A Story as Solo Traveler: The Traces of Mawas in Bukit Lawang

The Mawas Mom was climbing the tree

“Are you serious that you will go to Bukit Lawang by yourself?” my friend asked me that afternoon. “Yes, I’m serious” I responded her.

I enjoy being solo traveler. This is not my first time traveling without friend. I have been solo traveler since I was in college. My most memorable trip was when I collected data for my dissertation in Kemiren, Banyuwangi. That was one of the best epic journeys in my life. I hope, I will write that experience next time.

On my opinion, the good side of solo traveling is that I can choose wherever I go without rigid plan. My trip to Bukit Lawang is one of the example.

Here is the story.

I just decided to go to Bukit Lawang on the last day of my official trip in Medan. I got the idea in the morning and went to that place in the afternoon.

After I had finished all my business, I started to pack my stuff. I got the information about eco-tourism in Bukit Lawang from my friend during lunchtime. He told me about how to reach the location, what were the favorite spots, what kind of culture’s rule that I must avoid, and what cheap facilities that I could try.

Packed with the information, I ordered gojek from Santika Hotel, Medan, to take me to Simpang Kampung Lalang. I notice that some of the biggest city in Sumatera like Medan, Banda Aceh, Pekanbaru, Lampung, Palembang, Jambi have online transportation. This kind of transportation makes traveling easier.

I crossed the city with shaky tire that make me anxious. Hot weather and dust accompanied me on the journey. Fortunately, the gojek driver was so kind. When I said that I seek the bus to Bukit Lawang, he helped and escorted me to find one. 

The Red Mini Bus 

From Simpang Kampung Lalang I started my travel, the red mini bus took me to Bukit Lawang.

Once we set off, the bus’s baggage compartment was suddenly open. I did not what the cause of that little accident. Aware to the situation, the driver assistant jumped off the bus and checked the passenger’s stuff. Fortunately, nothing was missing.

After one hour journey, the bus had to stop at Binjai. It stopped to load more passenger which mostly students and also building material like iron and cement. After quick loading, we moved again.

Passing Kuala region, bumpy road woke me from my dream. I looked out through the window and I saw kilometers of road full of hole. At least, almost a quarter of my trip was through broken road. Because of constant shaking from the bumpy road, we had to adjust our body.

I almost arrived when I saw only few passengers left in the bus, including a girl sat beside me. Having little information on my destination, I asked the girl about the location of Bukit Lawang station and the cost of bus in the area. Asking question like this is one of my tips while traveling, in order to prevent being lost or cheated by the bus driver. Depending on gadget will be futile if we travel to remote area with weak signal. We cannot use google to know about direction. Having the skill to approach people and ask for direction is useful.

Starting from simple question, me and that girl then involved in engaging conversation until she reached her destination. Time passed. It was only me on the bus, when I arrived at Bukit Lawang Station. The sun was already sunk when the bus stopped at that quite station. I saw only a few stalls on that station. There were not much people moving around.

At least seven ‘ojek’ drivers came and surround me to offer their service. It was the only transportation to take to the lodging. Quickly, I picked one and the crowd dissolve. It took me 10 minutes to arrive to my destination, Bukit Lawang Village. There are two types of accommodation in that area. In the higher side of the village, we can find a small hotel called Jungle Inn. While in the lower side of the village, there are Ecolodge, Wisma Sebayak, and Rindu Alam Hotel. Usually, the ‘ojek’ driver will ask to the passengers on which side they want to be dropped.

I choose to be dropped on the lower side, because I decided to stay in Wisma Sebayak. Actually, I could get a better and cheaper room in other lodging but night was coming and it was hard to find place to stay. Moreover, Wisma Sebayak was highly recommended by my friend.

According to my experience, If you want to search for lodging in Bukit Lawang, please follow these tips:

-       Before go to the Bukit Lawang, please search information about the lodging. You can use online booking facilities like www.booking.co.id, www.tripadvisor.co.id,

-       Try to arrive when the sun still bright, so it will be easy to find the place to stay.

-       Be aware of thugs who will offer you a service to take you to the lodging. Reject them politely.

To reach Wisma Sebayak I had to cross a wobbling bridge. Luckily, I got a reasonable price room. I only paid Rp.200.000 for Rp.250.000 priced room. That was a good bargain. After finishing the payment and got the key, I went directly to the room on the second floor.

Once I opened the window, I saw a line of river. The moon light helped me to witness that natural beauty. That night, Bukit Lawang Village seems so quiet. I only heard the sound of water in the river and vaguely the voice of kids playing around.

I moved to the bed, sat in there, and started to unload my stuff. The journey was exhausting, especially the bumpy road. After having my soap and towel, I ran to the bathroom and took a shower. Fresh water was my immediate necessity after trapped on hot bus with all sweat in my shirt.

At 9.00 pm, I went out to find a nice dinner. However, due to tiredness, I decided to have simple dinner in the hotel restaurant. They served Indonesian and western food, but my choice was INDOMIE, the typical Indonesian life saver. While enjoying a bowl of instant noodle, I swept my view across the village. It was livelier on the night. Live music was on in every café. Many foreigners come and go to the lodging.

After finishing my dinner, I used the opportunity to find information and a group for hiking in the next day. I asked around about Leuser hiking schedule and other tourism activities in the area. One of the local people kindly explained it to me. There are two type of Hiking activities in Leuser. First is short tracking that all the participant will follow Orangutan traces for 3 to 4 hours.  Second is long tracking. The participant is not only following the Orangutan, but they also enjoy waterfall, bat cave, and tubing on the river.

I also asked other tourist about their tracking choice and schedule. I need to join a tracking group to safe more money and add more fun. Tracking by myself would be expensive and boring.

After asking everywhere, I knew that most of the foreign tourist choose long tracking.  I couldn’t join their group as I only had limited time. I had to go back to Medan tomorrow afternoon. The short tracking group was my only choice.

I continued to looking around for a tracking group. Some local people, like the motel staff, offered their service to me as tour guide. I gently refused it as it was expensive. They asked Rp.400.000 for 3 to 4 hours trip.

Having the difficulty to find a group, I tried to walked around the village one more time. I still had a hope to meet someone or some group that match to my schedule. It was almost midnight when I strolled around in dark without light from my dead handphone and camera. I lose the chance to capture any moment, on that night.  

Minutes passed and I still could not find any group. It was already 12.10 AM when I went to my room with empty hand. The anxiety of not having any group for tracking tomorrow still linger in my head. But I just tried to pack my thing and sleep in hoping tomorrow there will be someone who will helped me.

In the next day, I left my room at 9 AM with all my gear. It was quite and cloudy. I lost the ‘magic hour’ to take pictures. However, my objective is to find a group for tracking today. I sat on river bank and watched around for any opportunity. Group after group set off for tracking. I was left behind.

The Bukit Lawang Village

Suddenly, a Melayu man approach me. He is Aan, local resident who work as porter. After few conversation, that skinny man offered me his service for only Rp. 150.000. It was cheaper compared the other porter or guide. Without hesitation, I agreed to his offer.

Tips :

-       If you are alone, try your best to arrive before night so you have time to find friends or group for tracking.

-       Short Tracking take you 3 to 4 hours with the possibility to encounter Orangutan 1 to 2 times. Additional entertainment is tubing along the river. The price for this tracking is Rp. 400.000/group (one group consist of 3 persons)

-       Long Tracking take you 2 days and 1 night. The possibility to meet Orangutan is 9 times. During the tracking, you can enjoy seeing endemic flora and fauna from tropical forest, playing in waterfall, and exploring bat cave. You will stay in a tent inside the forest. Additional entertainment to this tracking is tubing. The whole package of tracking cost you Rp. 600.000 to Rp. 1.000.000 per person

While Aan was preparing his gear, I tried to find a breakfast. It was easy to find a food in the village. There are many type of stall selling Melayu cuisine, Padang cuisine, and Javanese cuisine.

The various type of food indicate that there are 3 ethnic group living in Bukit Lawang Village. Karo tribe is the original resident of the village, while Javanese and Melayu people came to the village because of transmigration. Besides those people, we can also find some foreigner in the village. Some of them married to local people and some other invested to build a lodging.

After savoring a plate of Warteg, I met Aan for the tracking. He was ready with his bag and field shoes. We were set off.

Aan, the man who guided me in my tracking

We walked for half an hour through small path to the forest. Along the path, I saw lodge and rubber plantation managed by the community. Rubber is quite essential for the community as additional income. According to Aan, most of the villagers are entrepreneur. They run lodging business, become tour guide, car rental, having small stall or restaurant. Only a few of them become rubber farmer.

Leaving the rubber plantation, we arrived at security post of TNGL. Two forestry police guarded the post. We had fill up a registration book, before entering the national park area.

Bukit Lawang is located at the south side of TNGL. The International Union for Conservation on Nature (IUCN) establish TNGL or National Park of Leuser Mountain as world heritage. The national park is also the habitat of four charismatic species in Sumatera, Orangutan, Sumatran Rhino, Elephant, and Sumatran Tiger.

The Entrance to Leuser Mountain NP

Originally, Bukit Lawang village was the center for Orangutan rehabilitation. Researcher and conservationist often visited the center for observation and research. Since 1972 to 2001, there were 229 species of Orangutan on rehabilitation in that facility. Bukit Lawang then become ecotourism village and an entrance to enjoy the natural beauty of Leuser Mountain.

Entering the national park, we walked for 3 to 4 hours and I didn’t feel any exhaustion. It was because the air is so fresh and the hiking path was quite easy. In the forest, we were surround by Meranti, Keruing, Damar Laut, Anggrek Hutan, Cendawan Harimau, and etc. On the tree, a group of monkey jumped around. They were Presbytis thomasi, the endangered primate.

When we walked a little further, we finally met groups of people. They stopped to observe the baby Mawas or Orangutan. Everyone was busy on their binocular or camera. Minutes later, the Mawas Mom approached and carried her baby. Local people named her ‘Mengantung’.

Tips:

-       Don’t too close to Orangutan

-       Don’t feed the Orangutan or other animals in the forest, because it will make the Orangutan aggressive

-       Don’t touch or do physical contact with Orangutan because it may transfer diseases to human

-       Put some distance with aggressive Orangutan

I learn so much from the trip. I can directly observe the Orangutan in their habitat. The ecotourism is actually the best model to merge between conservation and additional income to the community. Local people aware that by conserving their environment, they will get more income.

The Baby Mawas