image : getty . MAP ILLUSTRATION : JOHN PLUMER |
establishing his dominance , warding off the intruders to his forest . We back away , circling the clearing slowly , avoiding eye contact . It ’ s hard not to pause to marvel at how close we are to this giant , but it ’ s important to remember that we are strangers in his home . The encounter serves as a stark reminder of the jungle ’ s wild unpredictability , even in a protected and much visited national park .
We avoid the large male for the rest of the hike , though we receive ongoing updates via our guide ’ s walkie-talkie about where he ’ s prowling the forest floor . Shortly afterward , we come across a younger male , an adolescent . He ’ s only recently been separated from his mother . In the wild , orangutans stay alongside their mothers until they ’ re seven or eight years old , with females even returning to visit their mothers well into their later years . This one is staying away from any trouble , high in the trees . It would have been tough to spot him if he hadn ’ t been hanging so nonchalantly , dangling from one hand and one foot , while swinging through the thick , humid air . The humidity is perhaps the most challenging aspect of this hike . The trail itself continues without any incline , with no risk of slipping through the mud . While I ’ m
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watching the young male , my guide is joined by a friend who ’ s leading an American wildlife enthusiast . The traveler has spent decades searching the world ’ s jungles , and entertains me with stories of gorillas and chimps in the Congo as we watch the young male swing casually along the treetops . Every person I meet while walking these trails is enthusiastic about the wildlife and conscious of its conservation . Although not yet as popular as many of the other wildlife experiences in Southeast Asia , Sumatra offers travelers the opportunity to meet likeminded and inquisitive visitors along the way . It ’ s also ideal for those of us trying to minimize our impact on the destinations we visit . The income from tourism in the region helps to motivate the preservation of this essential natural habitat .
As the sun sets on my first hike , we sit and watch the flecks of sky turn orange , then fade to pink . The last orangutan we spot is nestled in the crisscrossing boughs of a high , hanging tree . My guide says that she ’ s female , the first childless female we ’ ve found . She sits peaceably , glowing orange in the fading sun , looking us in the eye , unperturbed and unafraid . We are merely observers on the forest floor , lucky enough to have entered her domain .
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ESSENTIALS
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When to go : The best time to visit Sumatra is between April and October , when you ’ ll avoid the monsoon season ( November to March ) and the potential flooding that comes with it . Roads sometimes become inaccessible during monsoon season . Currency : Indonesian Rupiah .
$ 1 = 15,000 IDR Language : Although Indonesian is the
main language in Sumatra , Englishspeaking guides are easy to find . English is also widely spoken in the hotels and restaurants in Bukit Lawang . Getting around : To enter the jungle ,
you ’ ll need to travel with an official guide . You ’ ll have no trouble finding a guide once you get to Bukit Lawang , and they are also easy to organize via your hotel with minimal advance notice .
BOOK IT NOW
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Experience Southeast Asia with an extended journey on Cunard ’ s Queen Mary 2 , departing February 2 , 2023 . Mountainous Indonesia , Thailand ’ s palm-fringed beaches , Malaysia ’ s fiery curries and the historic Vietnamese city of Hue await discovery on this 38-night voyage that offers overnight calls in Hong Kong and Singapore .
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To book your trip to Indonesia , contact your travel advisor .
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SUMMER 2022 • 31 |