Balivayatravel.com - Adventure Tours #2

M10SWF: Sumatra Wild & Nature Tour, 10 Days (daily, with engl.speak. Guide)

Day 01: Pick up from your hotel or from the Polonia International Airport Medan, and start the Bahorok Nature

Reserve Tour to see the "orphaned" orang utan, those have been captured during logging operations or kept as household pets, are re-taught the essential of survival before they can be released into the wild. These orang utans wander freely in the forest, but come daily to a feeding platform where fruits are put out for them (morning and afternoon). Overnight in a hotel at Bahorok (L,D).

Day 02: In the morning we drive to Brastagi, Kabanjahe. We drive through the southern Sumatra to Brastagi and Kabanjahe for a traditional tour. From Brastagi, following the valley of the Alas River to the north. We will go to Ketambe into the heartland of Leuser National Park. This is the largest National Park in Indonesia, conserving one of the most important dipterocarp forest, characterized by giant trees with buttressed roots. Though officially protected, Leuser is threatened by both, wild logging and human settlements, but remains a major heaven for the rainforest fauna of Northern Sumatra. These

includes the mouse deer (chevrotains), sambar deer, and wild pigs in additions to the larger species such as the Sumatran

tiger and Asian elephant. The rainforest is extremely rich in fruiting trees here, resulting in a very heavy population of wild primates, including leaf monkeys, long tailed macaques, white handed gibbons, siamangs, and "the man of the forest" - the orang utan. Researchers have been conducting studies at Ketambe for over 15 years, so the animals are unafraid of non threatening humans, but (unlike Bahorok) are completely wild. Aside from excellent primate viewing, we will have the opportunity to hike deep into the forest that grid the Alas valley - the haunt of Sumatran tigers, wild elephants, sun bears, and the hairy Sumatran rhino. Overnight at Ketambe Research Center (B,L,D).

Day 03: Continue observing the wild and free-ranging primates at Ketambe Research Center. After having lunch at the lodge, we go by car to Tele, through Tingga Lingga, and we'll stay overnight in a hotel in Tele (B,L,D).

Day 04: Leaving the hotel early in the morning and start to explore Samosir Island, the home of one of Sumatra's most interesting ethnic group " the flamboyant of highland" - the Batak people. Visit the ruins of the old Batak kingdom. Walled towns, central shrines and tombs and the "court of justice" the site of ritual executions and cannibalism. Overnight at the same hotel (B,L,D).

Day 05: Continue the journey by car to Padang Sidempuan. We'll have lunch at Sibolga, a small harbor town. Overnight at a hotel in Padang Sidempuan (B,L,D).

Day 06: The half-day will be filled with exploring the Ngalau Kamanga, a 1500-meter cave that was used as a base for guerrilla attack against the Dutch at the late 19th and early 20th centuries. We'll have lunch in a restaurant in

Bukit Tinggi and continue the journey by car to Harau Valley Nature Reserve (B,L,D).

Day 07: Half day exploring the Harau Valley Nature Reserve. Have lunch in Bukit Tinggi and continue to visit different villages to see traditional architecture and handicraft of Minangkabau. Visit a tobacco plantation to observe the making of black tobacco. Then by car to Singakarak Sumpur Hotel, where you can stay overnight (B,L,D).

Day 08: We drive southwards through the lush Sumatran countryside, terraced rice fields, banana groves and coffee

plantation. Continue to Kersik Tuo, the last village to Danau Gunung Tujuh Tour. Overnight at tent (B,L,D).

Day 09: Tour for superb scenery of Gunung Danau Tujuh crater lake (part of Kerinci Seblat National Park), (B,L,D).

Day 10: By car to Painan, a large sleepy fishing village, where the Dutch established their first western coast trading center. Painan features beautiful beaches and hundreds of fishing boats. We'll have lunch in a restaurant in Painan. After enjoying Painan, we go by car to Singkarak Sumpur Hotel, where this Tour concludes (B,L).