Oct 21, 2024
Fantastic Family Experience - Our family of four (parents and our 7 and 8 YOA kids) went on the seven day tour of North Sumatra. Before going, our kids only knew the city...after this trip they love the outdoors! We had two amazing hikes, one into the jungle to see orangutans and another up a volcano. Completely different experiences but both were amazing! The other days were filled with cultural activities and rest. There was a fair amount of driving between the three locations we visited (each about a four hour drive), but the driver and guide were always telling the significance of sights as we passed or stopped to look at them. Everyone we met was fantastic and went out of their ways to make our trip enjoyable, but we want to give a shoutout to Tondi! He was with us the entire trip, and he was full of interesting insights everywhere we went. Really we can't recommend this package enough, so many great memories!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aug 24, 2024
Great experience! - It was great! We are just back from our tour, It was a great experience to see some highlights of north sumatra in a short time. We saw a lot of animals in the jungle, climb a vulcano and relaxt at lake toba. Our gide Kolong was great! A very friendly local that knows a lot about his beautiful country. He told us a lot about the places and the people we have seen. We also had a lot of fun with him. Also many thanks for the lovely people at the jungle! We feel very welcome. In this tour you dont have to worry about anything. You also get some time for yourself. We had a very good driver Simon. He was driving very safe. The traffic in sumatra is hard sometimes. Thank you so much for this experiene!
Xx Evert and Anne
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aug 18, 2024
Trust me, you don't want to miss out on this tour - This tour was everything and even more than we expected!
It had perfect blend between a bit of adrenaline, getting out of comfort zone and time to chill and relax. There was not a second we would feel bored or over something, because tour is done in a wonderful way, where you get to experience jungle to its core, see animals (in jungle and while driving from one place to another), try local fruits and local cuisine (amazing by the way), nature, just EVERYTHING! We had quite a time to drive in the car, so use this time to ask any questions about Indonesia, culture, nature, history, politics, religion etc - we got to know more about local life than we ever would from National geographic.
The only thing that we needed to do - is to wake up, dress, grab bottle of water, go for breakfast and be on time to depart. Everything was taken care of, and if we wanted to hop in coffee shop or any other place, staff would make sure to arrange that.
This tour definitely will make you crave more of Indonesia!
The thing that we appreciated the most were people that took care of us - you are truly great hosts and guides! We truly felt like on a vacation, where we don't have to think and deal with problems - you always soved them once we asked for help. The mutual respect was there from the very first minute, and I am sure we made great friends at Indonesia.
We want to say huge thanks to manager Daddy Cool, to Mulgi and Anto who were guiding us through jungle and biggest thanks to our guide Konong who brought us to Berastagi and lake Toba. We can't thank you enough. As Jurijs said - you are a great guy and a great guide, and I can't agree with him more.
These people are just amazing, and we would redo the tour just to meet and spend some time with them again! :)
With love,
Dana, Inese and Jurijs.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jul 26, 2024
Excellent - Very well organized, exciting yet relaxed tour. Our really very nice guide Konong has complained to us a great week. We would book it again and again. 1A. Thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jul 14, 2024
Amazing trip in North Sumatra - We have just got back from our tour with Sumatra Orangutan Treks. We did really enjoy it. The absolut best bit was, of course, seeing so many free orangutans. Lovely, like in our best dreams. We also saw a lot of other apes/monkeys. We had Tondi Sirat as a guide and he was amazing. Not only did he guide us and comfort us when needed (the walking was sometimes challenging. We are over 60 and not untrained but neither topfit) he also told us a lot about the wildlife and the plants and about people in Indonesia and about how it is like to live there. The rest of the trip was also good. The views over Simabung and the the trec up Sibayak in the morning was beautiful. So was Samosir in lakeToba. We enjoyed the views and also a swim in the lake. We had Simon as a driver. He was a safe driver on sometimes very winding roads.
The accommodation was good, maybe except fot the plastic mattress in the jungle (but that was an experience in itself). The food was delicious. I think the absolut best was the food in the jungle!
We can really recommend this trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nov 1, 2023
Experience in Sumatra - Excellent experience!!! We felt very cared for by the guides, always attentive to us and very attentive...the places, wonderful, nature in its purest state!!! 💯 recommended!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oct 22, 2023
Miss it already! - Just finished our 7 day tour with Sumatra Orangutans Treks last week and miss it already!
The highlights were walking with the elephants, seeing the orangutans, going down the river on the rapids and learning more about the culture and history of Samosir.
Food and accomodation provided were great. We especially enjoyed the villa in the middle of the rice fields, very peaceful indeed.
Overall, we had such an amazing time. Helmi, Anto, Dennis and our driver were amazing. Such a good team 💪🏻👏 they went above and beyond to ensure we had a great time, always safe and entertained with games and knowledgeable facts.
(Be sure to ask for Dennis if going to Lake Toba, his connection to the island is certainly special)
We appreciate all of their hard work and would 💯 ask for them all again by name for future trips. Look no further and book Sumatra Orangutans Treks!
- Keely Fearnside
Our time with the staff and activities provided by Sumatra Orangutan Treks was awesome. With a need to rebook due to Covid last year we experienced total support from the Management.
Our time with the very kind, caring,helpful, experienced and knowledgeable Guides was 10 out of 10.
Special thanks to our allocated guides: Dennis,Helmi and Anto and our safe driver who took us from place to place on our seven day adventure.
Food and accommodation was great.
Our Orangutan Trek was exciting, fulfilling and challenging.
We come away with great memories and photos.
Many thanks to Sumatra Orangutan Treks.
- Steve and Ros Fearnside (Australia)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 17, 2023
Once in a lifetime experience - I found this company on trip advisor and decided to book my tour with this company. It is important to us that we have ethical animal encounters and prefer companies that offer eco tourism and support local communities all of which this company does. I contacted Hari via email and requested a custom built package, within one day everything was booked and sorted which is an amazing service. It was originally meant to be a private tour but Hari contacted me asking if someone else could join the tour and of course we said yes and it made it even more memorable.
We were picked up from Medan airport by Konong and taken to Bukit by private car. We were welcomed with iced ginger tea and a big smile from Daddy Cool. We order food and it was all amazing! No matter what we had we were always impressed. Hari ran through everything that was happening in the week and then the boys took our luggage to our room which was beautiful. They had decorated the room with flowers as it was our honeymoon. The bed was comfy, A/C, and hot showers.
Our tour guide for the week was Konong and We started our trip with a visit to the elephant sanctuary which was an unbelievable experience, walking with the elephants in the jungle was so surreal then had the chance to wash the elephants. Completely ethical, no rides and the elephants were treat like kings. We spent the evening chilling in daddy cools bar.
We did the 2 day 1 night jungle experience, I was apprehensive about this as I am not the fittest. We met our guides helmi and amso and Konong came along too meaning we had one guide per person. They were all super helpful taking everything to my supper with no rushing and even provided jungle ac by fanning us on regular occasions. The often helped me by offering a hand to get over some of the obstacles in the way. They sent amso out into the jungle as a spotter then communicated with each other if a spot had been made meaning we walked straight to that location. We walked about 7 hours but it was at a leisurely pace and stopping regularly for fruit water and jungle information. The food prepared was amazing. We spotted a mother and a baby orangutan along with plenty of other monkeys. The baby orangutan was so close to us, she swang on a branch right up to me which took my breath away.
Once we arrived at camp we went for a jungle shower and played games and had food prepared then went to sleep listening to the sound of the jungle and forest. The camp is basic but that can only be expected as you are in the middle of a jungle.
We were awoken the next morning to amso telling us there was a male orangutan in the camp which was breathtaking. We then had a chill morning including a jungle massage off helmi then used the rafts to get back to bukit. They were great fun, laughing all the way down the river. We then visited the bat cave which was another amazing sight. We then returned to the hotel and had a right laugh with the guides about the experience we had.
The next day we headed to lake toba which is a long drive but was broken down with regular stops to see waterfalls and the abandoned village.
Lake toba and samosir island were stunning beautiful. Konong even managed to pull some strings so we had the king of the Batam village showing us around his village. We then went up to the kings grave and the view point, where we had a beer, but I don’t like beer so Konong arranged for me to drive to a shop to get a cocktail mix so we could enjoy together.
Finally, this tour has been a once in a lifetime experience and I was so glad I chose this company. All the guides and staff regularly went above and beyond to assist you and really made the experience allowing you to tailor to whatever you need. All 3 guides had infectious laughs that just made you laugh and were always happy and smiling, and most importantly our personal photographers. You can tell that they really love their jobs and are passionate about the jungle and the orangutans. I would recommend this company to anyone as I’ve literally had the most amazing time and I’m sad that I’ve left Sumatra and the cheeky boys behind.
Special shout out of konong who we had all week, you are amazing, and so knowledgeable, you really were the highlight of our trip.
Love to you all and hope you are well,
Your jungle queen
Laura x
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 14, 2023
Amazing pure jungle experience! - It's been absolutely amazing! We were 3 people, they take care of all, food, drink, rests... Guiders (Helmi Konong Amso and Dedi cool) are super nice and good English. The accomodation ia very good. The trekking in the jungle outstanding, not very hard physically. We say 3 Orangutans, also other monkeys, the bat cave impressive. We came back from the jungle doing rapids in the river, suuuper fun 😊.
Overall great experience!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 2, 2023
The tour with these guys is a must!!!! - From start to finish the team and guides were excellent and really look after you. They are really informative and whilst learning also keen to have fun…the nights in ‘Daddy Cool’s’ bar in Bukit Lawang were great!
We saw and got great photo’s of orangutan, Thomas monkeys and gibbons. The climb to sunrise at the volcano was special and we were completely blown away by Lake Toba and Samosir Island…it is beautiful. THANK YOU SO MUCH - Heri, Helmi, Konong, Anto & Bambang for a fantastic week. Lots of love, Jason (Daddy), Becky (Mommy), Penny (Auntie) & Dan!!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor