Sumatra Travel Info and tips

Gunung leuser National Park is the Main attraction. All the activities and jungle trek with all the flora and faunas are located in this national park. Gunug Leuser Natiopbal Park sit on 2 Provinces. The biggest part is in the ACEH province and the smaller part is in Northern Sumatra province. The whole national park share the same weather and climate also the flora and the faunas. Either one you would like to visit, the best way to get to these places are by taking a flight to Kuala Namu International Airport  KNO. From here you could organize the transport to Bukit Lawang, Ketambe or any other places

Kuala Namu International Airport – KNO is the Northern Sumatra International Airport and also the main entrance into Indonesia on western side. You will pass the immigration on your way out from the international arrival. Visa On Arrival – VOA can be arranged on this Immigration.  eVOA

Bukit lawang is very famous entrance into this National Park due to easy access from the airport and the distance is not too far. Its only about 135 km from the Kuala Namu International Airport KNO.

Accommodation

There are a lot of accommodation you could choose in Bukit lawang. Most accommodation are comfortable and very nice. Some of them have hot water some are don’t. There are few of them that are highly recommended to suit your budget. Most accommodation offer pick up service from the drop off point, since most of the accommodation bit far from the drop off area and can be access only by walking or scooter. The staff from the accommodation will also organized a scooter to transport your luggage to the accommodation.

 TIPPING

TIPPING is a very nice thing to do. Tipping is accepted and probably is the best way to appreciate the service you have received. 50.000 to 100.000 IDR is a decent amount to tip a person only if you are happy about the service. Although there is a specific rules about it.

MOBILE PHONE & SIM CARD

SIM CARD : To use your mobile phone with indonesia SIM card, you need to register your phone IMEI number at the Custom – BEA & CUKAI on your arrival. alternatively there are Phone/ cellular  Shop outside of the Airport terminal on your way to the Train Station. They could register your phone IMEI number and get the TOURIST SIM card at the same time. This will give you 90 days activation.

Telkomsel GRAPARI is another place in the city area you could register your phone IMEI number. Telkomsel GRAPARI is a technical office support for telkomsel business user. They are all over city. ask the driver to take you to one of them if you are going with private transport

VISA INFORMATION & ENTRY REGULATION

VISA ON ARRIVAL: Getting visa on arrival is possible in Kuala Namu International Airport Immigration. VOA – Visa On Arrival for 30 days can be extended.  Check it her for more details : IMMIGRATION . It cost about 500.000 IDR

Indonesia’s tourist visa policy is as follows:

– We do not guarantee for the following informations as we are not an official visa agency and highly advice to check the newest regulations for your country.

– The validity of your passport should be 6 months from the date of arrival in Indonesia.

– Citizens of most countrys can get a tourist visa upon arrival in Indonesia which is vaild for 30 days and can be extented one time into 60 days. This VOA is not free anymore and costs 500.000 IDR

( the extension again 500.000 IDR; we advice to arrange the application to extend your visa at least 7 days prior the expiry date ! ). It is only for tourism purposes.

– Since november 2022, most nationalities can also apply for their visa in advance and online, its the eVOA, payable with credit card, and great to avoid long queues at airports; this option makes the visa application so much easier and faster!

  • There are two visitor visas available online ( 30 days eVOA for 500.000 IDR and once extendable for 500.000 IDR / 60days eVOA for 1.500.000 IDR, not extendable )
  • You can access the application through this website:  evisa.imigrasi.go.id.
  • Please check requirements and rules again before our travels to Indonesia as they can change daily
  • please also check the current airports to which you are allowed to arrive with eVOA by the government

– Citizens of countries not eligible for visa-on-arrival, must obtain a 60-day tourist visa, from an Indonesian embassy, prior to entering Indonesia. It costs 2 mio IDR. Certain countries, namely Israel, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Guinea, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan and Somalia, require special approval and a visa application takes several months. Otherwise the process normally only takes a two or three days.

-The 60-days tourist visa ( B 211 visa ) is the preferred option for those wanting to stay between 31 and 60-180 days in Indonesia. It costs about 2 mio IDR and can be extented twice for 60 days again ( 2 mio IDR again ) so in maximum you can stay 180 days.

– Those with family/ friends in Indonesia have the option of obtaining a social/ cultural visa. This is similar to the tourist visa, but it must be sponsored by an Indonesian-citizen friend or family member. If sponsored by an Indonesian spouse or parent, the social/ cultural visa can be converted within Indonesia to a KITAS, or temporary residence permit. The social/ cultural visa is extendable, one month at a time, up to four times (total stay of six months).

– The visa validity counts from the first day of arrival. Therefore, if you arrive in Indonesia on 12th July, for example, your visa will expire on 10th August. There is a daily overstay fee, for staying beyond the expiry of your visa. For short overstays this is a formality (albeit increasingly expensive), however it is best not to overstay. Beyond sixty days of overstay it is a criminal matter.

– You are not allowed to work on the tourist, social or cultural visas !

– The airport departure tax, formerly payable in cash, has now ( for tickets bought after 9th February 2015, or 25th February 2015 for Air Asia) been included in the cost of the ticket, so you no longer need cash when leaving the airport.

Visa Extensions

The normal 30 days-visa-on-arrival is extendable at an immigration office in Medan or in the area where you are staying  ( 500.000 IDR ). This requires three trips on separate days, one to make the application, another one to biometric photos and one to receive the passport.  Arrive at immigration before noon (on a week day, not a public holiday), and wearing smart clothes (no shorts, no flip-flops, cover shoulders).

A simpler approach is to fly from Medan to Penang and then back to Medan. This will cost around $60 return, and then obtain a new entry permit. If you are flying to another part of Indonesia, such as Bali, Sulawesi or Lombok, you can choose to fly from Medan to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore and then onwards to your destination within Indonesia. The cost of flying via Singapore/KL is potentially cheaper than going via Jakarta, and by leaving the country you can acquire a new free entry permit.

If you are staying more than 30 days it’s a good idea to apply in advance for a 60-day tourist or social /cultural visa. This can be obtained from your local Indonesian embassy (including embassies not in your home country), the cost is 2 mio IDR. Please apply when in advance of travel. The 60-day tourist visa may be extendable, but you will require a local Indonesian sponsor (e.g., a visa agent). A social/cultural visa, with pre-existing Indonesian sponsor, will be easier to extend.

Please also check out your countries websites of the embacies for exact and newest information and to be prepared.

HEALTH & SAFETY

Bukit Lawang is a quite safe for travelers,it is important to be careful at all times. Don’t leave your personal belongings unattended at the random places.Keep your personal items secured. If you have locker, secure the personal items that you don’t really use.

INSURANCE : There is no INSURANCE for any of this tours. Please arrange your personal travel insurance before you make the trip. There are small clinic and pharmacy at bukit lawang or nearby if needed. The major hospital are in the City.

MALARIA and DENGUE : There is never been a MALARIA case occurred here in Bukit lawang, still you need to be caution. Take a vaccination first before your visit to sumatra. Dengue fever is quite common in this area. It is not a requirement, some people got the vaccine for rabies, hepatitis, typhoid, tetanus, polio before their arrival.

HOT AND HUMID: The temperature here is hot and very humid. The terrains for the Jungle trekking area are very steep. It required a healthy and fit with a good stamina condition to do the jungle trek. Especially the longer jungle trek. Please make sure you are fit for it.

  • We recommend a comprehensive insurance with good medical cover in advance.
  • Please check with your doctor in advance your individual vaccination needed and medication
  • It is a good idea to bring a personal medical kit containing things such as painkillers, plasters, anti-diarrhoeal tablets etc.
  • Malaria Prophylaxis : basically you should use an insect repellent all day while staying in the jungle (Deet>40%) and wear long and bright sleeves/ trousers during sunset when the mosquitoes are at their most active. There are mosquitoes around Bukit Lawang but we have had no reports on malaria infection in recent years.
  • You need to be fit enough for strong exercise if you plan to do treks over a few days. We recommend a general health check with your doctor in advance. Please be informed that for our multiday-treks, an average fitness level is required as some parts can be exhausting and strenuous ( there are some steep hills to hike up and down and some slippery, muddy trails; plus the tropical climate and humidity ).
  • You should inform us about your personal health conditions like high blood pressure, allergies, operations, pregnancy and fear of special insects, heights or darkness in advance! Please note: To secure our guests some won’t be allowed by our team to do a jungle trek! We hope for your understanding!
  • With it being so hot and humid it is important to make sure you drink plenty of water.
  • You should always wear a high factor sun cream.
  • 9.SUMATRA FACTS
  • Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia. It is the largest island in entire Indonesia and the sixth largest island in the world.
  • North Sumatra is a province on the Sumatra island. Its capital is Medan. The province stretches across the island of Sumatra between the Indian Ocean and the Strait Malacca. It borders Aceh province on the northwest and Riau and West Sumatra provinces in the southeast.
  • The island includes more than 10 National Parks, including 3 which are listed as the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra World Heritage Site—Gunung Leuser National Park, Kerinci Seblat National Park and Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park.
  • The island is home to 201 mammal species and 580 bird species.
  • Sumatra has a huge range of plant and animal species but has lost almost 50% of its tropical rainforest in the last 35 years and many species are Critically Endangered such as Sumatran Tiger, Sumatran Rhino and Sumatran Orangutan.
  • The people represent many different ethnic groups, speaking 52 different languages. Most of these groups, however, share many similar traditions and the different tongues are closely related.
  • 87% of Sumatrans are thought to be Muslim with 10% Christian, 2% Buddhist and 1% Hindu.
  • Malay-speaking people dominate the eastern coast, while people in the southern and central interior speak languages related to Malay, such as the Lampung and Minangkabau people. The highland of northern Sumatra is inhabited by the Bataks, while the northernmost coast is dominated by Acehs. Ethnic Chinese minorities are also present in urban centers.
  • 1
    ndonesia has several traditions and customs and it is best if you know them beforehand. Some of them are:
  • 2
    Even though hand shaking is deemed appropriate between men and women, bear in mind that a number of Muslim women prefer to introduce themselves to men by nodding their head, smiling, and clasping their hands without any physical contact.
  • 3
    Traditionally, when you greet someone, both hands are used when shaking, without grasping.
  • 4
    Shoes must be taken off before entering a house or place of worship like mosques.
  • 5
    Usually drinks are offered to guests. It is polite to accept.
  • 6
    When eating, receiving or giving something, always use your right hand. Right index finger should not be used to point a place, items or people. Use the right hand thumb and fold the remaining fingers to be more polite.
  • 7
    Most Indonesian Muslims do not consume alcoholic drinks and pork. Hence, the tradition of proposing a toast to honor someone is not generally known.
  • 8
    If you visit someone’s house you may be asked if you have already eaten – “Sudah Makan?” The polite answer is Sudah (Already).
  • 9
    Indonesian people are very welcoming and friendly and tend to be very smiley. You will attend to be asked “where do you come from” and call you with “mister” even though you are woman
  • 10
    Women should wear clothes that cover them reasonably(shoulders and knees covered), especially in the Aceh province. It is advised to wear t-shit / short when swimming instead of bikinis.
  • Electricity: powercuts occur several times a week and a small torch is highly recommended for power cuts and for poorly lit areas, visiting caves for example, etc.
  • Internet access / WIFI : there are a few internet cafes; prices and speeds vary, and by now almost every guesthouse/ hotel offers FREE WIFI
  • Money/ATM: make sure in advance to arrive with enough cash. There are no ATM machines in Bukit Lawang and around but it is possible to change foreign money like Euro. There are plenty of cash points in Medan or Binjai where you can get money with credit cards or exchange foreign currencies into Indonesian Rupiah (IDR). The maximum amount you get from ATM machines is 2 Mio IDR, so you will have to make several transactions to get a higher amount. Due to frequent problems with ATM machines we recommend to take 2 -3 different credit cards with you.11km away from Bukit Lawang, in the village of Bohorok,there is one ATM. The ATM is owned by Bank Rakyat Indonesia and is on the Mastercard/ Cirrus network. Visa/PLUS cards will NOT work. If you have a Visa-family card, do not try to use it here. In this case you will need to take a longer journey possibly to Binjai, about 2 hours away. Note that the ATM in Bohorok is sometimes empty of money and there may be a day or two’s delay while it is reloaded.
  • Generally it’s safer to bring plenty of money to Bukit Lawang rather than try to get more!( its also possible to do a bigger transaction to our bank acount together with the requested deposit payment; just contact us in this case; especially if you travel in bigger groups or as a family, you might not want to bring so much cash money with you)
  • Money changer: there are a number of money changers who will change a variety of western and regional currencies to rupiah, rates are slightly lower than in Medan
  • Post Office: like the ATM, this is in bohorok village. Here you can maybe send a post card home, but don’t send anything of value. Western Union transfers can be received here. Open Monday-Saturday.
  • Mobile phone coverage: you can buy a tourist SIM card for your (unlocked) mobile phone on the Telkomsel network and enjoy cheap local calls as well as 3G mobile internet. Coverage locally is very good. If you stay longer than 30 days in the country, your electronic devices need to be registered within the indonesian customs ( IMEI registration ! )
  • Market: there is one local market on Friday, from morning till around 3pm, located 2km in Gotong Royong. Popular with tourists, a variety of fruits, vegetables, spices, fish and clothes are sold. Another similar market on Sundays in Bohorok (11km away).
  • Mosquito repellent, condoms, sanitary towels, toilet paper are available. Tampons are not available.
  • Medicines: there are several local pharmacies, but do not stock a complete selection. Medical care is basic. For emergencies visit ‘Rumah Sakit Elizabeth’ in Medan, the best local hospital.
  • Light clothes like T-shirts and shorts (daytime)
  • long and thin trousers and sleeved shirts in bright color (evening and night time because of the mosquitos), a sweater can be great for cooler nights in the jungle
  • change of clothes (if staying overnight)
  • 1 small waterproof/ water resistant bag, liner or  day backpack
  • water refill bottle
  • comfortable good walking shoes/ boots for jungle treks
  • flip flops or sandals during an overnight trek for the time you spend at the campsite
  • light and warm socks, long knee-high socks against leeches
  • raincoat/ waterproof jacket, plastic or waterproof bag for your personal belongings
  • hut, sunglasses, sun lotion, insect repellent, toilet paper
  • camera, mobile phone and cards
  • light sleeping bag, mosquito net and flashlight/ headlamp
  • swimming suit and travel towel
  • personal medical kit and recommended medicine like anti diarrhea medicine, dehydration salt, aspirin and antibiotic
  • Bring Enough cash. Everything need to be paid by Cash only. there are no ATMs in Bukit Lawang; but money changer are available.
  • water shoes as you will cross rivers during this trek during our multi day expeditions
  • big bottle of water for yourself to drink on the first day which can be refilled at the campsite later
  •  life straw or water filter, electrolytes or water purification tablets and some extra snacks like granola bars if you get stomach problems