A treasure of biodiversity, the Gunung Leuser National Park in Indonesia is an impenetrable jungle that offers mesmerizing views, no matter where you look. The park was established in 1980. This is one of the world’s most important and biologically diverse conservation areas, and is often described as a complete ecosystem laboratory because of the range of forest and species types. Despite its magical nature, the park is often overlooked by the plethora of other wildlife preserves and protected areas in beautiful Indonesia. Visit Gunung Leuser National Park to be in a trance, and to enjoy a real jungle experience.
Location and Geography:
Gunung Leuser National Park covers 7,927 km2 in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, and straddles the border of North Sumatra and Aceh provinces. It is settled in the famous Barisan mountain range, and is named after Mount Leuser. There is an Orangutan sanctuary at Bukit Lawang, located within the park. The Gunung Leuser National Park, along with Bukit Barisan Selatan and Kerinci Seblat National Park, forms a World Heritage Site, known as the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra.
The park is 150km long, over 100km wide, and is mostly mountainous. This region is recognized as the largest wilderness area in Southeast Asia. Eleven peaks in the range are over 2,700 m, Mount Leuser being the third-highest, at 3,119m.
Orangutans and Other Animals at Gunung Leuser National Park:
More than three-quarters of the world’s orangutans rely on the bounty of these lush rainforests of Indonesia, for survival, and Gunung Leuser National Park is one of the most popular places for Orangutan sighting.
Fun fact: Orangutan literally translates to “person of the forest” in native Indonesian.
The region also provides habitat for more than 750 different species, like elephants, rhinos, tigers, siamangs, Thomas Leaf Monkeys, Macaques and Gibbons. It hosts 380 birds, 190 reptiles as well as amphibians.
When to Visit:
The wet season at Mount Leuser is from October to March, where it will rain continuously on a daily basis. The climate is generally very humid, so pack a lot of drinking water if you are trekking. Try to avoid the monsoon season, if you visit, to best enjoy the wilderness.
Activities:
“Take only photos, leave only footprints.”
Taking a trek in the jungle is the best way to explore the animal kingdom at Gunung Leuser. Travelers are not permitted to go in, unaccompanied, so book your guide in advance to avoid disappointments. Refrain from any physical contact with the orangutans, and do not feed them.
Another popular activity is tubing. Be careful as the currents could be very strong at times. You can also go see the bat cave, make a stroll around the rice fields and rubber plantations, visit some of the social projects, or take a trip down to the Friday market.
Images sourced from Dan Lundberg and Dennis Keller
