Where
to Go
Gunung Leuser National Park
Bukit Lawang
Tangkahan
Lake Toba
Berastagi
Mt. Sibayak
volcano
Mt. Sinabung
volcano
Sipisopiso
Waterfall
Tongging
Ketembe
Lake Kawar
Medan
What
to Do
Jungle
Trekking
Elephant
Trekking
White-Water
Rafting
River-Tubing
Volcano
Climbing
Bohorok
Orangutan Centre
Maimoon Palace
What
to Know
About "Hello
Mister Travel"
Introduction
to Sumatra
Topography
History
Getting to Sumatra
Getting Around Sumatra
Terms & Conditions
Accommodation
Bukit Lawang
Tangkahan
Berastagi
Tongging
Tuk Tuk
Ketembe
The Tours
Bukit Lawang Short Stay
The Jungle Trail
The Toba Trail
The North Sumatran Trail
Bukit Lawang
Meaning ‘gateway to the hills’, Bukit Lawang sits on the edge of Gunung Leuser National Park and alongside the Bohorok River. It is famous for its Orang-utan Centre and known as a starting place for treks into the jungle as well as a nice place to relax.
A beautiful little town nestled along the edge of the jungle, Bukit Lawang has known more prosperous days. It was once a thriving tourist destination but in 2003 was hit by an incredible flash flood which killed more than 200 people, wiped out half of the town and ended the livelihood of the remaining population. The thirty foot wall off water, mud and trees which swept through the village has been blamed by many on the illegal logging trade which has resulted in the erosion of the river banks and caused major blockages of fallen trees and detritus. However, nothing has been proven
Coupled with a fall in the tourist trade in Indonesia, the village has struggled in recent years, but is finally beginning to recapture its former prominence as a place to go, especially now that the road has been mostly repaired. There are some very nice places to eat, drink and stay. Bukit is a wonderful place to visit; it’s still charming and picturesque and should be on everyone’s itinerary when visiting Sumatra.
What to Do in Bukit Lawang
Go jungle
trekking
Visit the Orang-utan Centre
Ride an elephants here from Tangkahan
Go river-tubing
Go white-water
rafting
Relax by the river and enjoy the scenery
Visit the bat cave.
For accommodation in Bukit Lawang, click here...
How to get to Bukit Lawang
Buses run regularly to Bukit Lawang from Medan's Pinang Baris bus terminal, which is situated on the east side of the city and the price is around Rp.12,000. You can take a becak to get to the bus station which should cost no more than Rp.20,000 from Polonia Airport, or a taxi which will be more like Rp.50,000. Journey time from Medan to Bukit Lawang is around 2-3 hours depending on traffic, punctures, breakdowns or driving ability. The road is much improved over the last few years, however there is still around 20km of pot-holes along the way. Total distance is around 90km.
