Published on Sep, 2024
The best tour with the best guides I’ve ever had! Without exaggerating, our guide was the loveliest you could hope for. He was incredibly attentive, caring, and seemed to have some great connections. When we arrived at the jungle, we spotted a female orangutan within just 5 minutes. After she settled in a tree that wasn’t easy to see, our guide managed to get information about a male orangutan about 20 minutes into the jungle, even before anyone else knew about it, despite there being over six other groups around us.
Seeing the male orangutan in all his glory was incredible, and our guide knew their behavior so well. We were one of the few groups who stayed ahead of the male, no matter where he went. About 80% of the other tourists only got to see his back. I had my video camera with me, and our guide adjusted the tour to help us get the best shots possible. At times, I had to zoom out just to fit more than the orangutan’s head in the frame! Both the orangutans and our guide were so calm, I never felt fear—just pure joy and excitement.
Our guide was not only experienced with the animals, but also with handling tourists. He challenged us with a brisk pace, but it was completely worth every drop of sweat. It never felt like he was pushing us too hard—it was like he understood our physical limits better than we did. After he saw that we treated the animals with care and respect, he allowed us to get close, but always kept us at a safe distance. At one point, a female orangutan climbed just two meters above my head. She glanced down at me, but continued on to grab some nearby food. It was magical to see these creatures in the wild.
I think we saw four or five different orangutans, and it wasn’t just brief encounters—we had over three hours of contact with them. After the hike, we took a raft back, which was perfect because we didn’t have to walk anymore. Before that, we enjoyed a refreshing dip in the river, which was just what we needed to relax. For the rafting, I had a 40L dry bag for my cameras, but they packed everything tightly in plastic bags. In the end, my dry bag didn’t get a single drop of water on it during the trip downriver. I was very grateful for that!
It was a mesmerizing experience, and our guide was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. I’m already thinking about when I can come back, maybe for a longer tour. And as if all the positive things weren’t enough, there’s more. We had a private driver transport us from our hotel in Medan to the national park and back, and our guide even provided us with delicious Indonesian rice. Everything was taken care of, making the entire trip hassle-free. Everyone involved went above and beyond to make this an unforgettable experience—and they succeeded. I think it’ll be a long time before I find anything comparable to this!
