This was a truly exhilarating experience. Don't kid yourself - you will need a medium to high level... read more
Hi,
My partner and I did this trek in May this year. It was amazing but hard work! To answer your questions:
You don't need much money while in Bukit Lawang as food is very cheap (very similar to most Asian countries). The... More
Hi,
My partner and I did this trek in May this year. It was amazing but hard work! To answer your questions:
You don't need much money while in Bukit Lawang as food is very cheap (very similar to most Asian countries). The most we spent was for a porter for the 6 days of the trek which was still under $100 AUD. You can get a good meal for less than $5 and beer is only a couple of dollars. If you have your accommodation pre-booked then there isn't much else you will need. There are money changers in Bukit Lawang but the changeover can be a bit high.
Make sure you have breathable lightweight clothes for the trek, a day set and a comfortable set for night. I took far too much with me and ended up wearing the same day clothes the entire trek. Yes, I stunk but then so did the entire group. You end up bathing fully clothes in the river at the end of the day so they get a little bit of a freshen up and nothing ever dries due to the high humidity. Take good quality walking boots and then another pair of lightweight water shoes (not thongs) for riverwalking.
Deet based insect spray
Head torch
A pillow (the ground gets very uncomfortable after 6 nights).
You can probably organise transport from your hotel to the airport however if you are going straight to the airport from Bukit Lawang then check with the driver as they may drop your there. Be warned, the trip from Medan to Bukit Lawang is long!!
Hope this helps. Enjoy the trek. It really was amazing!
Kerry