Kutacane / Gunung Leuser Park / Blangkejeren

Hi, I was wondering if it's possible to go by land from any of these places to Banda Aceh without going through Medan?

Thanks for your reply!

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

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.

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.

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.

@Giora

Here is PICTURE of Mr Jali's Sinebuk Green bungalows

PICTURE of the path near Kedah village

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

Not as many animals as before though.

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.

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.

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!

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

I arrive on the 18th or so, so unless you stay for a week or more we won't be there at the same time. I hope you enjoy your stay at 1000 Hills and your trek in the Gurah forest.

Just staying for 3 days and then making my way to the north. Thanks for all the info!

@Giora

Here is PICTURE of those huts with the trumpetflowers.

I don't think his new huts have thatched roofs, though I can't remember for sure. The garden still looks much the same though, it's well nurtured. I might have some pictures of what it looks like now, but no guarantees.

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