ETHICAL TREKKING PIONEER IN BUKIT LAWANG
WHYchoosing us!
eco-conscious
At Sumatra Orangutan Explore we aim to have a low impact on the rainforest and its amazing wildlife and a great positive impact on the local community of Bukit Lawang but also of less-known and more remote areas. Iman the owner of Sumatra Orangutan Explore, who deeply cares about the jungle, it’s biodiversity and the people, is the backbone of our eco-conscious tourism movement.
Knowledgeable & certified guides
We employ only certified guides by the ITGA-HPI association who are passionate about the jungle, who care about the rainforest and who are committed to protect its flora and it’s fauna. Iman the owner and most of our guides got their knowledge from a biologist while they were working in another famous sustainable and eco-friendly guesthouse in Bukit Lawang. All our guides have been trained by the ITGA-HPI Indonesian Guide Association and often follow complementary trainings organised by the association.
We are committed to provide ethical and sustainable treks and tours which preserves the jungle, keep it clean and protect it’s unique ecosystem. All our staff respect the jungle guidelines of the TNGL (no touching, no feeding, no getting close) and our own ethical rules. We are the reference as regards ethical trekking since our creation in 2018, google it, check travel blogs and our TripAdvisor reviews if you’re not convinced yet! We are glad to have enhanced the movement in Bukit Lawang and to have inspired some new trekking agencies to trek in an ethical way as well!
Off-the-beaten-paths
In order to limit the negative impact of mass-tourism, our guides will take off the beaten paths ways during your jungle trek to avoid as much as possible other groups and to limit our impact. We also provide off the beaten paths day or overnight tours to explore remote and less famous spots in North Sumatra.
donations
Around 15% of our benefits are donated to different causes for each trek/tour booked with us: children education, rainforest conservation & orangutans protection, women empowerment (local seamstresses & organic soaps producers).
community-based tourism
Through our treks and tours we support many traditional activities and local people from the community of Bukit Lawang but also more remote areas. Our aim is to enable less-known places to benefit from the positive impact of tourism by organizing day or overnight exploring tours there.
97% plastic-free
Our goal is to provide plastic-free treks as the plastic pollution is a tough issue in Indonesia. Thus we removed almost all the plastic-related stuff during our treks: lunch is served is banana leaf plates and so does the tropical fruits (those leaves are ordered in the village), dinner and breakfast are served in steel plates at the campsites, our guides have tissue bags instead of plastic bags to shop and bring food during the trek, we give you some organic soaps, water refill...
less-waste trekking
Our guides will take all the trash food leftovers back with them at the guesthouse in order to leave nothing in the jungle. They will even pick up the trashed left by other trekking companies and you’re encouraged to help them! Our guides will bring a homemade caps belt to be able to collet all the plastic bottles left in the jungle or in the surroundings of Bukit Lawang.
recycling policy
All the leftovers and waste are brought back to our guesthouse by our guides at the end of the trek and then recycled! We also have some recycling trash cans at our guesthouse so that even you can take part in our recycling effort.
FAIR PAY POLICY
By respecting the price set up by the ITGA-HPI we guarantee that all the staff involved get a good salary. During our tours we make sure that all the local people and partners involved get a good revenue level. Every new guides will have a training period with to check if they are compliant with our core values and mission. We also hire young recrues from the village as assistant guides in order to teach them the good trekking practices and transform them into respectful and ethical guides. Once ready we pay for their certification to become guides.
TRAINING policy
Every new guides will have a training period with to check if they are compliant with our core values and mission. We also hire young recrues from the village as assistant guides in order to teach them the good trekking practices and transform them into respectful and ethical guides. Once ready we pay for their certification to become guides.
TRANSPARENCY
Transparency is one of our core value. Thus we will always provide you with the TNGL and HPI entrance permits that we buy for each person at the beginning of the trek! When you're trekking it is really important that your guides take these permits to protect the endangered Sumatran rainforest. Some guides in Bukit Lawang don't buy them to offer you a cheapest price but at what price? The sacrifice of the jungle conservation and the orangutans protection. Choose your camp!
DELICIOUS LOCAL FOOD FOR ALL DIETS
Wether you are in the jungle or at our guesthouse you can be sure that we fill your belly with delightful dishes made with love by our cookers with locally sourced products. Vegan or vegetarian? No worries our menu is full of surprises and our talented cookers will adapt all your meals during the trek!
BEST LOCATION IN BUKIT LAWANG
Our guesthouse is located at the most stunning part of Bukit Lawang amongst the last guesthouses before the jungle. This splendid location offers an incredible view on the pristine rainforest and on the crystal clear river. Our green tropical garden at the riverside offers the perfect spot to relax before and after the trek while reading or taking a sun-bath. The rocky and sandy beach in front of the guesthouse is ideal to take a refreshing swim in the river during hot days or to spot wildlife in the jungle just ahead!
TROPICAL GATEWAY FOR ALL BUDGETS
As a perfect mix between comfort and budget, our place offers a small selection of rooms according to the wishes of everyone. Plus if you book an ethical trek with us we will give you a special price for all the rooms of our guesthouse. Our comfy rooms are fully furnished and offer a balcony with an amazing view to guarantee you a pleasant relaxing stay!
You can also get a special price on all the rooms of our guesthouse you if book an ethical trek with us.