Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime in Indonesia? Join us for a 16-day journey to explore this beautiful country's amazing wildlife and vibrant culture. You'll visit the incredible Leuser National Park, home to the endangered Orangutans, and meet the wonderful Mentawai people in the heart of Jungle Siberut, Mentawai. One of the most special parts of our experience is living with a Mentawai family, sharing their home, and enjoying their delicious dishes for a real cultural immersion. And of course, don't forget to relax on the pristine beach and soak in the crystal blue waters of Sipora Island, Mentawais. Don't miss out on this unforgettable adventure!

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• Type of trip > small group

• Level > moderate trekking

• Comfort > 3 / 5

• Duration > 16 Day

• Characteristic > Culture, wildlife, and beach

> What to expect in this trip 

• Discover Sumatra orangutans in their natural habitat

• Explore Sumatra wilderness

• Live with the Mentawai tribe and meet the Mentawai flower men (Shamans) to learn about their unique forest culture.

• Explore the rich Batak culture and unwind by the beautiful Toba Lake.

• Experience the pristine beach with crystal blue water on Sipora Island in the Mentawai Islands.

• Immerse yourself in a real cultural experience by living with the native Mentawai tribe.
   

Trip Summary

Day 1 : Arrival to Kualanamu Intl Airport, Medan – transfer to Bukit Lawang

• A day before the trip starts, the guide will come and pick you up at the airport and travel straight to Bukit Lawang village 4 hour's drive to be expected

• Arrival in Bukit Lawang, check in to our ecolodge

• Dinner and Overnight in Bukit Lawang
   

Day 2 Bukit Lawang Orangutan jungle trekking 

• After breakfast at the Guest House, we will start our journey trekking to Leuser National Park, crossing the deep jungle to explore Orang Utans, Thomas Leaf monkeys, Black Gibbons, Masques, lizards, Siamang, birds (Hornbil)

• There will be a maximum of 3 hours of trekking before lunch. 

• Lunch will be provided in the jungle, ( we will have a brief stop and make a hut on the trek ) 

• After lunch, we will continue trekking for another 1-2 hours. 

• Before Sunset we will build a hut ( overnight at camp) next to a river while you can take a refreshing bath in the river.

• Overnight in the jungle
   

Day 3 Rainforest Trekking – Bukit Lawang village 

• After breakfast, we will continue trekking to see and observe more animals, flora and fauna

• Visiting waterfall in the jungle while you can take a refreshing shower

• Lunch will be provided in the jungle

• Back to our eco-lodge with tubbing  

• Arrive at our ecolodge

• Dinner and evening
   

Day 4 Bukit Lawang - Toba Lake​​

• 09:00 a.m After breakfast and check out transfer to Prapat Toba via Dokan and visit ( traditional Batak village )

• Lunch will be provided on the road at the local restaurant

• Arrive in Parapat and take the ferry crossing to Samosir: Excursion to Lake Toba by ferry boat, getting to Samosir island.

• Arrive in Samosir, and stay in  Tuk Tuk Village

• Stay and night In Tuk Tuk Village ( Accommodation Lake front)
   

Day 5 – 6 Explore Samosir Toba lake and Batak Culture 

• During your trip to Samosir at Toba Lake, you can enjoy the majestic views and explore the interesting Batak culture and traditional villages. Here are some key points to remember:

• - Visit Tomok to see the old Tomb of Sidabutar Kings

• - Explore Ambarita to see the stone chair and table, which were used as execution places for the Sialagan Kings

• - Grab a meal at a local restaurant offering typical Batak dishes such as curry, fish, and vegetables

• - Don’t forget to visit the Batak traditional market and the Batak’s museum

• The rest of the time is yours, so you can take a beautiful walk or go on a bicycle tour. While in Samosir at Toba Lake, we will be staying at TUK-TUK village.
   

Day 7 Transfer from Toba Lake to Medan Airport and flight to Padang 
" It is advisable to take the noon flight from Medan to Padang"

• Leaving early morning from Toba Lake and transferring to Medan Airport

• Flight from Medan to Padang it takes 1 hour

• Arrival in Padang, transfer to your hotel choice in Padang

• Night in Padang
   

Day 8 Padang – Siberut Island – Tribe stay 

• 07:00 a.m Departing to Siberut Island with the Fast Ferry 

• 11:50 Arrival in South Siberut ( our destination ) and Travel straight to our transit village by Minivan or pick up.

• Arriving in our transit village, prepared and loaded our stuff then continued our trip by motor canoe.

• Upriver with a Motor canoe in the Siberut jungle river heading to our trek point ( about 1.5 h )

• Arrived at our trek point and trekked to the Mentawai tribe family ( 1 hour ).

• Arrive in Mentawai traditional house
   

Day 9  until 11 Stay with the Mentawai clan family engage with local activities and explore the jungle / remote village. 

• During these days we will explore the jungle area, and experience the jungle life of the Mentawai people.

• Join or participate with the family for food preparation, and any other activities in our presence

• During our stay, we will experience living traditionally like the Mentawai community

• During our stay with the family, you can ask them anything you would like to know about their way of living, culture, and traditions that they open want to talk it and answer your question

• During our stay with the Mentawai family, you will learn jungle life skills/survival as the Mentawai do such as:

• Learning to make a hut in the jungle in the Mentawai style

• Learn how to weave a basket, tray, or bag from Ratan or leaves that the Mentawai people usually use to support their daily life in the jungle.

• Making poison for bow and arrow

• experience jungle survival with the Mentawai tribe

Note: During our immersion trip in Mentawai, there is no fixed itinerary as you will be living with the locals and experiencing their way of life. This will allow you to deeply dive into their culture and traditions. If we are fortunate, we may witness some Shamanic rituals during our stay. I will keep you updated with any information about these rituals.

Day 12 Leaving the remote village – Siberut’s port – ferry to Sipora Island 

• After breakfast, trekking back to the bank river and the motor canoe will ride us back to our transit village

• Arrival in the village, transit at the local house take a brief rest ( possibly cleaning or washing our stuff )

• Transfer to Mailepet port in Siberut, and ferry to Sipora,

Note: The ferry from Siberut to Sipora operates only twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays. 

• Arrival in Sipora island, transfer to our Bungalow/eco house

• Night and evening

Day 13 Sipora Island –Island hopping and SUP 

• Island Hopping to Pototogat Island

• Visiting Awera beach

• Night in Sipora

Day 14  Sipora Island 

• Visiting Simakakang beach

• Waterfalls and explore the Island

Day 15 Sipora Island 

• Free activity, or just relax on the Island

Day 16  Sipora Island – Padang 

• Leaving Sipora to Padang at 13:30

• Arrive in Padang at 18:00  and transfer to your hotel in Padang. Tour End

 

Practical Information

Terms and Conditions 

• You will need to be prepared to live in the same conditions as the local community in the remote village. This includes sleeping on the floor with a mat and using a mosquito net, especially when staying in the Mentawai jungle at night.

• Given the conditions of poverty and isolated areas, the families that allow us to live and spend time with them provide more than the necessities, but they may not meet "Western standards" of comfort and cleanliness. In such situations, it's essential to be able to tolerate this temporary discomfort to fully enjoy your stay and overall experience.

• The traditional Mentawai communities live in remote areas within the jungle forest. Accessing these communities is not simple and easy. The trek conditions include navigating through a lot of muddy terrain, slippery and uneven ground. Sometimes, you have to walk on logs placed by the Mentawai to form bridges over the muddy ground to reach further routes.

• Please remember that there is no electricity in the Mentawai jungle. Be sure to charge your camera and phone, and bring an extra battery. The conditions during this trip can be uncomfortable, so each participant needs to be

•  mentally prepared and adaptable. It's important to be well-informed about the culture and ways of life in Mentawai and the jungle before departure. The guide will provide a briefing and explain this before the trip begins.

Things good to know during Orangutan trekking

• Wildlife viewing and safety information During visiting GunungLeuser National Park

• ORANGUTANS BEHAVIOUR

• Wild orangutans spend most of their time high in the forest canopy and rarely come into contact with humans, but ex-captive orangutans in Bukit Lawang frequently walk on the ground and often come into close contact with humans

• Their behavior and the behavior of human visitors is making them sick

• WHY ORANGUTANS CAN GET SICK AFTER CONTACT WITH HUMAN

  1. Orangutans are genetically very close to humans ( 97%) and catch many of our diseases

  2. Measles, TB, pneumonia, and influenza are spread when you cough, sneeze or even spit. Shigella, hepatitis A, herpes, scabies, and worms, are carried in human feces.

THE EFFECT OF HUMAN CONTACT WITH ORANGUTANS

• Orangutans may look like they are OK around humans but it is not normal for them to be so close

• This change in natural behaviors can lead Orangutan to get a very high level of stress

• STRESS CAN LEAD THEM TO heart failure, poor reproductive health, high infant mortality, depressed immune system

• And ultimately may result in PREMATURE DEATH!

• HOW YOU CAN HELP #KEEPWILDLIFEWILD

• Follow the rules! tell your guide you wish to follow them and tell your fellow trekkers :

DON'T get close than 15 meter

DO NOT TOUCH!

DO NOT GIVE FOOD OR DRINK!

DO NOT SELFIES IF AN ORANGUTAN APPROACHES YOU!

• Nature needs your photos and stories but nature also needs you to be responsible. Please ONLY take or post photos on social media that show you at a safe distance from wildlife #selfieaware

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• Please bring adventure equipment you will survive in the Sumatra rainforest such as

• Trekking shoes will be muddy and wet

• Small backpack (we can leave some stuff at the previous place we stayed in (hotel/hostel)

• Long trousers, long sleeves, t-shirt, fresh underwear (there will be sweating going on)

• Rain clothes 

• We recommend bringing a dry bag/pocket (waterproof) to protect your camera and any other important documents and equipment you need to take care of

•  A sleeping bag, mosquito repellent, high protection sunscreen, a headlamp, toilet paper, a sun hat/cap, sunglasses, a water bottle, flip flop

• First aid such as paracetamol, painkillers, anti-diarrhea, disinfectant, and all other medication you would usually take

• Do not overpack! Keep it simple

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For more information, please  

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