a wonderful stay at Sadar Wisata over 5 days including 3 days in the jungle which I highly recommend to anyone looking to visit Gunung Leuser National Park to trek The owner of the Guesthouse Pindra and his wife Julela are so lovely, helpful and make you feel very welcome along with Mario who seems to help out with anything & everything at the Guesthouse. Pindra organises the trekking and arranged taxis for us from / back to Medan which worked out well. He also has a great laugh & is always smiling :) At the Guesthouse we stayed in one of the large bungalows which is basic but comfortable and the bed had a have mosquito net. We ate all of our meals in their restaurant which are cooked by Julela and are very tasty and good value - we miss her cooking! There is Wi-Fi in the restaurant area which didn't always work and often cut out. Our trek was guided by Abdul who I can't recommend enough as well as Mario who carried the camping gear and made us delicious hot meals to come back to. The tent which we camped in was basic and made from plastic sheeting which was great at keeping the rain out but not so much ants and insects. It's not a problem though if you know what to expect - it is the jungle after all! Whilst trekking over the 3 days Abdul spotted 18 orangutans, a black haired gibbon, rhinoceros hornbills, squirrels, lots of macaque and thomas leaf monkeys amoung other animals. Abdul also pointed out interesting insects, fruits and fungi and is generally very knowledgeable about the jungle as well as being friendly, approachable and a pleasure to trek with. All in all a great Guesthouse with excellent hosts and guides who really made our visit __

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Lucy Newport

Review Date: 10 Feb 2018

Review Body: My boyfriend and I recently had a wonderful stay at Sadar Wisata over 5 days including 3 days in the jungle which I highly recommend to anyone looking to visit Gunung Leuser National Park to trek. The owner of the Guesthouse Pindra and his wife Julela are so lovely, helpful and make you feel very welcome along with Mario who seems to help out with anything & everything at the Guesthouse. Pindra organises the trekking and arranged taxis for us from / back to Medan which worked out well. He also has a great laugh & is always smiling :) At the Guesthouse we stayed in one of the large bungalows which is basic but comfortable and the bed had a have mosquito net. We ate all of our meals in their restaurant which are cooked by Julela and are very tasty and good value - we miss her cooking! There is Wi-Fi in the restaurant area which didn't always work and often cut out. Our trek was guided by Abdul who I can't recommend enough as well as Mario who carried the camping gear and made us delicious hot meals to come back to. The tent which we camped in was basic and made from plastic sheeting which was great at keeping the rain out but not so much ants and insects. It's not a problem though if you know what to expect - it is the jungle after all! Whilst trekking over the 3 days Abdul spotted 18 orangutans, a black haired gibbon, rhinoceros hornbills, squirrels, lots of macaque and thomas leaf monkeys amoung other animals. Abdul also pointed out interesting insects, fruits and fungi and is generally very knowledgeable about the jungle as well as being friendly, approachable and a pleasure to trek with. All in all a great Guesthouse with excellent hosts and guides who really made our visit :)

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Michael N, Canada

Review Date: 30 Apr 2016

Review Body: I will start with the wonderful people. Ayuni is an amazing lady with a lot of knowledge of what a traveler would like to have while exploring the surrounding area. She has a great sense of humor and it is important to her that her guests have a truly amazing experience. Pindra (her son) is a curious and kind young man who was raised in the business of owning a guest house and it shows when he spends time with his guests. This family knows how to interact with people on a healthy level and were truly an important part of my experience in Sumatera. They all speak English quite well. They can accommodate you in the kitchen just as well as they do everywhere else. If you are not interested in the local faire ask for fries, or an omelet. You will be missing out though and I always preferred to ask what they were having for supper!! The place...If you have the time to go on a trek you will be amazed at the variety of sights in the area. You can ask about the lake on the mountain, the place where the flying foxes congregate, is there any tigers in the area, how about a visit to the local Dukun (shaman)? There are local hot springs, the orangutan breed within minutes of the guest house and if you are lucky you may be able to catch a glimpse. Or you can go for a dip in the river to cool off and play Cari batu with the children. There are several good guides in the area and I can personally vouch for anyone from Ayuni's family. Take the time, relax, and get to know the locals, try using the language they love it!!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: amberd933, Japan

Review Date: 17 Jan 2018

Review Body: An experience hard to come by As an experienced backpacker who now travels with children, this was one of my all-time greatest trips. There are few people on the planet who are as happy, kind, trustworthy and good-natured as Pindra and his wife Layla, they treated us as part of their family while we stayed at the guesthouse. Pindra glued my shoe that had broken, and Layla even untangled the hopelessly messed-up bednets we brought with us, I can't thank them enough. Our children 6 and 8 years old had so much playing with the local kids who lived near the guesthouse that they didn't want to leave for the jungle trek! The flora and fauna of the Sumatran jungle is truly incredible. We saw Orangutans multiple times during our trek as well as Thomas leaf monkeys, macaques, and gibbons, but our kids equally loved the rolly-pollys the size of billiard balls, colourful beetles and flying lizards. Our guides were friendly, laid back and professional and we felt relaxed and excited for every day's adventure in their care. It is not easy to find this kind of experience anymore, where guides are not pushy and nature is truly unspoiled. If you want to protect the Indonesian Rainforest, go all the way to Ketambe for the real deal and support a local community who truly benefits from your patronage. You cannot go wrong with the Sadar Wisata guesthouse. It's a unique experience not to be missed!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Outandaboutinaboat, Canada

Review Date: 03 Mar 2018

Review Body: Amazing Trek, Great Hosts, Stay Here. We stayed and and trekked with this guesthouse in January 2018, and have nothing but great memories to share about it. When we arrived in Ketambe we visited each guesthouse in town before deciding where to land - Sadar Wisata was the obvious choice - super friendly and welcoming family, beautiful location next to the river, great views of the mountains, clean and comfortable rooms. Turns out the food is tasty too, and the open air (but covered!) restaurant space is also very clean and was a really nice place to hang out. Very quickly after we arrived Pindra arranged a 3 day 2 night trek for us, and we were off the next morning with his guide. Sleeping arrangements and food were basic (as they are no matter what guesthouse you trek with) - but we slept well and were well fueled for hiking through the jungle. The hot springs along the route are likely the most amazing we will ever visit and are reason enough to go trekking in the park. We were also thrilled to see orangutans on our last day, having seen signs of them for two days prior, and of course having come to Leuser and Ketambe in hopes of observing them in the wild. May your experience be as amazing as ours!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: magdinaaa, United Kingdom

Review Date: 15 Feb 2018

Review Body: A hidden paradise on Earth You wonÕt find a better place to relax and experience what it is like to live in the jungle. Sadar Wisata is a perfect starting point for those who want to go trekking to the rain forest and see some wild animals. The bungalows are amazing, you can chill on a big terrace or go for a swim to the river that is just few meters from the guesthouse. The married couple - Pindra and Julela -are very welcoming and are always around to cook for you or organise a trek according to your needs for a very good price. Me and my friend went for a three days trek into the jungle and even though we had no expectations we managed to see a lot of wildlife including 8 orang-utans. To see a WILD orang-utan is very magical, you wonÕt have a chance to see it anywhere else in Sumatra. As Places like Bukit Lawang are nowadays so touristic that it lost itÕs authenticity and wildness. Thank you Pindra and Julela for making us feel like home and for an experience that will stay for the rest of our lives!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Saskia L

Review Date: 04 Aug 2017

Review Body: Very warm and relaxing guesthouse. Me and my boyfriend stayed here for 4 nights (including jungle trekking). Pindra (the owner) always has a big smile on his face! The food is great and the service even beter. Pindra was really helpfull with arranging transport from Medan to Ketambe and after the jungle trekking with the transport to Lake Toba. Really a warm family guesthouse. For the jungle trekking we had specifically asked for a guide who could speak english because we wanted to know more about the jungle's flora and fauna. We went with Abdul as a guide and he knows a lot about the jungle, he could answer all our questions and was very easy going! Beside thomas leaf monkeys and white gibbons, we saw urang utangs on our first day, which he was still very enthusiastic about it! Mario (porter) was also an excellent cook and we loved his food! Banana pancakes for breakfast and a warm meal for lunch and dinner. We would definitely recommend this place for friends. Cheers Bastijn and Saskia

Review rating: 5

Review Author: tallperson007, Virginia

Review Date: 17 Oct 2018

Review Body: One Stop Shop with Good Prices Clean rooms, very friendly and accommodating people, good food,and excellent trekking options. We stayed here, ate here, and booked our trek through them and everything was great. The rooms were clean, the staff friendly and willing to help us with anything, good cooks (important!), and all around great hosts. The owner Pindra speaks excellent English and is a trekking guide himself, so he is very knowledgable about how the treks run and operate (as there is a solid chance he will not guide you himself but simply help arrange it for you.) The guide he arranged for us for our 3 day trek, Alex, was knowledgable about the flora and fauna, spoke excellent english, and did his best to accommodate any requests we might have. All in all a great experience that I would recommend to anyone, especially as all the prices are very reasonable and comparable to or lower than other guesthouses in the area.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: barryomah

Review Date: 24 Mar 2016

Review Body: Stayed here while I explored gunung leseur Uni, and her son Pindra run a great place with fantastic (trustworthy) guides to take you into the jungle. When I arrived I had hoped to go to the jungle the following day, but arriving unexpected as I often do... I was told that half of katembe was driving north in 2 days time for the Samin festival (a dancing/praying event where local villages host another village for 3 days of praying and chanting). We sat down to come up with a plan... the result, an unforgettable trip to the other village with Uni and all the katembe locals, being the only tourist at the festival. Uni treated me like family... Amazing :-) When we got back, I headed into the jungle for 6 days with Pindra/Jhon Kennedi (jfk), both who are fantastic bush men and know how to track what ever it is that you are looking for... I saw urangutan/hornbill/gibbon... and have amazing photos to prove it :-)

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Fede O, Germany

Review Date: 24 Apr 2016

Review Body: Is hard to start ... AYUNI is the sweetest lady i met in my indonesia trip, she like to speak & tell u lot of stories, i stayed there after the trekking, we slept in front of her place in a similiar accomodation but paying double and zero motivation the guys of the reception, so we crossed the road asking for prices of the trek and we met AYU ... since there all our experience change complete :). rooms are basic but clean with fan and mosquitos net, toilet inside and shower ... well is a baket, funny isnt? Relax in "Friendship GH" is the same, menu at both places are the same but here is cheaper !!!:p hope she gets soon WiFi, but if not u can walk 300mts to her brother (owner of Friendship guesthouse) & get online. I still remember the way she laught hahahah. big big soul lady,Thanks a lot. Ps: late check out ... she really is ... pufff just go and check !!! Enjoy everyone

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Jelte N, The Netherlands

Review Date: 03 Feb 2018

Review Body: Lovely place, highly recommended. Wauw, beautiful and peaceful guesthouse in the jungle and next to the river. Did a 8 DAYS jungle trek to the Lake and Kappi Mountain to fulfill my dream! My reason for visiting Ketambe was to got a real non-touristic jungle trek and found the perfect place to arrange that. The owners gave me a pleasant and warm welcome, rooms are quiet and surrounded by nature, includes a good restaurant with Wi-Fi. Because it is the oldest guesthouse in town they have a lot of experience and spoke with them for making the ultimate jungle trekking. The Trek was really good arranged, saw many animals, plants, stunning nature and even nice food all for a good price. Stayed a little longer when came back to relax. The highlight of my one year Backpacking trip through Asia. Definitely come back to this lovely place and hope to meet the family again :)

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Ema N, France

Review Date: 19 Jan 2017

Review Body: After looking at all the room options in Ketambe it was clear that this guest house had the best quality/price option. I also really appreciated the fact that none pushed me to book a jungle tour... Pindra and his wife ( and their little girls) are so friendly and welcoming I felt right at home and stayed an extra week after my jungle trek! The food is amazing too! ( try the gado gado, my favorite Indonesia wide!) I had red some bad comments about some guides on forums and such but I had a great experience with my guides I booked through Pindra. My guide adapted to my level of walking and it was the most amazing thing to see all the animals in their natural habitat. Best accommodation option in Ketambe no doubt! Thanks again Pindra and Julela for making my stay in Ketambe unforgettable.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: P D, Michigan

Review Date: 29 Dec 2017

Review Body: In 15 year of independent travel, this was one of our best trips. Pindra, the manager was easy to communicate with via email. He greeted our family with a happy smile at 1:30am after a long drive from Medan. Layla, his wife, made tasty food and we would recommend the whole BBQ chicken if ordered in advance. The whole family was super kind to us and our two children. We went on a 5 day - 4 night jungle trek that exceeded expectations on so many levels. Our guide, Abdul, and the porters, Mario and Asbi, were knowledgeable, kind and professional. We saw incredible wildlife, plants and insects throughout the trek. We would recommend a trek, a stay and the food with a huge thumbs up! This was a great experience for a family looking for an adventure.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Vanessa

Review Date: 16 Dec 2018

Review Body: Amazing home in the jungle! This lovely guesthouse was a great place to relax before and after jungle trekking. The room was clean, the food delicious and Pindra is the one of kindest host I have ever met! When we arrived, I was worried about jungle trekking and not having cash (no ATM in Ketambe). Pindra was always smiling, explained everything and completely reassured me! He helped organise an incredible jungle trek (with Mario as our porter), book our transportation from the guesthouse to Medan and asked Mario to drive us to the nearest city to withdraw money. Mario is really awesome, he is funny, kind and helpful. As our porter, he cooked fantastic food (banana pancakes every morning!) and is such a great person to hang out with!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: ChurexAcosta, Argentina

Review Date: 13 Dec 2019

Review Body: Best guesthouse and trekking tour at Ketambe. The guesthouse offers different types of rooms. Prices are very good. We stayed in the cheapest one, and it had a double bed and private room. The fresh water it is all you need. The location is perfect, since you start the trekking just from there. Food is cheap and amazing. And the family that runs the guesthouse and offers the trekking tour are lovely poeple. We had the best time sharing with them lots of stories. I definitely recommend this place. Perfect place to spot wild orangutans in Sumatra. Mario, our guide, has a great ability to find them. He speaks great english and is full of energy.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Christian C

Review Date: 29 Aug 2016

Review Body: My friend and I just finished a 6 day jungle trek organized though Sadar Wisata. It was without doubt the highlight of our 2 month journey though south-east Asia. The guides (as well as the porters) were nothing short of fantastic. We saw everything from orangoutangs to hot springs, waterfalls and in general the beautiful untouched nature of the Leuser national park. We will never forget our magical days in the jungle and we will both (without doubt) return for more trekking adventures. 11/10 stars from here!!! We will see you again but thank you so much for the great times we had. Lots of love. The Danish Christian and Anders :)

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Linda L

Review Date: 22 Dec 2017

Review Body: We had an amazing time at Pindra and JulelaÕs guesthouse. Such a kindhearted family. The atmosphere is very relaxed, welcoming and familiar. What I liked is they donÕt try to push you into booking a trip or a trek. The place is clean and very spacious, food is excellent and wifi (only in the restaurant area) is fast. Room no. 5 has the best view and is right by the river. We did a 3-day trek and saw 8 orang utans and all kinds of other monkeys, wild pigs and plants. They even provided us with sleeping bags. The journey to ketambe is a bit long but it is really worth the experience __________

Review rating: 5

Review Author: andrea b

Review Date: 20 Aug 2017

Review Body: we went at Sadar Wisata in the first days of august 2017. One night at the guest house and 3 night, 4 days inside jungle. Really a beautiful experience. Pindra's hospitality incredible, and his family too. Guides for the jungle fantastic. Thank you Sharil, Eddie and Hamze for your love to the nature, your smiles, your song, your dance, your trick ! Thank you for making us feel like brothers. We love you guys, we love jungle, we love Ketambe, we love Sumatra, we love Indonesia. Thanks for all and hope to see you soon. Andrea, Simone e Lello

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Rajah S, Germany

Review Date: 12 Feb 2019

Review Body: We felt really comfortable in the guesthouse, the room we had was basic and quite cheap. They have different rooms and access to the river. The place is quite calm. We did the jungle trekking for 3days and it was an amazing experience. The guides were super sympathetic and explained us a lot in the jungle and gave a big effort to find wildlife. Mario - the Manager of the guesthouse- is a very nice guy and also tells a lot about life in Ketambe and about the jungle. We had a very good time in this village! Nothing to complain about.

Review rating: 5

Itinerary Day 1

Itinerary Summary: Today you will arrive in Ketambe, where your adventure begins!

Itinerary Description: Evening: Dinner, spend the night at the guesthouse in Ketambe

Itinerary Day 2

Itinerary Summary: Today you'll get to see a variety of animals in their natural habitat!

Itinerary Description: Morning (8am): Begin trek in the jungle, spotting of orang utans, monkeys, gibbons, and birds Afternoon: Arrive at campsite, lunch, continue trek in the jungle Evening: Return to camp for dinner

Itinerary Day 3

Itinerary Summary: Apart from enjoying wildlife, you'll also get to soak in a nice hot spring!

Itinerary Description: Morning: Breakfast, begin trekking Afternoon: Lunch, hot spring Evening: Fishing, dinner

Itinerary Day 4

Itinerary Summary: Today you'll trek out of the jungle, and return to Ketambe for an overnight stay.

Itinerary Description: Morning: Trek out of the jungle after lunch Afternoon: Return to Ketambe for an overnight stay in guesthouse

Itinerary Day 5

Itinerary Summary: Today you'll be returning to Medan.

Itinerary Description: Morning: Depart Ketambe for the drive back to Medan