Gunung Leuser National Park - part 1

Gunung Leuser National Park is located in the district Southeast Aceh, district Aceh Selatan, district Singkil Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and District Langkat, North Sumatra Province. The geographical locationis on  2 ° 50 '- 4 ° 10 ' N, 96 ° 35 '​​- 98 ° 30' E and located at an altitude of 0-3381 m above sea level.

Gunung Leuser National Park is a representative type of coastal forest ecosystems, and lowland tropical rain forests up to mountain range. Almost the entire area is covered by dipterocarp forest thick with several rivers and waterfalls. There are rare plants and typical that is a giant umbrella leaf (Johannesteijsmannia altifrons), Raflesia flower (Rafflesia atjehensis and R. micropylora) and Rhizanthes zippelnii which is the largest flower with a diameter of 1.5 meters. In addition, there is a unique plant, ara or plant strangler.

Rare and endangered species found in the national parks such as mawas / orangutan (Pongo abelii), ape (Hylobates syndactylus syndactylus), Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus), Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis sumatrensis), Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae), forest goat (Capricornis sumatraensis), hornbills (Buceros bicornis), sambar deer (Cervus unicolor), and jungle cat (Prionailurus bengalensis sumatrana). 


One place should be visited is Sumatran Orangutan conservation

Gunung Leuser National Park is one defined by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve. Based on the cooperation between Indonesia and Malaysia, also designated as a "Sister Park" with Taman Negara National Park in Malaysia.

How to reach the location? Medan-Kutacane is ± 240 km or 8 hours by car, Kutacane-Gurah / Ketambe is ± 35 km or 30 minutes by car, Medan-Bohorok / Bukit Lawang is ± 60 km or 1 hour by car, Medan-Sei Betung / Sekundur is ± 150 km or 2 hours by car, Medan-Tapaktuan is ± 260 km or 10 hours by car.

If you go to the Gunung Leuser National Park should be in June to October each year. And be sure to contact

            Office: Jl. Raya Blangkejeren No. 37 Km 3
            PO Box 16, Kutacane
            Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam
            Telp. (0629) 21358; Fax. (0629) 21016
            E-mail : tnglaceh@indosat.net.id

Part 2  Orangutan - Man's Cousin 

source: http://www.dephut.go.id/INFORMASI/TN%20INDO-ENGLISH/tn_leuser.htm