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We offer holidays to the four corners of the globe. If you want specialist advise please phone our travel team and we will be happy to help.
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- Destinations
- Asia
- Indonesia
- Sumatra
- Bukit Lawang
Bukit Lawang
The little village of Bukit Lawang is situated on the eastern
banks of the pretty Bahorok River facing one of the grandest forest
areas in South East Asia, the Mount Leuser National Park. With its
restful and pleasant setting, it was once one of the most popular
tourist destinations in Northern Sumatra, the town existing
primarily to cater to the tourist trade, with guides, restaurants
and a variety of delightful guesthouses strung along the river.
Since November 2003, however, Bukit Lawang has struggled to recover
from the massive flash flood that wiped out most of its
infrastructure, taking a huge dip in tourism that once formed the
backbone of its economy. The charm is still there though, and its
major attraction, the Orang-Utan Rehabilitation Centre across the
river welcomes visitors more enthusiastically than ever. The
Rehabilitation Centre was set up to help orphaned orang-utans that
had been displaced because of land clearing or rescued from
captivity, and teaching them the necessary skills to be able to
survive in the wild. Visitors have an opportunity to view the apes
twice daily when they come swinging through the trees to collect
the bananas and milk left on feeding platforms in the forest,
providing visitors with one of the more memorable experiences in
Indonesia. Jungle trekking and tubing down the river are other
popular activities.
Information & Facts
Language
Bahasa Indonesia is the official language, but many
dialects are spoken. English is widely understood in Jakarta and
tourist resorts.
Money
Rupiah (IDR) is the official currency and is divided into 100
sen. Foreign currency can easily be exchanged at banks, hotels and
money changers in major tourist destinations; US dollars is the
most accepted currency. Cash often yields a better exchange rate
than travellers cheques, which are not always accepted. It is
recommended that travellers cheques also be in US dollars. Most
major credit cards are accepted at hotels, restaurants and stores
catering to the tourist trade. ATMs are available in main centres.
Small change is often unavailable so keep small denomination notes
and coins for items like bus fares, temple donations and cool
drinks.
Time
Indonesia spans three time zones. GMT +7 (West, including
Java and Sumatra), GMT +8 (Central, including Bali, Sulawesi and
Lombok), GMT +9 (East, including Irian Jaya).