Gunung Leuser National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia, 8/14/2024, National Geographic Orion
Aboard the
National Geographic Orion
Indonesia & Papua New Guinea
Deep in the heart of Northern Sumatra live the “people of the forest”, the Sumatran orangutan, whose name is derived from the local words orang (people) and hutan (forest). We had the rare treat of seeing these animals in the wild in Gunung Leuser National Park in Sumatra Indonesia, along with many other forest inhabitants.
Brett is a photographer, marine biologist, and educator from California. He is happiest underwater with camera in hand working to inspire marine conservation. He has worked and traveled extensively throughout the Americas, Asia, Oceania, and the Midd...
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Ipoh Malaysia. Wow, what a place to visit! Guests of National Geographic Orion were given the opportunity to visit this city that very few people have the chance to visit. During our one-hour bus ride through the countryside of Perak, we passed palm forests, rice paddies, and the natural beauty which encompassed monkeys and birds. Then we reached our destination, the temple of Kek Look Tong, meaning Great Happiness. It is a limestone cave temple that has been used as a place of worship since the 1920’s, and it felt like it, as we were greeted by a stone statue of Confucius and many other honored monks that graced the grounds. Later, a visit to the city of Ipoh was appreciated by our guests as they had the time to roam freely and adventure.
Today we awoke in the forest of Gunung Leuser National Park, in the northern hills of Sumatra. After a hearty and spicy Indonesian breakfast, we began our walk into the forest. We started early to avoid the bite of the midday sun. Guests also had the option to visit the nearby town for cultural insight of the local community. For those who opted for the forest walk, our efforts were instantly rewarded with a rare sighting of an elusive pit viper. As we ascended the hill, we also came across an impressive lizard our guides identified as the giant forest lizard. Before long we had stumbled across another group of orangutans and leafy langurs. These encounters were incredibly close and offered some fantastic opportunities for photography. The keen-eyed birders of the group were treated to a broadbill sighting, although most heard its distinctive call. On our walk home, some guests caught a glimpse of white-faced gibbons across the valley. All in all, it was another great day exploring Indonesia and the restful bus trip home was well received.
This morning, we began our expeditions to the remote community of Bukit Lawang to visit the Gunung Leuser National Park. We docked at Belawan port where we were greeted with an energetic dance performance. We took a bus to the northern hills, and once we arrived, we enjoyed a traditional Indonesian lunch before making our way into the forest. The walk was challenging at times but well worth it when we saw our first great apes. These orangutans were large and relatively close. In total we saw six individuals including males, females, and youngsters. The rain during our return didn’t dampen any spirits and once back, we enjoyed a swim in the river and another fantastic dinner before retiring in preparation for tomorrow’s adventure.
