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
Jungle Trekking
A typical multi-day jungle trek consists of a guide and however many porters are needed for your group size. The guide will have extenive knowledge of the area and be able to keep you informed of the surrounding flora and fauna. It’s the porters who are the real heroes of the group, carrying, as they do, the enormous amounts of food and equipment needed for such an undertaking. While we huff and puff our way up and down steep hills carrying a small rucksack, these guys are carrying weights which we would be barely able to lift; they often do so barefooted, without breaking a sweat and in very good humour. It’s the porters who will chop and strip the bamboo to make our shelters and once they are erected, will prepare the food. You will be amazed at the tasty feasts that they can knock up on a fire in the middle of the jungle.Depending on the length of your trek, you may get as far as known watering-holes for some of the animals you’re hoping to see. Elephants, deer and even tigers come to these places and there is every chance that you’ll see their tracks in the wet ground although much rarer to see any of thoses creatures in the flesh. But however far you go, you are sure to see many species of animals and birds you’ve never seen before other than in a zoo, including Thomas leaf monkeys, wild orang utans, Hornbills, long-tailed macaques and gibbons. Sumatra’s rainforest is also famous for its plant-life and contains within its diminishing borders, the Giant Rafflesia flower among countless others.
After several days of tough walking it’s usual to end the trek by building a raft and taking the easy and fun way back to your point of departure.
Single or half day excursions are also common and easy to arrange. To book jungle trekking click here...
Where to go for Jungle Trekking
General
Advice for Jungle Trekking
Many of these suggestions can be ignored if you're only going on a day's trek.
Clothing
You're going to get wet. You may be lucky on a half or full day trek but the reality is that these are rainforests. I suggest wearing light, cotton clothes that won't chafe when wet. A waterproof is good for sitting around in in the evening but I wouldn't recommend wearing it while trekking as you'll get too hot and get wet anyway. A waterproof poncho is the best option as you can use it as a blanket at night.
Footwear
Your top-of-the-range, Gore-tex hiking boots are wasted in the jungle. They may keep your feet dry on a rainy day in the countryside but they aren't going to help you when you have to wade across rivers, and their soles just haven't got the grip for slippery, wet rocks. Jungles eat good hiking boots for breakfast. For a half day trek they might be fine but I wouldn't risk them any further.
I would recommend a cheap pair of rubber-soled lightweight ankle boots (desert boots, absurdly, seem to be the best option) that you're not afraid to get wet. Just remember to wear them in before setting off on a long trek; blisters can become more than just a nuisance when you're fifty kilometres from the nearest pharmacy.
Forget waterproof socks.
Irritants
Mosquitos aren't a problem once you get into the jungle but leeches are; there are a couple of schools of thought on this particular nuisance but it should first be said that there's no pain involved with these parasites as they secrete an anaesthetic once they latch on and there's no known illnesses from them unless they've already fed on a disease infected person, which is very unlikely.
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Wear a long-sleeved shirt and long trousers tucked into socks. This method does cut down on the amount that attach themselves to you but the reality is, that you will always get some that manage to fight their way through your defenses and you won't find them until much later when they've had their fill.
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My preferred method is to wear shorts and t-shirt and then you can at least see them and pull them off as you go; you will be with friends who will spot them and help you. The problem with this idea is that you end up with many cuts and scratches on your legs and arms.
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To remove a leech, run your nail along your skin and under the leech rather than pulling it off. If you pull it off (or burn it), the leech may regurgitate its meal back into your blood, or leave it's teeth in your skin and cause a possible infection.
There
are some plant irritants which can give a nasty rash if you come into
contact with them, but your guide should be able to spot these and
warn you in plenty of time.
Equipment
You
really don't need much as all of the essentials will be carried by
the porters. However some of the following will come in useful:
-
A torch for finding your way around at night, or reading.
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A small first-aid kit for minor cuts and blisters etc.
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A sarong. Useful for so many things, but mainly as a sheet.
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A waterproof poncho. Great as a blanket if it gets a little chilly.
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Sun-cream. You will find yourself exposed to the sun at times, especially when you're crossing rivers. Also if you decide to return by raft.
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A water bottle. The porters will fill this a couple of times a day with boiled water.
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Sleeping mat. These can be supplied for you but they will be the large foam kind that don't pack down too well. You can't beat the small self-inflating kind; this isn't a necessity but it will certainly make for a more restful sleep.
Baggage
Even if you're going for a long trek, you still won't need anything larger than a day-pack. You'll spend a lot of time ducking under branches and climbing steep banks, so anything larger will just get in the way. I highly recommend a waterproof rucksack or waterproof rucksack liner.
