What You Need to Know about Sumatra Orangutan Trekking

A few important things to start off…

• You should absolutely find a company that does ethical jungle trekking to respect and preserve the unique ecosystem and protect the wildlife. We worked with Sumatra Orangutan Explore – It is a great company connected with the community, and it has a variety of options to suit your desires from day treks to week-long treks. We did the 3-night trek, which stretched us beyond our normal comfort level (more on that later)…
• Be prepared that jungle trekking is not a typical hike to the top of a mountain or to a scenic viewpoint, but it’s pretty intense hiking through thick WILD jungle with a lot of climbs up and climbs down the mountain in hopes to see orangutan and monkeys, birds, and other wildlife. You may hike hours, and even a day, without seeing much wildlife, and the jungle is thick, humid, and wet.
• The closest flights to Kualanamu Airport near Medan are through Singapore Airport, but you will need visas to enter both countries (Indonesia & Singapore), which means you have to go through immigration and customs upon arrival and departure, so while it’s not as short of a flight, flying or driving in from another city in Indonesia would save the hassle of visas. Sumatra Orangutan Explore offers details on how to get to their location by different transportation means. Singapore is a really cool city to explore, if you can make a stop before or after Indonesia.

We didn’t get detailed information on what to expect with the jungle trek, so we are sharing our experience in hopes that you are more prepared. Be sure to read the website of the company you use for their rules, what you need to know for the trek, and items to pack for the trip, depending on what you are doing and how long you are going.

1. Bring long quick-drying socks and wear trousers that can be tucked into your socks. They don’t tell you why, but leaches are common in the jungle and they latch on very sneakily to skin. And the only way to sufficiently kill them is to spray them with insect repellant. Be sure to bring good insect repellant.
2. Make sure to bring waterproof shoes. Good shoes! Don’t skimp or bring old ones – the soles need to be strong and secure to the shoe, otherwise they might come off while hiking. The jungle is wet and very rainy, depending on the season you travel. Not just a little rain, but it rained hard the whole afternoon/evening while we were hiking for 2 days. And water shoes/sandals for walking in the river and around the campsite. Still be watchful for leeches because they are everywhere.
3. Lightweight, quick-drying shirts are best. The jungle is thick and while you are surrounded by trees, sometimes the thickness feels suffocating, so having lightweight clothes helps with the sweat.
4. A pair of clothes to change at the campsite after hiking all day. Trust me, you’ll want fresh clothes – it makes you feel so much better after sweating or hiking in rain. Especially if you are able to wash off in the river. Be sure to bring a swim suit and quick-dry towel. We were told to bring solid natural soap and shampoo, but the company gave us soap to use.
5. Pack light! You have to carry everything you bring, and it seems to get heavier with each day, especially if you are carrying wet clothes. So pack less. You are trekking through the jungle, so repeat clothes – you will be stinky and sweaty, just go with it. And you can wear the same clothes every evening once you’ve cleaned up (even maybe what you sleep in) to save space and weight.
6. A poncho works better than a rain jacket because the poncho can cover your backpack and it usually covers more than a rain jacket. But also, put items from your backpack into plastic bags to help protect them from rain. We didn’t realize this, so all our clothes, underwear, and socks were wet, even though we had a waterproof backpack cover. The rain was so heavy and so long that it still soaked through the backpack. Put anything you want to keep dry in plastic bags. Some websites say not to use plastic bags but waterproof bags, but we reused Ziplock bags and kept everything in them until we returned home, so there was no waste.
7. Bring the bare minimum toiletries you need. Don’t worry about make-up, lotions, razors, etc. Bring essential medicines, and bring stomach relief and diarrhea medicine because the jungle is no place to feel sick. And bring some electrolyte packets for water. The water bottle should be lightweight and at least 1 liter/quart. Believe me, you’ll drink A LOT of water, and you don’t refill water until you get to the campsite at the end of the trek each afternoon/evening. You might also bring a small first aid kit with some small bandages, disinfectant wipes, antibiotic ointment, etc – just in case you need anything. Guides will have supplies for big accidents, but it might be helpful to have a few things if blisters or cuts happen.
8. Bring toilet paper, the small travel type. You can get some from your tour company before you leave, but if you have stomach issues, it won’t be enough. So pack extra, in case you need it.
9. If you are sensitive to sun, bring sunscreen and a hat/sunglasses. The hat was nice to block the rain; we rarely saw the sun. But that depends on what season you are going, and you don’t want to add a sunburn to your experience.
10. The food and fresh fruit is amazing with varieties of dragonfruit, mangostene, pineapple, watermelon, oranges, and bananas. Be adventurous in trying the meals and enjoy the delicious meals prepared in the jungle. We had all sorts of Indonesian dishes which included vegetables, tofu, casava, and alot of rice, noodles, and sauces. There was plenty of food and it was a highlight of the trip. (Other than actually seeing the few orangutans we saw during our trek). Don’t worry about bringing extra food or snacks, it attracts unwanted bugs and critters anyway.
11. Bring a power bank to charge your phone or camera, and a headlamp is better than a flashlight to be able to move more freely around the campsite and to the toilet at night.
12. Some websites recommend a travel pillow and blanket, but we didn’t need them and we didn’t want to take up more space/weight. They aren’t necessary, but check with your tour company to make sure they are provided for you.

The trek was amazing! It was crazy! It was wild and constantly wet! We saw orangutans, rhinoceros hornbills, Thomas leaf monkeys, gibbons, and pig-tailed macaques (and a really cute little turtle became our friend). We saw the beautiful jungle and rivers. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. But it was also incredibly hard: stinky, wet, intense climbing, and hard to breathe. It pushed us beyond what we thought we could do; our motto became “We Can Do Hard Things.” And we could. And we did…but it was hard. Even the others in our group, who were experienced climbers and long-distance hikers, had a hard time with some of the conditions.

Worth it? Yes!

Would we do it again? Our daughter says “NO WAY!”

I hope this list is helpful for you. We didn’t get a realistic picture of what to expect, so hopefully this gives you a better idea before your trek.