After fond farewells with our Dewi Nusantara shipmates at Jakarta airport, we depart bang on time to Medan, an overnight stop in order to reach Bukit Lawang, where we will spend three nights in our search for the elusive orangutang. We have only seen them in rehab mode in Borneo, and it is about the only place to see them in the wild. The National Park has between 6-7000 apes, spread across about 8000 acres, so we are hopeful. However, incursions into it for expansion of oil palm continue despite legal battles.

The Airport Anara hotel is a bit seedy, a dark room with little natural light. I am woken at 3.30 by some mechanical grinding, which continues intermittently, supplemented by canned music from the corridor. The food is OK though and after breakfast we are met by Mr Gali, the driver. Navigating out of Medan, which is the capital of northern Sumatra and the largest city outside Jakarta with about 4.5 m inhabitants, is a tedious business.

Mr Gali weaves skilfully in between the chaotic traffic – motorbikes undertaking/overtaking, tuk tuks, big lorries and shared taxis; we pass amazing housing developments, one with an arch and winged chariot atop, another named the ‘Taman Riviera’ – plonked between rundown sheds and small factories, ramshackle homes, little shops, a huge stadium, municipal buildings, schools, military compounds, all higgledy-piggledy. Mr Gali tips the informal whistle-blowing traffic cops in hi-viz vests in order to cut across the traffic. It’s very polluted and filthy dirty, rubbish everywhere.

Two hours later we escape Medan and are immediately into acres of palm oil plantations. Mr Gali sings along to his Indonesia greatest hits tapes to help him relax. Indonesia is responsible for 60% of global oil production which is 36% of all oils used globally. The fruit is harvested manually using a long sickle. We pass through the Turangie estate, co-owned by Indonesian and British corporates. Hmm. It is shocking to see nothing but oil palms on what was tropical rainforest and home not only to orangutangs but also to Sumatran elephants, rhinos and tigers – now all virtually extinct.

Finally we arrive in Bukit Lawang where our bags are whisked away by two porters who charge 50k Rupiah to go about 300 yards. They dump them unceremoniously in our rdv, Jack’s bar, owned by our tour operator, Jaka, a local conservationist. There we have lovely fresh lime juice, and meet Gerry, who will be our guide for the road trip after our trek.

We are saved from further extortion by our homestay host, Ray, and Diego, our assistant guide on the trek, who heft our carryons up the 200 steps to Happy Ria, our homestay. It is much more down at heel than the photos online and I am dripping from head to toe after the climb in 30C and 90% humidity. Long for a quick sluice in the shower but there’s no pressure! This is really quite depressing, as there’s nowhere cool to rest in the house, which is a very old and traditional wooden three-story building, which must have been lovely in its prime. I learned later that apart from the occasional guest, most of the guides live there too!

After a stifling hot rest on the balcony and an invasion by long-tailed macaques (have to keep the windows closed as a result), and a more pleasant encounter with a group of highly endangered Thomas Leaf Monkey, who eye us curiously from the trees outside our window, we go down to the village for a beer and cocktail by river, followed by dinner. The town is pretty quiet as it is low season and, although it looks like they’ve over-expanded the guest houses (almost every house is a homestay) and restaurants, we are told that in high season – July-September – its hard to get a bed. The 200 steps back up in the cool don’t seem so bad.

After a surprisingly cool night (no fan, let alone aircon) and a nice fruit plate with banana pancake, we leave at 9 am across the bridge suspended over the Bohorok river. Almost straight away we see Thomas monkeys, pig tailed macaques and, before we’d even entered the park, a group of six orangutangs. Two mothers some distance apart (they are territorial) watching their babies playing, a nearby male dozing in trees and then – joy – a mother with a new baby only three months or so old. Unsurprisingly so early on in the trek it is a bit of zoo.

 

The route now becomes very precipitous with lots of ups and downs. A break and all the guides take out their knives a cut up a variety of fruit. At this point Bob, our lead guide, notices blood on my sock. A leech! Strip down but it is gone. ‘When full they drop off’. Great. A French lady from another group (we bump into them for the rest of our trip wherever we go!) is so horrified she rushes over and administers antiseptic and a plaster.

The path then splits and we choose the ‘easy route’. Well this is a big joke as it turns out. But before the next major ascent Bob spots an orangutang all on its own and just us there! In his excitement to photograph it, Ross keeps slipping down the steep muddy slope. He and Bob drop off the side of the path to see it closer.

 

After another steep vertical ascent, we have lunch on a plateau – nasi goreng with egg, in folded paper, and watermelon.

Luckily I’ve brought a fan

The nightmare continues after lunch. In places it is so steep that ropes are needed! When not using them, Bob is hauling me up and down, and I clutch at lianas and trees. Luckily I have Ross’s poles. It is quite exhausting and – tbh – scary as my balance on my left leg really isn’t good these days and I am terrified of missing a footing and falling. My ankle is also weak.

Just before the last vertical and descent, we find a female hanging off a tree in the path – her baby is cavorting in the trees opposite her. She looks at us inscrutably, observing. We go over to take a closer look at the baby. She doesn’t seem to mind. As I go back to the group, I suddenly feel an enormous weight land on my back and a fierce scrabbling. It is an orangutang! It is trying to get into my backpack and starts pulling everything out! Later I find out her name is Wati and she has been rehabilitated, which explains why she lets us get so close.

The guides beat her off with shouts. I am more shocked and surprised than anything and luckily not hurt. One of the guides then gives her two bananas. No wonder she attacked me if she thought she would be fed. They carry fruit from lunches in rucksacks. It is really irresponsible as one day she will really hurt someone and they will demand she be put down. I was lucky her great big nails didn’t touch me.

The rest of the journey thereafter is torture. I wasn’t sure I would make it! But of course I did. The camp is a bit of a disappointment. I’d imagined a nice little tents, not luxury, but a proper tent. Instead great tarpaulins over a bamboo frame, two plastic mattresses, a pillow and a blanket under a big net. And they are set out in rows. Somehow imagined we would be camping in a secluded spot in the jungle…instead lots of guides and cooks chatting away, smoking their heads off, and a couple of other groups. A French family with three small kids from Annecy who are taking them round SE Asia for six months!

However, we retrace our steps to a swimming pool where we cool off in the very chilly water. After we sit on the ‘beach’ with some lemon tea. Then thunder and we dash to our ‘tent’ where we sit on the ground while thunder and rain cascade onto the roof.

 Not sure how we’re going to have dinner!

As it happens, by candlelight in the tent! Rain tipping down, thudding on the roof, lightening and thunder at one point right overhead and terrifying me so I jump…it’s going to be a long night. No book as weight restrictions. Ross downloaded one to his phone. Wish I had. And I still haven’t found the loo!

The rain eases for a bit so by torchlight we look for the loo. Up a windy path, we find a longdrop in a blue sacking tent.. Ross has to hold the torch. On returning he yelps as he finds a leech attached to his leg which has to be despatched. Lying here in the tent listening to the rain and the thunder rumbling away.

It’s still dark. I’m woken by squeaking. Then I feel a body brushing against my head luckily the mosquito net separates me from my furry friend. It’s hard to sleep after this.

Morning. Needed the loo all night…at first light 5.45 venture out. All quiet. Wash face and teeth in river. Tea outside. Three or four giant hornbills fly over, honking. I’m the only one to see them.

Our way back is by raft. They tie big inner tubes together, an outlier at each end. I watch some Indonesian couples set off, one of the women in a headscarf and fully-dressed head to toe! Sporting.

It is more than exhilarating, the water is freezing as you frequently submerge, pinging off rocks, the paddlers using poles to regain mid-stream, and being buffeted about – real white-water rafting! It takes about 25 mins. We emerge soaked at the end.

Back in Bukit Lawang we climb up the 200 steps again – I’m getting quite good at this now! A fan has miraculously appeared on our room. But there’s still no water! I’m filthy! The next morning we learn that the monkeys disconnect the pipes but still, it’s not good news to be unable to shower for three nights!

A big storm at tea time and our clothes get wet! Rest. Read. At supper we are serenaded by an old man picking out tunes on the guitar – Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here, followed by Hotel California, in Indonesian accent. Despite the arduous 3 days, this is a ‘chilling place’! And it is all worth it for the orangutangs!

Next stop Beristagi.

We travelled with Sumatra Adventure Holidays

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