Thorn Tree travel forum

Ketembe & Aceh - Orangutans

I just wanted to report that one can now travel into Central Aceh via Ketembe!

I just retrurned from there two days ago after a five day stay and it was SPECTACULAR! To get there you should either leave early from Medan or (even better) Brastagi via a BTN or Karsima bus. These pick up passengers beginning about 7 AM from the "Padang Bulan" area of Medan (on the road to Brastagi) It takes about 7hours from Medan to get to Kutacane (about an hour less from Brastagi). Fares are Rp. 40,000.

After this long trip you will arrive in the dreadful "road-town" of Kutacane. Just before that you'll likely have to show your passport at a military post at the Sumatra Utara-Aceh Tenggarra border. I'd suggest getting out at the terminal and taking an ojek (Rp. 3000) into town to the "Terminal Local". But when you get there walk a few buildings to the north to the police station (it's next to the fire station and several large armored vehicles sit out in front). Really try to be here by 4 PM! Because you need to obtain a "surat" (letter) authorizing your stay in Ketembe and the official who does this sometimes goes home early. In addition the last local minibus to Ketembe leaves about 4:30 (although sometimes as late as 5 PM).

There is no fee for the letter, though the police may encourage you to buy them tea/coffee or cigarettes. And you have to tell them that you really need to get the letter done quickly since you need to catch the minibus.

In case of emergency and you need to stay in Kutacane...avoid the Maroon Hotel unless you get a higher quality room. I've heard the Bru Dihe (Jl. Yani...close to Mesjid Tekwa) is better and has rooms from Rp. 20-50,000.

Minibuses to Lawe Gurah/Ketembe cost Rp. 5000 and take about an hour. The local guys may try to get you to charter a bus...but hold back and more locals may show up and a driver may suddenly emerge to take you all up.

There are several places currently open in Lawe Gurah just outside the park gates of Gunung Leuser National Park. They all have rooms about Rm. 20,000 (Pondok Wisata, Pak Mus Homestay, Cinta Alam, Bhakti Wisata). Gurah Bungalows WITHIN THE PARK is also available but you must hunt down the manager. You may have to cook your own food there. Sadar Wisata is currently closed, but may reopen if tourists start returning.

I was the only tourist there for five days. Two Belgian gals had returned to Medan two days earlier. If you go the effort is worth at least five days. I hired local guides for two of the days . Mansyah, Martdan, Pak Mus, Hasbi are good...though they often walk quickly. Tell them that you need to go slowly or that if they want to go ahead and check and want you to wait that is acceptable. That way you can relax, listen for sounds that might indicate nearby orangutans or other wildlife. If you try to keep pace you'll find yourself looking only at the trail. I paid Rp. 100,000 for day trips. Overnighters would likely run about Rp. 225,000. You should stop by the military post just inside the park entrance to say high to the guys there. They may even offer advice of finding orangutans or gibbons. There was no one taking park entrance fees.

The first two days of walking on day treks (the second day alone along the highway and on the main trails) I saw no orangutans...though plenty of Thomas' Leaf Monkeys, macaques and hornbills. The third day, while walking alone, I say three orangutans. The next day I went out weith Mansyah and a young friend of his and we spent nearly five hours looking at spots where he and the Belgian girls had seen red apes. Nada! I though my luck had rum out the previous day, but when we were returning on the verytrail we had walked that morning we heard the booming territorial call of a male orangutan. It was clearly one very irritated male, bellowing away constantly for 10 minutes. While heading toward it we came across another adult male, a female, and two adolescents feeding on several fig trees. Rather than chase off to the displaying male we stayed put and watched these guys. Then the other male stopped calling. It seemed he was threatening another male somewhere else, because he approached about 100 meters away with two adult females and a young subadult.
It was then that he saw "our male" and began his whooping call, making kissing sounds, and clearly displaying agressively toward our fella, who nonchalantly continued to gorge on figs. The agressive male then startedtearing of twigs and even some large dry brancjhes with a "crack" and throwing them loudly to the ground. The female had earlier moved down from her canopy perch and moved through the low shrubs in that general direction.

Eventually our bearded and cheek-flanged male went back to his females and settled in to feed. So we saw seven orangutans at close range and some great behavior! I suspect that the highly localized rich "mast" of the figs caused thes guys to cluster uncomfortably...which makes finding them a feast or famine affair.

One final note: The Military post at the border told me that I could go right through central Aceh all the way to Bandar Aceh if I wanted. They said that there were no more hostilities...the war was over. They said all I had to do was check in at each city that I stopped at. I was invited to go with some people to a horse race in Blangkejeren but decided I wanted to trek instead. Apparently one can stay overnight at the "Tobacco Huts" at Green Sinebuk about 15km to the west. After Blangkejeren the next main town is Takengon,,,there are several hotels there...one on the lake and another in town near the hill (away from the bus terminal) that are okay. Then you head north through the coastal town of Bireuen...though you can reach Banda Aceh by the evening. Then one can take a ferry out to Pulau Weh.

Remember to register in Banda Aceh.

I think eventually all the "registration" will stop.