Bukit Lawang

In recent decades, conservation efforts and the ascension of the adjacent Gunung Leuser national park to the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List have put otherwise small and sleepy Bukit Lawang firmly on the tourist trail of Indonesia. The region is primarily famed for its booming population of orangutans, who, together with a clutch of other primates and macaques are the undisputed kings of the jungle in these parts. There is also now a certain ecotourist charm abounding between the bamboo thatched cottages and the timber-clad homestays that abut the s-bends of the Landak River. Yes sir, aside from the likely medley of Bukit Lawang tour guides offering hiking excursions and wildlife spotting between the winding rainforest trails of the Gunung Leuser National Park and its orangutan viewing platforms, visitors here can now expect veggie and vegan cafes brewing aromatic coffee straight out of Java, a smattering of interesting batik craftspeople and wood carvers, river tubing and rope swinging opportunities, elephant parks, whitewater rafting – the list goes on!