I
just came back from a weekend in Bukit Lawang. Bukit Lawang is about a
three hour, bumpy bus ride from Medan and is apparently one of the best
places for seeing orangutans in the wild. It was my second trip to
Bukit Lawang, but the first time to see orangutans. There is a feeding area where National Park staff feed the orangutans
two times a day – at around 8:30 a.m. in the morning and 2:30 p.m. You
need to pay an entrance fee of around 20,000 rupiah for foreigners and
50,000 rupiahs to take photos.
When you arrive in Bukit Lawang you will be met by one of the many
“guides” who won’t leave you alone until you book a trekking trip with
them. It is easy though to get to the feeding station without a guide.
When it is close to feeding time, just keep going up the river past the
“Jungle Inn” hotel, where there is a small boat to take you across the
river. You can pay your money there or at the National Park office near
where the becaks (motorized rickshaws) park.
The National Park guide said morning was better to see more
orangutans. I was only able to see two, but the previous day there were
seven. The orangutans live in the wild and make their way to the
feeding station if they need food. The park rangers feed them milk and
bananas.
It was incredible to see them up so close, just a meter or so away.
They looked at us while we took pictures. The larger orangutan was 5
months pregnant.
