Bukit Lawang (Indonesia)

Setting out from Bukit Lawang, I did a two-day trek in Gunung Leuser National Park. The Indonesian jungle being home to the largest orangutan community in the world, I was able to observe a dozen or so in the course of my stay: mothers with their young, dominant males. It is fascinating to stay and observe their behaviour for minutes on end, all the while knowing that these animals, whose name means "men of the forest" in Malay, are one of our closest cousins!

The trek took about 6 hours a day and at night, I slept in my sleeping bag practically on the ground itself, on a ground sheet spread on the earth, with for all shelter, a linen cloth stretched over stakes. My guide set up a makeshift camp and I was able to enjoy a hot meal in the evening.

Bukit Lawang and its surroundings were an unforgettable experience for me , for one of the first times in my life, I really felt thrust into the very depths of nature. I recommend it to trekking enthusiasts and others!