Sumatra

Day 1: Arrival in Medan

Upon arrival, we transfer to our hotel. Our adventure begins in Medan, with its Dutch architecture and Asian culture. Tonight we meet as a group for dinner and orientation.

Overnight in Medan.

Day 2: Drive to Bukit Lawang

Our morning city tour includes Sultan Deli Palace, the Great Mosque, Chinese Temple and Kesawan Area, and the old center of Medan city. In the afternoon we leave Medan and depart for the 97 km drive to Bukit Lawang, an orangutan rehabilitation reserve. On the way, watch the transformation from urban life to the jungle. Visit rubber and oil-palm plantations before arriving at our hotel for a relaxing evening in Bukit Lawang.

Overnight in Bukit Lawang.

Day 3: Orangutan Rehabilitation Reserve, Tangkaha

After breakfast, we hike up the hill behind the lodge for about 1 – 2 hours to find the orangutans in their natural habitat. Orangutans are indigenous only on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.

In the afternoon, we set out on a jeep safari to Tangkahan where we will visit a stunning waterfall. For those who would like, you can also go for a refreshing swim in the river. At some point, you may even be joined by some local elephants looking to take a bath! We return to Bukit Lawang by jeep in the afternoon.



Overnight in Bukit Lawang.

Day 4: Jungle Hike, to Brastagi

After breakfast this morning, we will depart for the half-day drive to the mountain town of Brastagi. Enjoy the evening in Brastagi, a town which is nestled between two volcanoes. Depending on volcanic activity, we may have the opportunity to hike to the rim of one of the volcanoes.

After lunch, we will visit the Lumbini Temple, the old Batak church and a local fruit market.

Overnight in Brastagi.

Day 5: Brastagi, Samosir Island

Today, we have an early morning drive to Sibayak Mountain where, if the weather permits, we will hike up the crater for a wonderful photo experience.

Following our journey to Sibayak Mountain, we will spend some time visiting the stunning Sipiso – Piso Waterfall, one of the tallest waterfalls in Indonesia, measuring 120 meters.

This afternoon, we will visit the Purba Baru Kings Palace before crossing by ferry boat to Samosir Island.


Overnight on Samosir Island.

Day 6: Lake Toba Boat Excursion

Today we have a boat excursion around Samosir Island, the original home of the Batak people. In the morning, we embark on a journey to visit the Batak Toba traditional village at Tomok, and see the old tomb of Sidabutar kings. We will continue by boat visiting Ambarita, an old Batak village, where we learn about the ancient Batak judicial system. See the stone chair and table where executions took place for the ancient tribal chieftains. In the evening, experience a Batak Toba traditional dance.

Overnight on Samosir Island.

Day 7: Lake Toba

Today we have the opportunity to enjoy an afternoon walk to visit some ancient Batak tombs, followed by spending some time with a local Batak family in their home. You can also choose to enjoy a free day to walk or bike around the dramatic scenery of Samosir Island, or just relax and enjoy the view looking out upon this magical crater lake.

Overnight on Samosir Island.

Day 8: Minangkabau Highlands, Padang Sidenpuan

We have an early morning departure from Samosir Island by ferry boat to travel south through the Minangkabau Highlands to the town of Padang Sidenpuan. Enroute, we will discover the vast array of agricultural crops grown in this fertile land, and visit a traditional market at Balige. Arriving in town in the evening, we will take local transport to our restaurant for dinner.

Overnight in Padang Sidenpuan.

Day 9: Cross the Equator, to Bukittinggi

We continue driving south, across the equator at Bonjol village, to the town of Bukittinggi. Although this is a long drive, the scenery on the way is absolutely spectacular, providing numerous vistas of rivers winding their way through beautifully terraced mountains. Pass through the tropical forest of Rimba Panti where we will stop to learn about the world's most exclusive coffee. We arrive in the early evening to the town of Bukittinggi. The town is nestled between 3 volcanoes, 3,000 ft. above sea level, and is widely known as the cultural and craft center of the Minangkabau people.

Overnight in Bukittinggi.

Day 10: Cultural West Sumatra and the Singgalang Walk

Experience the rural beauty during our hike, known as the Singgalang Walk. The 10 km walk takes us from one village to the next as we travel through the beautiful countryside between the smoldering Merapi and Singgalang volcanoes.

Daily life, especially during harvest time, is full of activity. Observe farmers planting rice, chili peppers and sugar cane or just working the fields or plowing with water buffalo. This is a great day to simply take in the beauty of this culture.

Overnight in Bukittinggi.

Day 11: Bukittinggi and the Minangkabau Culture

We travel into the Minangkabau countryside and visit a Minangkabau cultural village in nearby Padang Panjang in order to gain insight into this interesting, and ancient, matrilineal society. We will also visit Pacu Jawi, where if we are lucky, we can see the locals enjoy a 400-year-old tradition in the area of bull racing.


Overnight in Bukittinggi.

Day 12: Sianok Canyon, the Great Wall, Japanese Tunnels

Today we hike in beautiful Sianok Canyon, which is very close to Bukittinggi. We follow the "Great Wall" through the canyon and make several stops, including at the Japanese Tunnels (built by the Japanese during the 2nd World War), and Kota Gadang, a small village where they make silver jewelery. We can meet locals along the way at their homes or working in the rice fields. We may even see the occasional macaque monkey.


Overnight in Bukittinggi.

Day 13: To Padang, Dance Performance

This morning we will have our last morning in the Sumatran highlands as we descend to the hotter climate until we the administrative capital of Padang.

Tonight we enjoy a lively West Sumatran local dance performance.

Overnight in Padang.

Day 14: Fly to Jakarta, Drive to Anyer

From here we fly to Jakarta, Java as we temporarily leave Sumatra, returning the next day. We drive to the coast on the Sunda Strait, which separates Java from Sumatra, and overnight in our seaside hotel in Anyer.

Overnight in Anyer.

Day 15: Speedboat to Krakatoa, Hike to Viewpoint, Drive to Lampung

We set out by speed boat, crossing the Sunda Strait to the remote, but fabled, volcano of Krakatoa and Anak ("child of") Krakatoa. Perhaps the single greatest destructive force in modern history happened in 1883 when Krakatoa exploded, creating massive tsunamis and changing the Earth's climate for several years. Today only a part of the steep rim or wall of the original caldera remains. Close to the original caldera remnants is the volcanic island of Anak Krakatoa. The island first emerged from the ocean in 1927. The lower portion of the island is already lush with tropical plants which supports the wildlife that live there.

Please Note: In 2018, the volcano once again erupted so until things are calm and the government once again allows visitors to hike up the volcano, we can only view the volcano in close proximity from our boat. We hope to resume our hike as soon as possible. From our viewpoint we may see what remains of Krakatoa, which looks like a vertical green wall. Turning around we see the top of Anak Krakatoa, still active and often spewing smoke.

Our encounter with Krakatoa is followed by a relaxing visit to a small, nearby island, where we have lunch on the beach. You can lie in the sun, under a palm tree or go for a refreshing swim in the tropical blue ocean.

We continue our boat journey to Kalinda, once again returning to Sumatra.

We drive to Lampung, where we enjoy dinner and overnight.

Day 16: To Way Kambas National Park, Night Walk

After a relaxing morning, we depart for Way Kambas National Park. The night is full of mystery and intrigue. The sounds of the jungle can be overwhelming and captivating. A myriad of birds, insects and animals create a beautiful wild symphony! We are also on the lookout for wildlife and birds as the jungle is very much alive.

Overnight at Ecolodge, Way Kambas.

Day 17: Jeep Safari, School Visit, Cooking Class, Evening Village Performance

We enjoy a driving safari in search of wildlife but with a focus on the Sumatran elephants, monkeys, birds and other wildlife of Way Kambas.

Later in the day, we will visit a local school, enjoy a cooking class and in the evening enjoy a village performance of costume, music and dance.

Overnight at Ecolodge, Way Kambas.

Day 18: Jeep Safari, Return to Lampung

Today, enjoy a morning jeep safari in search of wildlife. While tigers and rhinos are only spotted on rare occasion, the elephant, gibbons, macaques and over 400 recorded bird species, including the endemic white winged duck, can be seen along the river from a park boat. We return to our lodge for lunch and to relax during the heat of midday. In the late afternoon, we return to Lampung.

Overnight in Lampung.

Day 19: To Jakarta

Enjoy a relaxing morning, where you can go for a swim, a workout or visit the spa.

After lunch, we fly to Jakarta where we will overnight at our airport hotel. Tonight we enjoy our farewell dinner before departing Java and Indonesia.

Overnight in Jakarta.

Day 20: Departure

Depart Jakarta for our homeward flights or continue your ElderTreks Indonesian Adventure by flying to Yogyakarta to start the Java/Bali/Komodo tour.