Kutacane / Gunung Leuser Park / Blangkejeren

Not sure what your question is.

Do you want to go Medan - Kutacane - Blangkejeren - Banda Aceh?

Or where are you actually starting from?

Sorry, my plan is to arrive in Medan then visit Gunung Leuser and to Banda Aceh afterwards, but would like to go through the mountains and not the coast. Thanks

You can see it on google maps, Medan - Kutacane - Blangkejeren, then either continue up through the mountains via Takengon emerging at Bireuen, or at Blangkejeren head east-north-east and hit the coast road some way before Lhokseumawe. Either way no need to go back to Medan. Main route is via Takengon.

Good news! And how much time might it take from Blangkejeren to Banda Aceh? Places you might recommend on the way? Thanks

I would stop at Takengon for the lake and move on the next day. Maybe 12 hours total from Blankejeren.

The two main places for visiting Gunung Leuser National Park in the interior are Ketambe and Kedah. Kedah is close to Blankejeran. It's very roughly 5 hours from there to Takengon. Service is limited, but there are at least a couple of minibuses a day. Takengon to Banda Aceh is then roughly 8 hours, with more regular transport. Takengon is a nice little town nestled next to a beautiful lake - it's a pleasant place to break up a trip.

Outside Blankerjeren there was a fellow called Mr Jali who had some bungalows called Sinebuk Green and Tobacco Hut in Leuser area . PICTURE of scenery around Tobacco Hut

Mr Jali was a well known trekking guide and this PICTURE of one of his T Shirts shows a map of the area . Unfortunately this area has been affected by logging.

Mr. Jali's still there. His bungalows were burnt down during the period of unrest in Aceh, but they've since been rebuilt. The Tobacco Hut is still there, but the area around it has a lot less forest these days than it did in 1995.

Thanks all for the info. Looking fwd to the trip in Sumatra