Since I was a child, I’ve had a deep love for primates. I can’t fully explain it. Maybe it was my favourite stuffed gorilla, or maybe it’s just something that’s always been there.
That connection only deepened when I volunteered with spider monkeys in Bolivia. Seeing them up close, understanding their personalities and intelligence, made one thing very clear: if I was going to see animals, it had to be on their terms. Wild. Free. Uninterfered with.
So seeing orangutans in the wild became something I quietly held onto for years.
How I Ended Up in Bukit Lawang
Borneo had always been high on my list, but coming from Australia, it just wasn’t affordable at the time.
Indonesia, though, was.
I was in the middle of moving from Australia to the UK and, through work, managed to get some flights covered. So I built a trip around it. Bali wasn’t even originally on my radar, but I ended up loving it. Flores gave me Komodo dragons and manta rays. And then there was Sumatra.
When I realised I could see orangutans there, in the wild, without the heavy tourism of other places, I went straight into research mode.
Choosing the Right Trek (and Why It Matters)
The more I looked into it, the more I realised something quite uncomfortable: not all orangutan treks are ethical.
Some guides feed them. Some encourage them down from the trees. Some prioritise getting tourists close enough for photos over the wellbeing of the animals.
That wasn’t something I was willing to be part of.
After a lot of digging, I found Green Hill. What stood out wasn’t just that they followed the rules, but that they were actively trying to improve things. They rewild land, work with local communities, and retrain former hunters as guides.
That last part stayed with me. Because conservation isn’t just about protecting animals, it’s about giving people better options.
The Trek Itself: What You Don’t See Online
We booked a two-day trek, staying overnight in an eco-lodge rather than camping. I would have happily camped, but my partner drew the line there.
The trek itself isn’t about distance. It’s about environment. The heat, the humidity, the terrain. Everything feels heavier in the jungle.
We went in January, right in the rainy season, which most people say to avoid. But I loved it. The air felt thick and alive, the rain came down in sudden, heavy bursts, and everything around us felt amplified.
Day One: No Orangutans, and Why That’s a Good Thing
We started in a small village near the lodge, walking through open land that used to be rainforest, now replaced by palm plantations. It was a stark reminder of what’s been lost.
Not long after, we met our tracker. He had once been a hunter.
That might sound difficult to reconcile, especially if you care deeply about animals, but the reality is more complex. People hunt because they need to survive. What Green Hill is doing, giving those same people a different livelihood, is what actually creates long-term change.
And he was exceptional. He moved through the jungle with complete awareness, picking up on sounds and signs we would never have noticed.
That first day, we didn’t see any orangutans.
We saw Thomas leaf monkeys moving through the trees, lizards darting across the forest floor, and insects everywhere. At one point we stopped at a waterfall, the kind of place that makes you forget everything else for a moment.
And yes, there were leeches. A lot of them.
Our guide mixed tobacco with water and rubbed it onto our boots to keep them off. It helped, but not entirely. You do get used to it, in a slightly uneasy way.
Not seeing orangutans that day didn’t feel like a disappointment. It felt like a reminder that this is their world, not ours. Nothing is guaranteed.
The Lodge: A Moment That Stays With You
That night at the eco-lodge is something I still think about.
It was simple, but beautiful. Surrounded by jungle, with views out over the forest and mountains.
In the morning, there was mist hanging low over the trees, slowly lifting as the day warmed. And the sounds. That’s what I remember most. Loud, echoing calls carrying through the forest. Not howler monkeys, as I first thought, but almost certainly gibbons.
It didn’t feel like a tourist experience. It felt like being dropped into something much older and much bigger than you.
The food was another highlight.
Everything was cooked fresh in an outdoor kitchen. Huge plates of nasi goreng, tempeh, vegetables, salads, fruit. Completely vegan, without it feeling like a compromise. It was generous, filling, and honestly one of the best meals I had on the trip.
Day Two: Orangutans, and the Reality of Tourism
On the second day, we headed into Gunung Leuser National Park.
This is where we started seeing orangutans.
A young one swinging through the trees, full of energy. Mothers resting higher up, watching everything below. All of it at a distance, as it should be.
It was incredible to witness, but it wasn’t without its uncomfortable moments.
We saw other groups leaving food scraps behind. Monkeys had learned to follow humans for leftovers. At one point, we heard about a guide trying to lure an orangutan down with food.
It was exactly the kind of behaviour I had hoped to avoid.
Our guides were the opposite. Strict about distance, careful about waste, and clearly committed to doing things properly.
That contrast made one thing very clear. Choosing the right company isn’t a small detail. It changes the entire impact of your experience.
The Hardest Part
The downhill section.
Steep, slippery, and much tougher than I expected. At times it felt almost vertical.
My guide helped me the whole way down, even placing his feet in front of mine so I had somewhere stable to step. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was necessary.
At the bottom, there was a waterfall, and after the heat and effort of the trek, getting into that water felt unreal.
The Ending: Chaos, Rain, and One Fallen Guide
We made our way back by rafting down the river in inflatable tubes.
It started off fun. Fast-moving water, a bit of chaos, lots of laughter.
Then one of the guides fell off.
For a moment, everything shifted. The current was strong, and it wasn’t immediately clear how quickly he’d get back.
He did, eventually. Completely soaked, climbing back onto the raft like nothing had happened.
Then the rain came. Heavy, tropical, relentless.
And somehow, that made it even better. It felt like the perfect ending. Unpredictable, intense, and completely unforgettable.
Final Thoughts
This wasn’t just about seeing orangutans.
It was about understanding what it means to see them responsibly.
The experience is incredible, but it comes with a responsibility to choose carefully. Who you book with, how you behave, what you support. It all matters.
Because the difference between ethical and unethical tourism isn’t subtle. You can see it happening right in front of you.
And once you’ve seen it, you can’t ignore it.
Find out how to choose an ethical experience here: Ethical Orangutan Trekking Bukit Lawang: Do It the Right Way
