In the morning you will visit the most important highlights of the port city of Medan: the Maimum Palace built-in 1888 in Malayan and Middle-East style and belonging the sultan of Deli, then visit Mesjid Raya mosque and the Chinese temple “Vihara Gunung Timur”. Then it goes on a four-hour drive through the beautiful nature of North Sumatra towards Tangkahan in the Gunung Leuser National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Tangkahan was previously known for illegal logging and hunting. Park rangers have been patrolling this area with elephants since 2001 to protect the jungle, which you will explore on a two-hour hike after your arrival.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-range: Linnea cottage

After breakfast, you can wash and bathe the elephants of the park rangers together with the mahout (elephant handler) in the nearby river. Afterwards, a jeep takes about 3 hours towards Bukit Lawang, on the other side of the national park, which is known for its orangutan rehabilitation programs. After arriving in Bukit Lawang, you can spend the afternoon relaxing in your lodge or walking around the small town of Bukit Lawang

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-range: Ecolodge Bukit Lawang Cottages

After breakfast, jungle trek about 3 hours into the Gunung Leuser National Park searching for orangutans and other Sumatra wildlife. The trek is not always flat but involves some hikes up and down. A bit hard, but in return, you get a charming experience. You have big chances to see gibbons, Thomas leaf monkeys, longtail and pigtail macaques, flying squirrels, Sumatra peacocks and hornbills. Wild and semi-wild orangutans might cross your way. Your guide will explain to you many things about the rainforest, and he will show you many different kinds of plants and flowers. Jungle trek ends by the riverside from where you start your tubing experience. You will float down the river on car tubes for about 25 minutes. It is a fun rafting and a relaxing way to enjoy the scenery. The rest of day is free to relax.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-range: SUMATRA ecolodge

Leave Bukit Lawang for Berastagi (1300m), a relaxed and picturesque hill town flanked by two active volcanoes Sinabung (2417m) and Sibayak (2172m). It is the homeland of the Batak Karo, one of the six Batak tribes that inhabit the province of North Sumatra. En-route stop at Church Mary Annai Velangkanni illustrating Indo-Mogul architecture brought from Tamil Nadu, India. Also stop at Lumbini Park to see a Buddhist temple, a replica of Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar. Before arriving at the hotel, visit the local fruit market.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-range: Grand Mutiara Hotel Berastagi

This 2172 meter tall volcano is close to the hill town Berastagi. It is one of the easily accessible top volcanoes in Indonesia, can be explored by anyone in reasonably good shape. There are two different routes to volcano’s crater; from Jaranguda just 3 km from town Berastagi and from Semangat Gunung, also known as Raja Berneh where there are human-made pool hot springs. Whichever route you take, the earlier you start, the bemer, not least because the views are their best just after sunrise. In this tour, we take the first route; pick-up from your hotel and transfer just half an hour to the starting point. Then, an hour hike up to the top. The first part of the walk is over a broad and steeply road surrounded by green forest. You sometimes hear the calling of the black siamang & gibbon. After a short while, you walk through a narrow path surrounded by mountain vegetation. The last path, you walk between rocks. Then you arrive at the crater where you can see thermal activity. The view is fantastic! Witness the neighboring volcano Sinabung which actively erupts. End of climbing, visit human-made pool hot springs and take a soak to sore your muscles, or go straight to Medan for overnight. Before arriving at the hotel, tour around the city visiting the grand mosque Almashum built in the same period of the Maimun Palace.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-range: Aryaduta Medan

Enjoy last breakfast at the island. Today you’ll be met and transferred back to the airport for your flight home.

Meals: Breakfast