Land of Gold - Sumatra, Indonesia
Land of Gold - Sumatra, Indonesia
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia
and part of the Sunda Islands. It is the third largest island in Indonesia
(after Borneo and New Guinea) and the sixth largest island in the world.
Sumatra gets its name from a combination of
the Sanskrit words Swarnadwīpa, meaning “island of
gold” and Swarnabhūmi, meaning “land of
gold.” The name is due to gold deposits found on the island, but Sumatra has
much more to offer than just gold.
The island is currently home to over 50
million people, who make up 22% of Indonesia’s total population. Much like the
rest of Indonesia, Sumatra’s residents are a blend of many ethnic groups and
languages. There are over 50 languages spoken throughout the island by a
variety of ethnic groups, but many of the languages are closely related and the
majority of the group share similar traditions.
The huge island offers an abundance of
natural wealth and Sumatra is a rare delight for nature lovers. There are
jungles, volcanoes, and lakes to be explored and the rain forests and they were
declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and named The Tropical Rain-forest
Heritage of Sumatra.
Bukit Lawang
Bukit Lawang is part of the UNESCO World
Heritage Site in Indonesia, on the eastern side of Gunung Leuser National Park
which is one of the three National Parks in the UNESCO listing for Tropical Rain-forest
Heritage of Sumatra. Bukit Lawang means Gateway to the Hills.
Bukit Lawang is
famous for the Bohorok Rehabilitation Center now known as the Orangutan Center.
The Gunung Leuser National Park is home to Orangutan, Thomas Leaf monkeys,
Black Gibbons, White Handed Gibbons, the Sumatran Tiger, Sumatran elephants,
clouded leopards, marbled cat, crocodile, sun bear and the Sumatran Rhinoceros.
Bukit Lawang is 68 km from Medan.
Lake Toba
Lake Toba, also known as Danau Toba, is a
must-see if you’re in Sumatra. Lake Toba, the largest lake in South East Asia,
and the deepest in the world, was formed 75,000 years ago after an earth
splitting volcano eruption. It is the largest and deepest volcanic crater lake
in the world. It's 906 m above sea level with an average depth of 450m.
The
lake has an island in the middle called Samosir. You can get to Lake Toba from
Medan in around 3 - 4 hours. With a quiet and serene beauty, it is famous for
travelers as a place to just unwind and while the time away, especially after a
hardcore extended backpacking or trekking.
Tangkahan
Tangkahan is a small village on the border
of Gunung Leuser National Park located in North Sumatra. It is situated at the
junction of 2 rivers, the Buluh River and the Batang River. Tangkahan specialises
in eco-tourism activities like jungle trekking and Elephant trekking.
The
Elephant camp is a 15 - 20 minute walk up river from the visitors center in Tangkahan.
There are various options for experience trekking in the jungle on the back of
an elephant.
Just across from the Jungle Lodge is a
small cave with a hot spring pouring hot water into the river. There is a large
log tied up at the river bank which allows you to lay back and enjoy the
mixture of the hot spring waters and cold water flowing down the river.
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