Planet Hoppers | May 2020

Peggy's Solo Travel Through Sumatra

Bukit Lawang

Due to the poor conditions of the bumpy dirt road, the 4x4 drive took four excruciating hours to Bukit Lawang, the gateway to Gunung Leuser National Park, known for the largest animal sanctuary of Sumatran orangutans. It was pitch black by the time I'd arrived. All I could hear was the rushing river that my place was situated along. I was given only one friendly tip and that was to leave all food items inside the tin container to keep the monkeys out. I was clearly in the jungle, finally!

I woke up closer to noon the following day and had a feeling that day was going to be a good day. I went out onto my porch and was immediately infected with the smell and sounds of the jungle. All I could see were steep mountainous forests with its 50 shades of green all around me. I only had to walk less than 10 meters before reaching the massive river where I saw a huge monitor lizard sticking its long, thick tongue in and out. As I watched this dragon-like creature make its way across the rushing tide of the river, I heard, “Look, look, look!” and saw guests scrambling out of the restaurant and towards the river.

It took me a while to adjust to discerning jungle-eyes, but I finally saw a couple of large exotic hornbills gliding from tree top to tree top on the other side of the river. There were at least three different species diving around for food. 15 minutes later, we saw rustling in the trees below. Out popped a baby orangutan followed by its mother! Way above them suddenly appeared monkeys with mohawks coined by the locals, “David Beckham” monkeys. A long-term resident from Germany with binoculars exclaimed in disbelief that he had never seen all this wildlife in one day before. The staff jokingly told me that I didn’t need to bother going on the jungle trek since we were located right on the outer banks of Gunung Leuser National Park.

Jungle Trek in Gunung Leuser National Park

We were warned that we might not find any orangutans since it had been raining cats and dogs for the last week or so. It was a sunny day though when we started, so I had high hopes. After only 20 minutes into our hike, our guide heard a mating call and yelled, “Come, follow me!” I was told the night before that male orangutans are the most highly sought after but extremely rare sighting. But as soon as we climbed over the hill, hanging just above eye level, was a humongous male orangutan. It was like nothing I’d ever seen before, not even in pictures. I stood there in awe studying its human-like features, its disc-shaped face, and small dark eyes staring back at us. I could see how recent studies claim that they are the closest living relatives to humans. Not only do they share 95% of our human genetic code, they share at least 28 physical traits with us including the way we smile, the thick tooth enamel, similar-shaped shoulder blades and the beards on males. I must have stood there for almost an hour watching him slowly make a nest and at one point, I saw him stroke his beard looking quite pensive!

After lunch, we heard rustling in the trees in the far distance. We'd already seen 16 orangutans so my group continued resting while I quietly made my way towards the cracking of breaking branches. I saw a baby orangutan that looked like a Troll toy with its long hair sticking straight up, awkwardly climb a tree towards its mother. I gazed, appreciating how gentle and tender the mother was with her baby. She held her hand out just below the baby’s bum in case it slipped, giving a gentle nudge to encourage the climber-in-training to go higher. I noticed the mother make a eye contact with me while the baby was peeing in midair. She went to swoop her baby up, threw it on her back, and swung across a few trees before sliding down to the ground. Before I could get a full view of where they had gone, she was suddenly right in front of me reaching for my hand! She gently placed my hand to her mouth as if to kiss it while the baby went for my shoelaces. This is a memory that will forever be etched into my mind and heart forever. Watch her amazing experiences with the orangutans HERE.

Berastagi

I managed to finally peel myself away from the jungle and made a last minute decision for what seemed like the opposite experience - the cold highlands of Berastagi. The main attractions are two active volcanoes but only Mount Sibayak was safe enough to climb as the other volcano, Mt. Sinabung, had just erupted in 2019. It is not a difficult trek but scores of people have died or have never been found from getting lost.

I found the terrain to be pretty straightforward, but the weather suddenly turned misty when we reached the crater. We patiently waited for the mist to lift while listening to the loud fumaroles belch sulfurous fumes. As soon as it cleared, we wandered all over the inside of the crater and along the ridge to climb to the very peak where we had to wait again for the spectacular view to slowly unveil itself. To imagine that I almost missed all of this!

Lake Toba

I was eager to get to Samosir, an island situated right in the middle of a gigantic ancient lake formed by a mega volcano that erupted around 70 million years ago. The island used to be coined as the “hippy trail” and known for its full moon parties during the 70s and 80s but for whatever reason, it’s now super quiet and peaceful. Although Lake Toba is only three hours away by car, we took our time to check out the magnificent Sipiso-Piso waterfall. From there, I caught my first glimpse of Lake Toba, the largest crater lake in the world.

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I spent two relaxing weeks here exploring the scenic island the size of Singapore on my motorbike, visiting remote villages with its distinct Batak architecture, eating at traditional eateries, and getting lost. On my last day, I accidentally found an eco-village. What a lovely surprise to find this gem where delicious farm-to-table meals, cakes, and wine were offered for a donation. The owner was a lovely and wise woman, imparting her knowledge and wisdom on how to live off the land and it wasn't until after I left that I discovered that she is a princess!

Pulah Weh

Then on to Pulah Weh island, known to have the best diving in all of Indonesia. I spent one week in a lovely bungalow above the water where I could literally jump into an aquarium with every fish I wanted to see! This area was quaint, and had almost a reggae vibe to it. Motorbikes and cars can't go through since the area where most tourists stay is made up of a single walking path and stairs. The pathway is dotted with rustic cottages and a handful of places offering Western dishes. The funny thing about this place though is that water activities are not allowed before 2pm on Fridays. And of course, bathing suits are not allowed on public beaches, except at Secret Beach. It's probably the most beautiful spot on the island where I usually had to myself, snorkeling almost every afternoon until sunset.

I was supposed to carry on to Western Sumatra to seek out the indigenous tribes in Siberia but I had to cut my trip short due to national lockdowns happening everywhere. My flights kept getting cancelled, and it was becoming more difficult to find an affordable flight home. This is when I wished I had booked through Planet Hoppers as they could have saved me days of headaches, time, and money. I will definitely return as soon as the lockdowns are lifted to explore other parts of Sumatra as it’s a great place for solo travelers. If you are on the fence about taking your first solo trip, you should be because the empowerment, liberty, and independence is addicting.

You can follow Peggy on Insta @ontheroadiva