After breakfast, your guide will pick you up at your guesthouse around 9:00 am and take you to your car.

Your driver will take you to Tangkahan in 2.5 hours through our bumpy and unsurfaced jungle roads. On the way you will witness the destruction our wonderful rainforest through the  endless landscapes of palm oil plantations with the Gunung Leuser National Park in the background. A sad and unforgettable scenery!  

Tangkahan is a small village on the border of Gunung Leuser National Park in North Sumatra. It is situated at the junction of 2 rivers, the Buluh River and the Batang River. Tangkahan is a good example on how community based eco-tourism can stop illegal logging, improve livelihood of local people. The CRU/LPT Tangkahan. Lembaga Pariwisata Tangkahan (LPT) is a local organization formed with the purpose to develop eco-tourism as a new form of livelihood and in this way prevent illegal logging. As regards the CRU (Conservation Response Unit), it is a team of Sumatran Elephants saved from illegal poaching and their mahouts that helps safeguard the national park to protect it from encroachment.

As elephant activity is under worldwide criticism we have decided to not promote the elephant washing activity organized by the CRU anymore as we are not sure about how the elephants are treated/trained and as the organization is still offering a riding activity. If you want to visit the CRU and it's elephants we recommend you to do some research before and to consider the "Walk with the Elephants activity", a trek through the jungle where you walk BESIDE them. 

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You will start your discovery by crossing the Buluh River through a huge wooden bridge and discover the natural and unspoilt environment of Tangkahan. Then you'll walk for roughly 1 hour through the jungle to reach the incredible waterfall of Tangkahan! You'll swim and take a revitalizing shower under the waterfall. You'll tube back along the river before lunch. Then you'll enjoy either your traditional lunch at a nice local restaurant in Tangkahan or a freshly cooked lunch at the riverbank! During the afternoon you'll chill out at the Buluh River. Perfect occasion to take a refreshing swim in the river and to enjoy at the hot springs. 

End of the afternoon your guide will take you to your accommodation located at the river bank and overlooking the green lush jungle. You will have time to relax at your balcony, enjoy a refreshing drink at the panoramic view restaurant or take a walk along the river! 

Choose one of the delicious homemade meals from the restaurant for dinner before enjoying a good night of sleep with the sounds of the jungle!

Wake up with the Gibbons singing the next morning. After a yummy breakfast at the panoramic restaurant of your accommodation overlooking the lush jungle, you will start a second day of discovery! 

This second day will be a free one! You spend this day on your own and you will have time to do whatever you want : relax at the guesthouse, discover rural villages, go for a walk, swim in the river... You will spend a chilling day there.

Let us know the day before at what time you'd like to be picked up. You will meet your driver at your accommodation and he will take you back to Bukit Lawang. It will take 2 to 3 hours to go back to Bukit Lawang.

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If you'd rather go back to Medan directly please let us know and we will tell you our rate.