Sumatra Orangutan Discovery Villa

Ellie helped us to organise a trip in Sumatra from getting picked up at the airport to being dropped off, including activities such as jungle tour, elephant washing, lake toba, etc. Not only was she very professional during the organisation but she was also available all along in case something happened! Upon arrival at the discovery villa, we were greeted by Tyson and a delicious watermelon juice, while he walked us through the planning of the next couple days. Every guide we had was very knowledgeable ( Dany walked us through the jungle, he stopped often to show us some plants and of course the various monkeys/ orangutans) and always seemed very happy! The food was very diverse and delicious, especially the juices😋 The whole trip felt like pure holidays, we did something everyday but never felt rushed or stressed as the guides were usually flexible! Everything was absolutely amazing, we would definitely recommend staying there and take contact if there is any special requests, they are always happy to help their hosts!! We will hopefully be back one day!

We had a fantastic time with Sumatra Orangutan Discovery. The accommodation was lovely, comfortable room and nice garden to look out on. The food was excellent and lots of options for vegetarians. Our tour was fantastic (Nurdin, our guide, and Dedek), helped us to see about 6 orangutans and guided us safely through the jungle despite the heavy rain. The whole team were really welcoming and we felt like we had joined the family.

Cold showers (but all part of visiting the jungle!)

This accomodation is nestled along the quieter off-road of Bukit Lawang, and is beautiful and tranquil. The owners, Ellie and Tyson are quick to respond to enquiries and are always there to assist where needed. All our tours were arranged by them, as were our massages and our meals. Everything here is quite lo-fi - there are no heaters or hairdryers in the shower, no air-con in the room (an electric fan and nets to keep insects away are provided), and at the end of the stay Tyson runs through the bill with you personally (the rates are set by the Guiding Association so you can be assured). Everyone in Bukit Lawang is warm, gentle, and eager to show you their town and the forest that is home to semi-wild Orang Utans, no one is touting / trying to make a quick buck off you, and that has been so refreshing. If you prefer to have your meals elsewhere / would like to get to the nearest convenience store, it's a lovely 20-minute walk away.

Like I mentioned the accomodation is quite lo-fi, but for the price it's really hard to beat, and we were out trekking most of the time anyway. The meals do take a while to be served because it's likely being done by a small team. We opted for a full-day jungle trekking (excellently guided by Yazid), village tour (our guide was young and eager, but wasn't the most equipped with sharing about the beautiful village), and had two massages (first one was good, second one had another masseuse that was not great).

The staff were super helpful and friendly! I needed help with booking some things and the owners were great before I arrived and after. The room was clean and comfortable, I would have stayed longer if they weren’t already fully booked

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- Breakfast portions are big - Staff is very nice - 2 day Jungle Treck recommended

- no aircon - slow Wifi

Beautiful gardens. Facilities were clean. Staff very friendly

We had the best time at Sumatra Orangutan Discovery Villa. It's located a little bit out of town which makes it more peaceful and jungly which suited us very well. The welcome is warm and all the staff are very friendly. The room that we stayed in was large, light and clean. We did the two day, one night trek with Nurdin and Hapiz. They were both incredibly knowledgeable and made the trek fun whilst taking every care to ensure we were safe. At one point I slipped and, quick as a flash, Nurdin caught me with one hand. (Note - good idea to wear shoes with good grip on the soles when wet). We had lots of time to take photos and observe these wonderful animals, something I will never forget. The ride back to town was fun fun fun too.

Wasn't easy to find based on the map on Booking.com as it's down a track but we found it eventually. There is no parking on site but we parked in a nearby field.

Thanks for the warm welcoming and great hospitality! The whole team is there to make sure you have a wonderful time and the accommodation is just beautiful & perfect.

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