splendid sumatra flashpacker tour general itinerary · day one – travel to bukit lawang....

Our Splendid Sumatra Flashpacker Tour is an adventurous journey to visit orangutans and head-hunters (okay so their decedents). Our tour takes in amazing natural surrounds while promoting cultural exchanges. The itinerary was planned by travelers that have lived in SE Asia and have traveled in North Sumatra. There is a blend of active events such as a jungle trek – that can be catered to your ability, attraction visits including a Batak museum and stone circle, and interactive activities with an Indonesian language class and cooking course. Plus, the highlight of this trip – seeing orangutans in their natural setting. This is not a zoo trip… this is the real experience of seeing animals in the wild. And it is awesome!

A unique element of our itinerary is its flexibility… this is your trip, so you should enjoy each and every day. We believe Flashpackers may want some help in planning, but they also want some independence to do things of special interest to them or to participate in activities that are more (or less) taxing than bog standard tours. As such, we have built in “You Decide Days”. Want to spend the night in the jungle – great we can arrange that. Or perhaps you want to go to a local market or bathe a Sumatran elephant or learn to jungle fish. It is up to you. Seek out what inspires you and make this your tour.

A goal of Flashpacker Tours is to show you the REAL

Sumatra. As such, we don’t just rush you past famous

sites like many tours do. Instead our itinerary is loaded

with activities that let you explore and truly learn about

this exotic country. On this tour visit an orphanage to

discover how one small jungle town has rebounded

after a devastating flood. All of our tours Flashpacker

Tours focus on indigenous people and the native

guides that share their stories and teach you about

their way of life. Our Splendid Sumatra Flashpacker Tour

itinerary was created so you don’t just see Sumatra; but

you experience it!

flashpackertours.com

Splendid Sumatra Flashpacker Tour

General Itinerary



Daily Itinerary

Flexible Start – Two Pre-tour options: Begin in Bangkok or Medan.

Flashpacker Tours understands that there are few direct flights to

Medan even though it is the largest city on Sumatra in Indonesia. As

such we have set up the Splendid Sumatra Flashpacker Tour to have a

flexible beginning. Take an international flight to Thailand and start with

our Bangkok Pre-tour. This mini-tour lets you get over jet lag and

adjust to Asia before moving on to Sumatra.

Or if you can get an international flight to Sumatra, then a Flashpacker

Team member will be in Medan ready to show you the sites of this city

on the Medan City Pre-tour. Sumatra may not be easy to reach, but the

rewards of visiting this region are amazing. So plan a start that works

for you and then join the Splendid Sumatra Flashpacker Tour.

Day One – Travel to Bukit Lawang. Orangutan feeding.

– Indonesian language class & dinner.

Today, whether you began in Bangkok or did the Medan mini-tour, everyone will have a meet-n-greet with the Flashpacker Tours’ team to discuss details of the Splendid Sumatra Flashpacker Tour. Then we head to the jungle town of Bukit Lawang. This village is the gateway to Ganung Leuser National Park, which is part of the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra, an UNESCO World Heritage site in the category of “outstanding scenic beauty.”

This park is one of the last habitats for Sumatran orangutans and has the world’s largest sanctuary for these beautiful creatures. This afternoon we will hopefully have our first interaction with the orangutans when we visit the feeding platform. Although there are no guarantees, on most days several orangutans, usually nursing mothers, come to the platform for bananas and milk. After this, we will learn more about these critically endangered animals as well as having an introductory class on Indonesian etiquette and language.

(Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included)



Daily Itinerary

Day Two – Full-day jungle trek. See the Orangutans!

A licensed guide will take us into the jungle today. Ganung Leuser National Park is not only home to approximately 5000 orangutans, but there are also siamang plus other types of gibbons, samlar deer, Thomas langurs, macaque monkeys, monitor lizards, and more. As we trek, our guide will point out wildlife and teach us about the jungle.

This area is rugged and steep. Before the trek we will discuss your abilities to determine how strenuous of a hike you desire. The final descent to the river can be especially hard. If you decide on a moderate trek, then you will hike back to Bukit Lawang in the late afternoon. A more strenuous option is to descend to the river and journey home by tubing. Either way, you will have dinner in town.

Those looking for the ultimate jungle experience can spend the night in Ganung Leuser. Camps are rugged, stick and tarp communal tents, but it is the experience that counts.

(Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included)

Day Three – Jungle trek & river raft. OR Trip to local market.

If you decide to spend the night in the jungle, then this morning you can bathe beneath a waterfall and trek deeper into Ganung Leuser National Park to see more wild-life. Then take a fun river tubing journey back to Bukit Lawang.

If you returned to Bukit Lawang yesterday, then today you can visit the local market. This market happens on Fridays in the town of Gotong Royong. Take a becak (bicycle rickshaw) to the market, then have fun shopping and people watching. The market is a great way to learn about the local way of life. See new fruits and vegetables, watch rubber being sold, and inspect the house-hold items on offer. If you are really brave, you can try durian which is nicknamed “Asian stinky fruit”.

(Breakfast included)



Daily Itinerary

Day Four – “You Decide Day.” Select from an assortment of activities.

This Flashpacker Tour gives you flexibility to pursue your interests with a “You Decide Day” that lets you focus on what inspires you. Go fishing and learn how to jungle fish. Take a guided tour through rice fields and rubber plantations. Do a trip north to spend the day with Sumatran elephants. Go on another trek – this time in search of the rafflesia flower one of the world’s largest flowers. The list of options is extensive and we can help you arrange the activity that interests you most (cost depends on choice).

Or keep it simple and just stroll through town. Bukit Lawang is filled with shops and little eateries. Plus on the weekends, it gets packed with day-trippers up from Medan. It is fun to watch the Indonesian families’ picnic river raft, and play in the water. The great thing about today is YOU DECIDE!

(Breakfast included)

Day Five – Relaxing morning. Bat cave & dinner at the orphanage.

After so much activity, it will be time for some R&R. So this morning relax and take it easy. Or if you are feeling energetic, make one more pilgrimage to the orangutan feeding platform. We will meet in the afternoon to go to the bat cave on the far side of town. A short walk from town, the cave is a cool respite from the Indonesian heat. Bring a flashlight to explore the cave that has bats and swallows nesting inside.

On the way back we will have dinner at an orphanage. This amazing place was started after the flood of 2003 that devastated this community. By eating and shopping here, we help these children and contribute to their future.

(Breakfast & Dinner included)



Daily Itinerary

Day Six – Travel to Samosir Island on Lake Toba.

This morning we leave the magical jungle town of Bukit Lawang and travel to Samosir Island on Lake Toba. Samosir is the fifth largest lake island in the world, while Lake Toba is the largest volcanic lake in the world. Both are majestic. Life here is peaceful and serene, although their history is different. This is Batak land – people with a fierce reputation as warriors that practiced cannibalism. They even ate early Christian missionaries before converting. Now the people are friendly and welcoming.

(Breakfast & Lunch included)

Day Seven – Batak museum & stone circle.

– Dinner of fresh lake fish.

Today we will explore the island’s Batak heritage - starting with a trip to a Batak museum. Here you can see ancient artifacts and inspect homes built in the distinct Batak architecture style. Next we will stop at a stone circle. Here there is more Batak information, including a talk on when cannibalism was used and how people were cooked. Salt, lime and chilies seem to be a part of the recipe.

Tonight we will have something a bit more appetizing then the ancient Bataks, as we go out for a meal of fresh lake fish. Several restaurants serve delicious grilled fish. If you prefer, a vegetarian dish can be arranged. Plus everyone can try other traditional Indonesian dishes and even local wine.

(Breakfast & Dinner included)



Daily Itinerary

Day Eight – Indonesian cooking course. Batak traditional dance.

Now that you have tried many Indonesian dishes, you will want to know how to prepare them. So today we will take a cooking class. This class is very hands on so be prepared to chop, fry, and even shred coconut. It may be hard work, but the reward is a fantastic lunch of all the dishes you made. After the big meal you can choose to take a nap, spend some time on-line, go for a long walk, or rent bikes and explore a bit of Samosir Island. Or perhaps you will want to go for a swim in Lake Toba. The water is surprisingly warm as it is thermal heated. In the evening we will take in a traditional Batak dance performance. Complete with folk songs and brightly dressed dancers. Then, we can explore the town of Tuktuk at night. If we are lucky, we will find an impromptu singing party going on. Join in with the locals, they will even hand you the guitar if you can play. (Breakfast & Lunch included)

Day Nine – “You Decide Day.” Rice Table feast. Today you get another opportunity to pursue what interests you with a “You Decide Day” here on Samosir. Focus on what inspires you whether that is going on a full day hike, taking a wood-carving course, do some souvenir shopping, or simply relax and take in the wonderful views that Samosir island provides. There are numerous options and we can help you arrange the activity that interests you most (cost depends on choice). YOU DECIDE! Tonight regroup to share your experiences and to enjoy a Rice Table feast. Began by the Dutch in Indonesia and called Rijsttafel in the Netherlands, a Rice Table is a meal of small side dishes. It allows everyone to explore a myriad of delicious foods with various flavors, textures, and colors. We will be served as many as twenty different sides which come, of course, with rice. (Breakfast & Dinner included)



Daily Itinerary

Day Ten – Return to Medan. Final group dinner.

Today we will take a ferry back to the mainland before continuing on to Medan. After spending nine days in jungle and island conditions, you will feel pampered as we check into a four-star hotel. Spend the afternoon relaxing by the pool or spoiling yourself with a spa treatment. After so much time in rural Sumatra, you deserve to indulge. Tonight we will take becaks (bicycle rickshaws) to our final group dinner. One more night of gado-gado, nasi goreng, and the other amazing dishes you have grown to love. (Breakfast & Dinner included)

Day Eleven – Farewell from Sumatra and the Flashpacker Tours’ Team.

Today this Flashpacker Tour ends as you leave Splendid Sumatra. You will long remember the delicious foods, beautiful sites, head-hunter stories and of course, the amazing wildlife you encountered while visiting this vibrant corner of the world! For guests that started in Medan, today you transfer to the airport for your international flight home. If you would like to add-on the Cultural Cambodia Flashpacker Tour, today you will fly to Phnom Pehn. For guests doing the Bangkok Pre-tour, this morning you get to see a bit of Medan, with a city tour. Then transfer to the airport for your return flight to Thailand. Remain at the airport if you have a Saturday late-night international flight home. Or spend a night at a comfortable hotel before returning to the airport for your Sunday flight home. (Breakfast included)

splendid sumatra flashpacker tour general itinerary · day one – travel to bukit lawang....

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