Sumatra - Bukit Lawang
 

We'll be in Medan for a weekend and are considering going to Bukit Lawang to see the orangutans. Has anyone been? Would love to know where to stay, how to get there, etc.

Our first choice was Lake Toba, but it seems it may be too far away for an overnight, but I'd be happy to learn otherwise.

Thanks travelers.

Take a taxi direct from Medan city centre or airport to Bukit Lawang (about $25)or less desirable hop a bus $1 or so. Jungle
Inn,Sams.or the cottages good places to stay.

Lake Toba/Samosir pretty amazing but 4 hours each way doable
but ideally you would need more time.Amazing place though
home of the super-volcano that almost caused the extinction
of mankind 75000 years ago.Villa Lodge nice there.

Has been burping a bit of late like in August 2010.

So monitor your consular advisories.

Happy Journey

Thanks -- sounds like I should save Lake Toba for another day and concentrate on Bukit Lawang.

If you are only going overnight, you will not have enough time to see the orangs - which is the reason to go there. But if you stay - or eat breakfast - at the jungle inn or nature cottages - whatever it is called over the footbridge on the river bank, and listen carefully for the bamboo movements, you can often see Orangs in the trees right nest to the cafe. Lake Toba is a stretch, but it reminds me that a nice and moderately priced hotel is Medan is Danau Toba. After a few days hiking in the jungle, it seems like 5 star living.

From what I've been able to gather, we could leave Medan for Bukit Lawant at 6:00 am, possibly arriving in time for the first orangutan feeding. There is another feeding at 3:00 in the afternoon. We can stay at the Jungle Inn, which, according to tripadvisor, sounds ok. It is a bit of a push, though.