Meeting Sumatran orangutans – a 2-day trekking to the jungle

Visiting Indonesian Sumatra had always been on our bucket list. We wanted to see orangutans in the wild, whom you can spot even on a one-day trek to Gunung Leuser National Park which you can start in Bukit Lawang. While we generally prefer going trekking on our own, doing it here in the jungle without a guide would be unreasonable knowing that you are to deal with wildlife and you can expect an aggressive behaviour from animals that you may spot on your way. We opted for a 2-day trekking including sleeping in a tent, food, 2 guides and a tube rafting back to Bukit Lawang. We met 5 orangutans on the first day, some of the guys from our group saw one more creature swinging from a tree to a tree somewhere in the distance when they woke up early in the morning on the next day:) It’s easy to fall in love with orangutans at first sight;) You can find detailed information on our trekking and myriads of photos in the below post.

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4000 islands – in search of tranquility and …. the Irrawaddy dolphins!

‘’4000 islands’’  – most probably the name of this place doesn’t sound familiar to you? Let’s change it!  In Laos the islands are must-see if you want to relax during your stay in this country! The hottest part of Laos right close to the border with Cambodia is not only a place to wind down in bungalows in the islands of Don Det and Don Khon, but also a place where you can experience a closer contact with dolphins floating in the Mekong River! How is that possible? Dolphins in the river? Yes, confirmed and seen with our own eyes! 🙂

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Bolaven Plateau – a paradise for those loving waterfalls!

Bolaven Plateau situated in southern Laos is known for its landscapes illustrating unspoilt nature: myriads of waterfalls and green scenery. It can be considered an ideal place to take a rest or the one perfect to have a tour visiting waterfalls while staying in Pakse. Also this time we recommend you to hop on a motorbike although the area you will have to move along covers 180-200km. We purchased a tour at a tourist agency tempted to see 3 more attractions in one day and paid 2,50USD more per capita comparing the costs of taking a motorbike for 2, but later we regreted that we did not do that the usual way – on a motorcycle, despite the large distance to traverse. For sure it would have been more fun! (Especially since our driver was driving his clunker so fu(..)ing slowly!…)

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Kuang Si Waterfall and its neighbourhood – the breathtaking views!

Before we came to Laos everyone was telling us that nowhere in Asia we would see such magnificent natural landscapes with lots of beautiful waterfalls as in this country. And because of that we waited impatiently for this point of our journey but also were half-convinced when hearing these opinions as from our experence in many Asian countries tourists are offered to see waterfalls, which depending on the season look different than in the pictures, and in many cases you can get easily disappointed, e.g. seeing in front of you a watetfall which dried out or which looks flooded in a rainy season with mud everywhere and no more crystal clear waters…

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Hsipaw – Myanmar’s picturesque corner

In search of peace, tranquility and great rural mountainous landscapes we went to Hsipaw (Thibaw). This picturesque town situated in the Shan State and its surroundings can be easily visited on a bike. Direction tips and a map that we got from our hotel were enough to easily explore this green area by ourselves. The trekking tour we planned in this region with a guide was cancelled as we got information that there was an outbreak of a military dispute in some higher parts of the Shan State. In turn we could arrange our own trip, and so we did by renting a bike and heading for picturesque surroundings, reaching a charming waterfall and passing green areas which left as in awe of this amazing corner of Myanmar!

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