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In this Indonesian jungle , the sun is obscured . It pokes out between layers of colossal leaves on towering trees . It flickers as the branches move , weighed down by the arms of the “ jungle men ” — orangutans — which are ambling across the forest sky and moving easily between the boughs . They ’ re safe in this rare protected region of the Sumatran forest . I start my journey into the forest on the road from Sumatra ’ s biggest city , Medan . In provincial traffic on the route north , a young child rattles around on the back of a cow cart in front of me . She stares at us with little interest , focusing instead on the lychees she ’ s gorging on . Juice sticks to her grinning cheeks as her cart bounces along the semi-paved road . One of the few other travelers winding along the green walls of the rainforest , she ’ s clearly used to both foreign strangers and cattle carts . Just up ahead is one of the island ’ s most visited regions — the gateway to the jungle trails .
Bukit Lawang is northern Sumatra ’ s popular jungle access point . It ’ s a small town , unassuming and better prepared for tourists than some of its island neighbors .
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While Sumatra is one of the largest islands on Earth , it ’ s relatively sparsely populated . The roads up to Bukit Lawang from the Medan are good ; well maintained to support the supply routes for the palm oil that ’ s currently ravaging the country ’ s rainforests . On the ride up we see the barren stretches of burned land , the spoiled earth . It ’ s a stark contrast , then , upon reaching the rainforest ’ s green density and watching the monkeys leap from the tops of the trees to the roof of my eco-lodge cabin .
I spend three days in total walking in the jungles of northern Sumatra . With its easy trails and the constant accompaniment of a guide , the route is straightforward . South of Bukit Lawang , it ’ s possible to make treks that last four or five days ; arduous but very rewarding . Here , my guide swears it ’ s possible to find small jungle elephants and one of the most critically endangered species on Earth : the Sumatran tiger . But if you want to meet the orangutans and experience the rainforest , your focus should be the trails leading from Bukit Lawang .
Early in the morning , mist hangs below the forest ’ s green boughs . Its inhabitants
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Previous pages : Sumatran orangutan climbing a tree in Gunung Leuser National Park , northern Sumatra
Clockwise from top : Palm oil deforestation on the edge of the rainforest ; Sumatran tiger ; treading a jungle path
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images : getty |
24 • pos t c a rds |