Sumatra - Volcanic Islands and Distant Relatives

The large Indonesian island of Sumatra is often ignored by travellers due to the draw of beautiful Bali. We didn't venture too far, visiting Lake Toba and Bukit Lawang, but this island has a lot to offer. One benefit of fewer travellers meant it was very peaceful, and less like the backpacker Benidorm of Thailand. 

Our journey began in the big city of Medan which we had been told to avoid at all costs, so we headed out of the airport to try and navigate a taxi to Lake Toba. Toba is the biggest volcanic crater lake in the world, it sits 100km across and was even more impressive than we had imagined. The lake itself is the remnant of an old super volcano and Samosir Island is the solidified magma after its mega eruption. We took a leisurely ferry across to the hippie town of Tuk Tuk, walking along a thin plank to get off the boat which was so wobbly Josh nearly tipped himself into the water. Our destination was Romlan Guest House which has stunning views across the lake and a very chilled atmosphere. 

On our first day we took a sunny stroll into the town and were greeted by happy locals relaxing in their beautifully crafted Batak houses. There are many of these structures on the island with their curved roofs, and it is a craft and culture they are immensely proud of. Life on Samosir Island is all about relaxation and that's exactly what we did, snoozing in the sun and swimming in the lake. On one afternoon we wandered into one of the best cafes on the island, called Today, and I even got chosen as the perfect lap to nap on by the resident cat. There was also time to cuddle the waggy-tailed puppies that greeted us on our regular stroll around Tuk Tuk. One evening we headed over to Bagus Bay restaurant which has a traditional band and Batak dancing which was great. If you watch the video you can hear one of their wonderful songs, Horas! 

All this rest and relaxation did not set us up for our journey over to Bukit Lawang. We took three unplanned detours; the first to Berastagi, then to our driver's orange field two hours down a dirt road and then to Medan to drop off his niece. A seven hour journey turned into eleven as we were shoved in a six -seater car with eight of his family members. It was a sweaty, uncomfortable drive and they stopped so many times we were close to having a breakdown. There were occasional positives like seeing an amazing volcano, being given free oranges and experiencing rural Sumatra, but through the negatives all we could do was laugh and thank god that we had air-con. We found out that a week after we'd visited the volcano it erupted which was completely unexpected. What an introduction to the ring of fire! 

We got to Bukit Lawang under darkness where we were led to our hotel by Felix, a philosophical, mystery of a man! We hadn't eaten since that morning and as we swayed in the dark across the thrown together bridge, it began to sink in that tomorrow we'd be sleeping in the depths of the jungle. It was nice to spend time in this little village which is made up of such a strong community. We heard the entire area was devastated by a flood ten years ago, due to deforestation, and they all worked together to rebuild, making sure to preserve the forest so it doesn't happen again.

We were here for a jungle trek and an overnight stay in the beautiful wilderness of Gunung Leuser National Park. This area contains over 700 different species including many that are critically endangered such as the Sumatran Rhino, Sumatran tiger, Asian Elephant, Clouded Leopard and the elusive Orangutan. This was certainly a once in a lifetime opportunity and we couldn't wait to get going and experience a richly biodiverse jungle. The locals are very knowledgeable on the importance of protecting the forest and it was lovely to see that they make sure their way of life is as respectful to the jungle as possible.

 We began at around 9am meeting Chris who was to join us on the trek with our talented guide Wislu. Before we'd even stepped into the thick jungle we came across a family of cute Thomas Leaf Monkeys feeding in the trees and were even lucky to see a Dusky Leaf Monkey close-by. We began to weave through the forest, constantly traversing steep inclines and treacherous declines. After walking for around an hour we heard a great crashing from the trees above. We looked up to see a big male Orangutan assessing us from his perch, as though he was questioning whether we should be allowed to venture into his jungle. He came crunching through the trees with all his might, breaking branches in the most graceful way possible until we were stood face to face with this beautiful giant. The guide was fantastic, knowing exactly what to do, and we stood a respectful distance making sure to let him know we weren't a threat. We learnt he was keeping close to two females which had babies and we were lucky to see them cuddling in the trees only moments later; what an experience. 

In total we got to see eight Orangutans, lots of loud White Gibbons, Pig-Tailed Macaques and the very naughty Long-Tailed Macaques. It began to rain which meant many of the animals seek shelter, including the Orangutan which we got to see holding a leaf over her head to stay dry, just like we would. We arrived at our jungle camp complete with pristine waterfalls and resident monitor lizards, affectionately known as jungle crocodiles, prowling around our tents. That evening we went swimming in the river, had our minds blown by Daniel our assistant's magic skills and ate a jungle feast whilst watching Fireflies and Hornbills above. Our sleeping accommodation was, as you can see, very basic in fact it was merely a cover for the rain and not for the insects, reptiles or mammals that could come crawling in. Just as we were settling in our sleeping bags I glanced above my head and saw a bright green spider as big as my hand with terrifying fangs. We called the guides who found it hilarious but were equally as scared to touch the terror, getting a bottle to take it out safely, saying it definitely looks poisonous. It's safe to say it took us a while to fall asleep. 

We survived! The next morning we woke to the sound of Gibbons, a beautiful sunrise over the trees and naughty Macaques trying to steal breakfast. We had another difficult trek up to the highest point in the area and then a slippery walk back down to the river. Our next adventure was rafting back to the town which was a lot of fun. At one point our guide got thrown out of his raft but managed to grab his hat and steering pole whilst pulling himself back up through the white water and rocks. It was a relief to find ourselves back in the village, soaking wet and looking forward to a beer later that night. Everyone in this tiny village is so kind and insightful. We learnt lot of life lessons and really wish we could have stayed for longer. We'd love to come back to do another trek and see more of beautiful Sumatra, but that will have to wait for our next visit.