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In response to #8

You don't say how much time you have. There are plenty of places worth visiting between Kutacane and Banda Aceh.

The tobacco huts above Kedah were burned down by the TNI during the civil war, but some have been rebuilt. They are used for storing, drying and cutting tobacco. I don't think any tourists stay in them these days, but I usually stop for a coffee and a chat if I see anyone working there. There probably has been plenty of logging in the vicinity, mostly at lower altitudes below the bungalows, but the treeline around the tobacco huts is exactly as it was in the mid-1990s. The jungle above the tobacco huts has been very well preserved and is well worth a visit, although once you get above 1,600m the wildlife is mostly birds. The valleys boom with the sound of black gibbons.

The road from Blangkejeren to Takengon was in good shape last September. It took just 5 hours to go from Ketambe to Takengon, stopping off for petrol in Blangkejeren, some sightseeing above Pantan Cuaca village and stopping in Ise Ise to eat. But unless you are in a hurry there no reason to pass through so quickly. There's some pristine moss (cloud) forest between Pantan Cuaca and Ise Ise that could be worth exploring.

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11

The jungle above the tobacco huts has been very well preserved and is well worth a visit, although once you get above 1,600m the wildlife is mostly birds.

I saw locals trapping birds in that forest when I visited. Logging isn't the only danger to the National Park.


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12
In response to #11

That doesn't surprise me at all. Also there's not as much ratan as there used to be. And it's not uncommon to meet people hunting muntjak and serow, especially if you venture past Pucuk Angkasan.

The last time I camped out in Gurah (the forest near Ketambe) I met some guys hunting for hornbills and whatever else they could shoot with their high-powered air rifle.

The Alas river is also over-fished, with people using electricity and poison, and the fish that are caught are tiny. The exception is the upper part of the river, just below the big waterfall (5-8 day round trip from Kedah) where there is an abundance of fat hillstream loaches up to 15cm in length.

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13

@Giora

Here is PICTURE of Mr Jali's Sinebuk Green bungalows

PICTURE of the path near Kedah village

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14

Well the banana trees are still there dave, as are the trumpetflowers...


Learn all about the island of Awaji, the largest island in Japan's Inland Sea. You can contact me through that website, if you wish.
Also, Japan's architectural and historic heritage.
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15

Not as many animals as before though.

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16

Please. Do you have any tips or things I need to know trekking in Leuser Park? Also what's the standard price for a 2 day tour? Read somewhere it's low season? Thanks for the info.

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17

The standard price in Ketambe seems to be somewhere in the region of 400,000 rupiah ($30) per person per day for treks including an overnight stay in the jungle. Your guesthouse will supply any equipment you need, but bring your own binoculars and camera.

It's low season most of the year, with the only really busy time coinciding with European summer holidays, although it can get quite busy at the camping ground if several groups are trekking at the same time. Some of the guesthouses have arrangements with tour companies so can quickly change from being empty to having 14 guests. During Indonesian holidays the Ketambe area attracts hundreds of local visitors.

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18

By the way, when are you planning to visit? I'll be in Ketambe by the end of next week so maybe I'll see you there!

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19

Yeah! Arriving on the 11th from Medan, staying at 1000 Hills. Btw my name is Carlos

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