Harimau Sumatra
An locally operated eco-tourism company specialising, in orangutan encounters and jungle trekking
BUKIT LAWANG
Bukit Lawang is the eco-tourism hub for Gunung Lesser National Park, from which jungle trekking and wildlife tours begin. Originally the home of the first organutan conservation effort in Sumatra, where spectacular close-up encounters with orangutans in various states of habitat introduction are possible. Local naturalists have a profound knowledge of orangutan behaviour through decades of familiarisation and study of this intelligent great ape (Pongo abelii). The village offers a relaxed atmosphere alongside the banks of the Bohorok river and can be accessed by road from Medan.
TOURS
Harimau Sumatra is run by well known local guide, Rahman, and offers a series of guided walks, trekking, rafting and ecotourism expeditions in and around Bukit Lawang. With over 20 years experience working in the Gunung Leuser National Park, as well as extensive community connections, Rahman will give you the opportunity to see the Sumatran Orangutan, explore the stunning surrounds of Bukit Lawang, as well as get off the beaten track and explore daily life in Sumatra.
TESTIMONIALS
Rahman is the best guide I have ever met and he has become a friend. We did a wonderful trekking through the jungle and we were able to observe orangutans... read more in their natural environment, a trip that I still remember today.
13th July 2022
Rahman is the best guide is Bukit Lawang by far. He has been doing this so long, knows the wildlife intimately, and is very competent at looking after guests and... read more suggesting things to do. Times were hard here during the pandemic, but now borders are starting to open, I can wholeheartedly recommend Rahman as your guide. (his website is currently down for maintenance, so email or WhatsApp him for itinerary suggestions)
2nd May 2022
We had an amazing experience with Rahman. My Friends and I did a one day tour and saw (among other interesting species) 4 orangutans during the tour. The whole day... read more was fantastic. After trekking, we ate a wonderful lunch by the river and cooled down in the water after a sweaty day. Rahman is the perfect guide. He knows almost everything about the forest and the animals and plants that live there, he is very friendly and he speaks english fluently. I would definitely recommend him, our stay in Bukit Lawang was one the best experiences in my life and Rahman really contributed to that.
24th February 2020
We just visited Bukit Lawang. Rahman made a travel package for us: jungle trip and rafting, visiting local people, elephants in Tangkahan.
Everything was well organized. Our trip from the... read more hotel in Medan to Bukit Lawang, our local trips and our trip to the airport. Rahman is a very good and friendly guide and takes care of his guests. He tells about nature, culture, Indonesean society, and so on. We recommend Rahman as a fantastic guide. We really enjoyed our stay in Bukit Lawang.
15th July 2019
We finally got to Bukit Lawang after a 33 hour flight from Detroit, Michigan .... another domestic 3 hour flight from Jakarta, and then the 4-5 hour drive from... read more Medan to Bukit Lawang. Needless to say my friends and I were tired as heck. Once we met our guide Rahman, it made the long journey worth every second. We had several orangutan sightings that day on our tour. We opted for the one day jungle hike. He is a very knowledgeable, experienced, and friendly guide. My friends are still talking about our experience to this day. We absolutely had a great time and made memories that will never forget. I highly highly recommend the jungle trek with Rahman Abdul.
8th April 2019
I arranged for a days trek (7 hours inc lunch) with Rahman. Unfortunately he was ill so could not take us, he arranged a stand in to take us and... read more we had a great day seeing 5 Orangutans (mature male, young female with baby and two juveniles). We also saw a Great Argus which was nice too.
I would think twice about the tubing you will get offered, they say it's 30mins for 20€/200k. It's only takes ten minutes as the departure point is only two bends on the river away and stops at the hotel (see map).
6th October 2018
We are a family with 2 young children aged 3 and 5. We contacted Rahman after reading other great reviews about him, and he suggested an itinerary and arranged... read more everything for us in advance - transport to and from Medan, accommodation in Bukit Lawang and Tangahan (and transfer in between), and elephant experience / trekking and jungle trek / river tubing. Travelling with 2 such young children, we were feeling a little nervous as this is the furthest off the beaten track that we have taken them, but we had nothing to worry about. He met us at the airport with a big smile and from then on we felt that we were in safe hands. We learnt so much about the jungle, and Indonesia from Rahman, and he was absolutely brilliant with the children. He pitched the jungle trek just right - it wasn't too far for little legs but far enough to see Orang Utans, and he made it fun with plenty of stops and food. The whole experience was fantastic and very memorable, and we have Rahman to thank for that. Highly recommended.
15th August 2018
Unforgettable and wonderful trip with Abdul Rahman! He organized everything - from the travel to Bukit Lawang and back, as well as a trek through the jungle, a bicycle ride... read more through the village, and elephant tours. Rahman met us at our car when we arrived in Bukit Lawang and made sure we were settled in our hotel before confirming our travels with him. From the first moment, he put us as ease and we realized what a knowledgeable and experienced guide we were with.
He was kind, generous, and fun! He has been a guide for over two decades, and loves to share his incredible wealth of knowledge at every turn and share his love of the flora and fauna with his guests. We learned a ton about rubber and palm farming, orangutan rehabilitation, ginger trees, birds, and Sumatra. He made sure we were comfortable and happy, and sincerely wanted us to enjoy our trip! We were also able to see 9 orangutans, a troupe of long-tailed monkeys, and a pig-tailed monkey on our trek. He also provided a delicious lunch, which we ate by a river.
Rahman took us biking around town on our second day. We got to see the local schools, village, rice fields, and just chat with people! He clearly knows every single person in town, and they all love him and his wonderful, fun-loving personality.
On the third day, he made sure we met our driver to go to see elephants, and on the final day, made sure to find us to say good bye. He is worth every penny and then some. We will absolutely miss Rahman (and his driver, Fehrman!). I am so glad my husband found him and would recommend him to anyone who wants a great, safe, and fun time in the jungle and surrounding area.
6th April 2017
My girlfriend Amanda and I absolutely loved our full-day orangutan trek with our wonderful guide, Rahman. We decided on Rahman because a previous trekker had written a very detailed review... read more about him on Lonely Planet. My boyfriend contacted him easily through Whatsapp, where he agreed to meet with us in person in Bukit Lawang to answer our questions. During our meeting, we learned that Rahman has been a guide in Bukit Lawang since 1992. His English is very good, and he was friendly in a very genuine, natural way. We had a good feeling about him, and we never felt once like he was trying to aggressively sell himself or his skills as a guide.
On the trek itself, Rahman’s high level of experience really showed. He had extensive knowledge of Sumatra’s trees, other plant-life, and wildlife. He knew so much, and during our trek we stopped quite often so that he could point out am interesting insect, explain to us why a tree’s roots grew the way they did, and/or show us a fruit tree. This was great not only because we were learning a great deal, but also because my girlfriend and I aren’t exactly in the best shape! It really helped to have breaks, especially during the uphill parts of the trek. We ran into some other groups on our trek, but Rahman made it a point to guide us on a different path (he knows the jungle very well!) for a more personalized trek.
We saw a total of three orangutans on the trek. Rahman explained to us that he knew most of the orangutans in the park, including the ones we had seen, because he worked with many of them when they were young (back when Bukit Lawang still had a rehabilitation center). We really liked that he has personal connection to orangutans. Some other wildlife that we saw were: Thomas Leaf monkeys, two monitor lizards, some snakes, many butterflies, monkeys, and a turtle!
We felt very safe with Rahman during the entire trip. He was constantly answering our questions and asking us if we were okay. During the more difficult parts of the trek, he helped by telling us what branches to grab or where it was safe to step. He also safely led us across a river (where the current was pretty strong!), and successfully navigated our raft over some serious rapids! All in all, we had a really great time on our trek, and we’d definitely recommend Rahman to anyone who is thinking of trekking in Bukit Lawang. In addition to his Whatsapp, Rahman has a Facebook account and a blog where you can find out more about him and see pictures of some his guests’ treks.
14th January 2017