Bukit Lawang is a small village situated 90 kilometers northwest of Medan, the capital city of North Sumatra, Indonesia.
Bukit Lawang is most famous for being a site to easily spot
semi-wild orangutans near convenient tourism facilities. Bukit Lawang is
situated at the eastern side of Gunung Leuser National Park.
In 1973 a Swiss organization set up an orangutan rehabilitation
center in Bukit Lawang. The purpose of the center was to rehabilitate
orangutans released from captivity. The rangers at the center teach the
orangutan all the necessary skills to survive in the wild. After an
intense period of quarantine, readjustment to the natural habitat and
reintegration in the (semi-)wild population, the orangutan is released
back into the jungle. All orangutans released are still monitored by the
rangers and they still provide them with supplementary food at the
feeding platform until they become fully self reliant. Out of this
project the Sumatra Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) was founded.
In the years after the arrival of the rehabilitation centre more
and more tourists found their way to Bukit Lawang and it became one of
the most popular destinations in Sumatra
A flash flood hit Bukit Lawang on 2 November 2003. Described by
witnesses as a tidal wave, the water was approximately 20 metres high,
as it came crashing down the hills, wiping out everything in its path.
The disaster, which was the result of illegal logging, destroyed
the local tourist resorts and had a devastating impact to the local
tourism industry. Around 400 houses, 3 mosques, 8 bridges, 280 kiosks
and food stalls, 35 inns and guest houses were destroyed by the flood,
and 239 people (5 of them tourists) were killed and around 1,400 locals
lost their homes.After eight months of rebuilding, Bukit Lawang was
re-opened again in July 2004.
For many villagers the trauma of losing family, friends and their
homes has taken a long time to come to terms with. The people were
facing unemployment and homelessness. It has been a long road to
recovery and an especially hard task to rebuild a town with only limited
financial assistance from the government. However the people in Bukit
Lawang are survivors and the new village is taking shape and more and
more businesses are opening again.
Especially the young generation is hoping to rebuild the village
in more sustainable way than before and they are very aware of the
importance of preservation of the fragile eco system they live in. They
can use all the support they can get and the income of tourism will help
them in realizing their ideas for a brighter future for Bukit Lawang.
So what are you waiting for, finish reading this page, pack your bags
and get on your way for your jungle adventure!
