I havn't heard of any elephant trekking but I didn't go to Tangkahan so I think you would just have to go there to find out. My guides name was Muhadir and I always forgot the name of his assistant/porter but we could call him 'winner'! 'Winners' uncle, Anthony a big grumpy looking Indonesian guy with lots of tattoos is kind of like their boss and they hang out at the tourist info/booking center on the river right next to the dodgier of the 2 bridges. Pretty much everyone in town is a guide so it depends on what you want. If you want a lot of fun and non professionalism go with these guys or the other young ones but if you want to learn more about the ecology, environmental issues and stuff like that you should go to the eco-lodge and get a guide from there. Its a set price so you pay the same anywhere.
Planning my trip to Bukit Lawang I am wondering if you heard anything about the Elephant Patrol through the Jungle from Tangkahan to Bukit Lawang? I am thinking of heading to North Sumatra in a few weeks. Also, can you tell me the names of your guides/how would I find them for a trek through the National Park if the Elephant trek doesn't work out? Thanks so much! - Kelly
oh and yeah, I have a massive kink, but its the long bit at the front that does it - I want to cut it back but itll be a disaster if I do it on my own. The back is too long to kink now - I can already put it in a ponytail!
I think the east coast maybe has more Malay people - it's definitely the heavily religious region anyway. Indigenous Malaysians are also supposedly still much poorer than the Indian and Chinese communities so either live out in villages (and I didn't so enough exploring to discover them) or do the crappy work behind the scenes in places - cleaners at hotels, dishwashers in restaurants.
OH MY GOODNESS orang utans and cacao! i am Soooooooooo JEALOUS. what an amazing place - an organic education centre! and you got to see how to make palm sugar - thanks for the note about it being a different plant from palm oil. its so funny that you finally got to see orang utans after being so obsessed with monkeys back in the day! and an opportunity to stay for six months in the jungle - i hope that was an open ended invite! this has been my favourite part of your adventures so far :)
how come you never find the trail? yay i really likes this entry this would my all tome favourite line: People speak perfect English and are really friendly in a way they can only be when they are wealthy enough and don’t rely on tourism for their livelihoods - poignantly perceptive mado! melecca seems interesting - the tea plantations were amazing and i can see why you were frothing over those bugs. its funny how you were saying that you couldnt find malay food because everywhere was chinese/indian - it makes me wonder what 'malaysian' is anyway, its like asking what 'australian' is. i know that there are small number of indigenous malaysians some of whom still live out in the forest, but apart from that i dont really know what malaysian is?
good job on the visa scoring! and i hope you get over the cold soon :) (i also see that the hair cut is growing in and that part of it is kinking! im sorry - i think i cut it a tad too short!)
no, no I was thinking about catching a ferry from Jakarta to Singapore, then go back with a new visa but decided I had enough time on my current visa so I just blitzed it up to North Sumatra in one epic bus trip
5 or 6 is impressive - i am currently stock piling bananas in the freezer for the day when i have a blender/processing unit that will crush them and i am not getting happy feedback from the family regarding the smell!! there is probably more internationals living in dilli than there are east timorese!!!
i am confused with the logisitics of this post. you are in north sumatra and want to get to singapore - to get back into indo with another month visa? where are you heading when you get back into indo? i bet there is some madcore vegan places/people in singapore!!! oh thats sad you didnt get to stop in yogya. well good times on the transport system - i am feeling the pain (minus the smokers) with this no noarlunga train situation, its a good two hours home from the city these days and no way to get bikes from noarlunga to oaklands! in other exciting news: made pesto out of my own basil, plum jam out of free organic plums (i worked on hayden from doof doofs farm) and "honey" joys today!!
well i just cant get enough of the rice paddie shots! (and complete with a pointy hat - amazing!) it sounds like the 100km bike trip was worth it, im in love with that feeling you get from standing at the bottom of waterfalls - it kind of makes your skin tingle. you must be seeing so many places that touristy peeps miss out on and thats an accomplishment (even if that means cycling 100km round trips!). and the snorkerling sounds fantastic - i dont remember if i told you but me and felicity went snorkerling with benji in byron and saw turtles - they are so majestic the way they float (rather quickly) through the current. and its starting to sound like you just cant trust those guide books!!!!
A guy I met at the hostel who used to live in Darwin about 10 years ago told me, but maybe those bogans grew up and no one took over? These birds are white with yellow hooked beaks and unlike magpies who go for the top of your head or shoulders, they fly straight into your face!
well no, not quite 300 a day. Maybe 5 or 6. I was eating other food in Dili, I just didn't have to pay for it... and no, I didn't see Ben (not that I know what he looks like) but I did see a trillion UN workers from all over the world. Every 3rd car is a UN police car, but apparently they're not really doing much.
Yay I found your blog! Glad to hear you got out of Darwin. I have never heard of this rumour about bogans and crocodiles! And evil birds worse than magpies can't possibly exist. xx
the start of the deluge (of comments that is not rain/floods - not a good time to make flood jokes!) aHIHIHIHI i finally find this famed blog!
wow east timor looks beautiful!! your dream place hey - beaches with no people and goats. i did particularly like the view that jesus supplied. and thats awesom that you got to hire a bike and ride around. im interested to hear how you are going on the banana diet - up to 300 per day yet?? also get into the black and gold ginger snaps (i made the mistake of trying the coles brand the other day - horrible no comparison!)
hows the weather at the moment - is it hot? did you see benlet in dilli?
okey toodles for now
xx
vinter o kallt Hej vännen, här är det kallt och snö, kom inte förrän det börjar våras, den här kylan är nästan outhärdlöig. PÅ tisdag ska vi till Jörgen, han har lovat middag när vi kommer.
Kram Anders o Helen
Karen
non-member comment
Great travel blogs, Madeleine, very entertaining!