As the earth’s population and world travel grow, some favored eco-travel locales struggle to protect the natural environment. The Gunung Leuser National Park remains a place to experience a stay in an untouched jungle.-By PAMELA GRANT

The Gunung Leuser National Park is one of those spots that is increasingly rare to find. The UNESCO-listed natural laboratory on the island of Sumatra has been conserved to protect some of the most endangered species in the world. Though many are elusive, you can expect to see orangutans in their natural habitat, along with gloriously colored birds and luscious forests. As if more is needed to attract the eco-traveler, this jungle still offers opportunities to hike and stay in areas not trampled and worn by visitors like so many other places. You can experience a true wilderness that also provides essential resources to the surrounding population.

An Abundance of Glorious Nature

The Gunung Leuser National Park is located in the Leuser Ecosystem World Heritage Site in north Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. The entire ecosystem is six million acres, three times the size of Yellowstone National Park. The ecosystem provides more than four million Sumatrans with agricultural livelihoods and clean drinking water, so conservationists are protecting flora, fauna, and people.

Sumatra is the second-largest island of the Greater Sunda Islands, the sixth-largest island in the world, and the largest island entirely in Indonesia, but this dry geographical explanation does not do the Gunung Leuser National Park justice. The park is the only place on earth where elephants, rhinos, tigers, and orangutans live together. Eco-tourism websites are always careful to explain that, except for the orangutans, trekkers are unlikely to see the other animals. Not surprising since the park is approximately 3,000 square miles, and these particular animals prefer to stay deep in the forest, away from people. Your best chance of seeing the different wildlife is to employ a guide and take a multi-day-long hike into the rainforest to spend the night. However, not to worry! There is plenty more to see beyond those mammals.

Observing the endangered Sumatran orangutans and other monkeys such as gibbons and Thomas’s langurs (leaf monkeys) in the wild is thrilling enough, even if you do not come across other famed jungle animals. However, this is a luscious rainforest, and you will also see a wide variety of birds, smaller mammals, and reptiles. There are hornbills, macaques, Roll’s partridges, Sumatran Laughingthrushes, Salvadori’s pheasant, and Rueck’s Blue-Flycatcher. At last count, there are 380 types of identified birds. Other mammals include the Sambar deer and Mainland Serow, a goat-like animal. You can also spot some of the 190 amphibians and reptiles, plus the gorgeous and colorful butterflies that are the envy of zookeepers managing butterfly exhibits.

Orangutans, Rafflesia, and Bats…Oh My!

Trekking through the rainforest is an exciting adventure because of the anticipation of seeing the wildlife, but the natural forest surroundings are just as spectacular. The park is usually described as having two sides. Tourists visit the Bukit Lawang side in the Sumatra province more often than the Ketambe Village side. The side of the park on the Aceh province side near the Ketambe Village hosts fewer visitors, so the paths are not worn, and visitors experience a more authentic rainforest escape. There are 10,000 plant species in the park, including the Rafflesia (aka the ‘corpse flower’), the world’s largest flower. You cannot miss this flower when blooming, because it has the scent of rotting meat and can grow up to three feet across. Either way, you want to book a guide who can help you learn to listen and spot the wildlife. The primates are masters of camouflage and sit high in the trees, so unknowledgeable eco-visitors can walk underneath a forest canopy alive with orangutans and gibbons and not even know it.

For a new adventure, you could go rafting in the Sumatra Gunung Leuser National Park, passing by villages that add a cultural touch to the trip. However, white water rafting down a river such as the Wampu is not for the faint of heart. There are immense elevation drops, serious rapids, and many river beds to maneuver around. If rafting is off your agenda, you can swim in the Landak or Bohorok Rivers or visit the famous Bat Cave if you dare.

Of course, if you prefer to avoid all things “bat,” you could spend the time visiting with the friendly locals in Bukit Lawang while your family or friends visit the Bat Cave. The village is on the bank of the Bohorok River, where you can access the forest on the eastern side of Leuser. There are ecotravel cottages, hotels, guest houses and bungalows that employ local villagers and serve locally sourced food. If you choose to visit the other side of the park, Katembe Village is your starting point. This village is in the Aceh province and is very small and remote, yet a good place to visit to arrange overnight camping tours. The guesthouses literally have the jungle for a backyard, and owners will help you organize a jungle trek with a guide.

A Word on Protecting These Special Places

Though Sumatra Gunung Leuser National Park is vigorously protected, the Leuser Ecosystem is threatened by deforestation and the commercial production of rubber and palm oil. According to the Global Conservation Organization, the Leuser has lost one-fifth of its lowland forest to illegal commercial activities in the past five years. Conservationists are working to end illegal plantations and logging operations and the encroachment of roads and development. There has been some progress, and global awareness is crucial to saving this precious ecosystem and its endangered inhabitants such as the Sumatran Rhino, Sunda Clouded Leopard, and the Sunda Pangolin.* Adding the Sumatra Gunung Leuser National Park to your eco-travel list of destinations enables both a chance to visit the pristine rainforest and support conservation efforts.

Sumatra may not be the first place that comes to mind when planning a trip that leaves a small environmental footprint, but perhaps it should be. The Sumatra Gunung Leuser National Park is beautifully exotic, and stays are affordable. It is an opportunity to make your contribution to Mother Earth meaningful while having fun.