---
title: "Seeing Orangutans in Indonesia: Bukit Lawang, Tanjung Puting and Ethics"
description: "See orangutans in Indonesia ethically: Bukit Lawang vs Tanjung Puting klotok trips, distance and illness rules, choosing operators and 2026 fire and haze risks."
url: "https://travelshifu.com/guides/orangutans-indonesia-ethical-guide/"
category: "Adventure"
author: "Kaiser Khan"
date_published: "2026-10-16"
date_modified: "2026-10-16"
source: "TravelShifu"
---

# Seeing Orangutans in Indonesia: Bukit Lawang, Tanjung Puting and Ethics

See orangutans in Indonesia ethically: Bukit Lawang vs Tanjung Puting klotok trips, distance and illness rules, choosing operators and 2026 fire and haze risks.

## Where can you see orangutans in Indonesia?

The two classic options are Bukit Lawang, a jungle-trekking village on the edge of Gunung Leuser National Park in North Sumatra, and Tanjung Puting National Park in Central Kalimantan, Borneo, explored by klotok riverboat. Sepilok, often mentioned alongside them, is in Sabah, Malaysia, not Indonesia.

Bukit Lawang is where the Bohorok Orangutan Centre began rehabilitating former pet orangutans in 1973, and many of the orangutans visitors meet there are rehabilitated animals or their descendants, [Mongabay reported](https://news.mongabay.com/2016/11/dont-feed-the-orangutans-a-warning-unheeded-at-popular-ecotourism-stop/). Gunung Leuser is one of the three national parks that make up the [Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1167) World Heritage site, which UNESCO has kept on its List of World Heritage in Danger since 2011.

Tanjung Puting is reached from Pangkalan Bun and the river port of Kumai. Visitors travel up the Sekonyer River by klotok, a wooden riverboat you eat and sleep on, to the park’s visitor camps: Tanjung Harapan, Pondok Tanggui and Camp Leakey, the long-running research station associated with Orangutan Foundation International.

Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, under Malaysian rules, so plan it separately if you are combining countries. A third species, the Tapanuli orangutan, lives only in Sumatra’s Batang Toru forests; [IUCN](https://iucn.org/news/secretariat/201904/iucn-calls-a-moratorium-projects-impacting-critically-endangered-tapanuli-orangutan) put its population at fewer than 800, and it is not something to seek out on holiday.

|  | Bukit Lawang (Sumatra) | Tanjung Puting (Kalimantan) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Species | Sumatran orangutan (Critically Endangered) | Bornean orangutan (Critically Endangered) |
| How you visit | Guided jungle treks on foot, day or overnight | Klotok riverboat trips with stops at visitor camps |
| Gateway | Medan’s Kualanamu airport (KNO), then road | Pangkalan Bun airport (PKN), then road to Kumai |
| Status to check (October 2026) | Leuser hiking routes closed from 1 September for fire prevention; confirm treks are running | Fires and haze in and around the park |
| Main ethical issue | Habituated ex-rehabilitant orangutans and a history of feeding by guides | Crowding at feeding sessions; keep distance and quiet |

## What are the rules for watching orangutans ethically?

Never touch, feed or call to orangutans, and keep at least 7 metres away, the absolute minimum set by IUCN’s great-ape experts; some sites require more. Do not visit if you have any sign of illness, wear a mask near apes, keep groups small and quiet, and never use flash or leave litter.

The [IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group’s Section on Great Apes](https://www.iucngreatapes.org/protect-great-apes-from-disease) says 7 metres is an absolute minimum distance and some sites require more, that no one with any sign of illness can visit great apes, and that visitors should wear a clean surgical or two-layer mask without a valve. It asks visitors to tell their operator or park staff immediately if they develop symptoms, and, where there is no toilet, to bury waste at least 100 metres from apes and 30 cm deep.

Feeding and contact cause real harm. In Bukit Lawang, [Mongabay](https://news.mongabay.com/2016/11/dont-feed-the-orangutans-a-warning-unheeded-at-popular-ecotourism-stop/) found guides handing out fruit and snacks for selfies despite a sign at the park entrance saying not to feed the orangutans, and a guide said some orangutans had become hostile unless given food. Conservationist Ian Singleton told Mongabay that orangutans with possible contact with wild populations should be physically isolated from visitors to reduce disease transmission.

Orangutans are protected. The [FCDO](https://gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/indonesia/safety-and-security) notes that it is illegal in Indonesia to buy, sell, kill or capture any protected wild animal, or trade its parts, without a licence. Avoid any business offering photos holding a baby orangutan or close contact with “rescued” apes.

- Keep at least 7 metres away, and further if the guide or ranger asks.
- Never feed, touch or try to attract an orangutan, even if one approaches.
- Stay away if you feel unwell, and wear a mask near apes.
- Stay quiet, use no flash, and never surround an orangutan or block its path.
- Carry out all rubbish, including fruit peel.

## Do you need a guide or permit to see orangutans?

In practice, yes. Visitors may enter Gunung Leuser National Park from Bukit Lawang only with a guide, and both parks charge entry tickets under the national park tariff. Klotok trips in Tanjung Puting are sold with a guide. Ask any operator to show the guide’s licence and itemise park fees before you pay.

For Leuser, [Mongabay](https://news.mongabay.com/2016/11/dont-feed-the-orangutans-a-warning-unheeded-at-popular-ecotourism-stop/) reported that visitors must enter the park with a guide, and that of about 500 registered guides in Bukit Lawang only about 35 were properly certified at the time. The park is managed by Balai Besar Taman Nasional Gunung Leuser (BBTNGL) under the Ministry of Forestry. We found no current English-language visitor rulebook from BBTNGL, so ask your guide for their licence or guide-association card, and check that park tickets are included and issued to you.

Tanjung Puting is managed by Balai Taman Nasional Tanjung Puting. New entry tariffs took effect there on 30 October 2024 under Government Regulation No. 36 of 2024, the same national regulation behind Komodo’s fee, with tickets applying at the visitor camps, according to a [local tourism site relaying the park office’s announcement](https://tanjungputingtourism.com/en/kenaikan-tarif-masuk-taman-nasional-tanjung-puting-berlaku-30-oktober-2024/). We could not confirm the current foreign-visitor amount from an official channel, so ask your klotok operator to itemise the park ticket, boat fee and any camera or drone charges before you pay.

Behaviour rules are the same everywhere: follow the guide or ranger, stay on paths, and keep the IUCN distance even at feeding platforms. At Tanjung Puting’s camps, staff put out food at set times; visitors watch, they never feed.

## What is it like to see orangutans in Bukit Lawang?

You trek on foot into the rainforest with a guide, usually for a day or an overnight camp, on steep, muddy, humid trails. Sightings are frequent because many local orangutans are used to people, which is also the ethical problem. Choose a guide who keeps distance and never feeds, and check the 2026 fire closure.

Check status first. On 1 September 2026, BBTNGL closed all hiking routes (jalur pendakian) in Gunung Leuser National Park until further notice under announcement PG.546/BBTNGL/TU/08/2026, part of a Ministry of Forestry fire-prevention closure covering nine national parks, [IDN Times reported](https://sumut.idntimes.com/news/sumatra-utara/cegah-karhutla-jalur-pendakian-gunung-leuser-ditutup-00-f4z9n-1mg83g). The reports refer to mountain-hiking routes and do not mention Bukit Lawang by name, and we found no reopening announcement by 16 October 2026. Before you travel, ask BBTNGL or your guide, in writing, whether jungle treks from Bukit Lawang are running.

The feeding platform, where visitor numbers had been capped, closed in 2016 after years of mass tourism ([Mongabay](https://news.mongabay.com/2016/11/dont-feed-the-orangutans-a-warning-unheeded-at-popular-ecotourism-stop/)). Treks now look for orangutans in the forest, but many are ex-rehabilitants or their offspring, which is why some come close to people. A good guide keeps the group back, moves on if an orangutan approaches, and never uses food to draw one in. If your guide offers fruit, decline and say why.

Bukit Lawang is several hours by road from Kualanamu International Airport (KNO) near Medan, so stay in the village the night before a trek. [Open Bukit Lawang in Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Bukit%20Lawang%2C%20North%20Sumatra).

## What is a Tanjung Puting klotok trip like?

You sleep and eat on a wooden riverboat, often for two nights, cruising the Sekonyer River between visitor camps where orangutans come to scheduled feeding sessions. It is gentle and suits people who cannot trek far. In October 2026, though, fires and haze were affecting the park, so check conditions before booking.

[Lonely Planet](https://www.lonelyplanet.com/indonesia/tanjung-puting-national-park/attractions/orang-utan-feedings/a/poi-sig/1085986/1002259) says feeding times at the three main camps are generally fixed and scheduled so that boat-based visitors can see all three on a two-night trip, and that the Camp Leakey feeding area is about a 1.5 km walk from the jetty. Wear closed shoes and bring insect repellent and sun protection. Klotoks vary in comfort and upkeep, so look at photos of the actual boat, ask about life jackets, mosquito nets and the toilet, and confirm how drinking water is provided.

Fires were burning in and around the park in October 2026. The Ministry of Forestry said it was stepping up firefighting in Tanjung Puting, with thick smoke limiting helicopter water-bombing, and on 9 October the park requested air support that named the Tanjung Harapan post, [Antara reported on 12 October](https://www.antaranews.com/berita/5781825/kemenhut-intensifkan-pemadaman-karhutla-di-tanjung-puting). BNPB counted 513.89 hectares of new fires in the Tanjung Puting area as of 12 October ([CNN Indonesia](https://www.cnnindonesia.com/gaya-hidup/20261013113644-269-1414713/habitat-orangutan-terancam-imbas-karhutla-tn-tanjung-puting-meluas)), and a local tourism official told [detikKalimantan](https://www.detik.com/kalimantan/wisata/d-8705499/karhutla-ganggu-wisata-tanjung-puting-kunjungan-turis-turun-drastis) that visits had fallen by about 80 per cent, with smoke disrupting flights. We found no official closure of the park to visitors, but conditions change daily.

Haze is a health risk, particularly for children and anyone with asthma or heart or lung conditions; the [FCDO](https://gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/indonesia/safety-and-security) says forest fires, mostly on Sumatra and Borneo, are usually worst in the dry season and spread haze widely. If you go, pack well-fitting masks, keep your dates flexible and choose changeable flights to Pangkalan Bun. Map links: [Tanjung Puting National Park](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Tanjung%20Puting%20National%20Park) and [Kumai](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Kumai%2C%20Central%20Kalimantan).

## How do you choose a responsible orangutan tour operator?

Pick an operator that uses licensed local guides, keeps groups small, briefs you on distance, masks and illness before you set off, and talks about the chance of a sighting, never contact. Walk away from anyone offering feeding, touching, baby-orangutan photos or guaranteed close encounters. Ask how waste is handled and whether park fees are itemised.

Price is a weak signal. A cheap trek that relies on food to guarantee sightings is the worst value for the orangutans, and an expensive one is not automatically better. Reviews that praise a guide for getting “really close” or handing an orangutan fruit are a warning, not a recommendation.

Ask the questions below before you pay, and get the answers in writing. A responsible operator will be glad to answer them; one that is vague about licences, fees or feeding is telling you something.

If you want to support conservation beyond your visit, give to established orangutan conservation organisations rather than paying for hands-on “volunteer” experiences with apes; our [voluntourism ethics guide](/guides/voluntourism-ethical-guide) explains how to vet programmes. WARN, the not-for-profit our founder set up (we give it 10% of our profits), explains [orangutan rescue in Borneo](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/rescue/orangutan-rescue-borneo/).

- Is my guide licensed, and can I see the card?
- How many people per guide, and how many groups use the same area?
- What are your rules on distance, feeding and masks, and what do you do if an orangutan approaches?
- Will you cancel or refund if I am unwell, or if fire, haze or a closure stops the trip?
- Are park tickets included, and will I receive the official ticket?

## Are orangutans endangered?

Yes. All three orangutan species, Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli, are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, the highest risk category before extinction in the wild. Habitat loss, fires, killing and the illegal pet trade are the main pressures. Tourism helps only when it is done without harming the animals.

When it announced the newly described Tapanuli species in 2017, IUCN noted that orangutans [are listed as Critically Endangered](https://iucn.org/node/15901) and called the Tapanuli orangutan the most endangered great ape species in the world. In 2019 it confirmed that the Tapanuli orangutan is [Critically Endangered, with an estimated population of fewer than 800](https://iucn.org/news/secretariat/201904/iucn-calls-a-moratorium-projects-impacting-critically-endangered-tapanuli-orangutan). You can look up each species’ current assessment on the [IUCN Red List](https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Pongo). Our sister site PanduanHewan explains the [differences between Sumatran and Bornean orangutans](https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/differences/sumatran-orangutan-vs-bornean-orangutan/).

Fire matters directly. The 2026 dry season, which BBTNGL’s Leuser closure notice linked to El Niño ([IDN Times](https://sumut.idntimes.com/news/sumatra-utara/cegah-karhutla-jalur-pendakian-gunung-leuser-ditutup-00-f4z9n-1mg83g)), brought fire-prevention closures across national parks and active fires in Tanjung Puting, where officials described orangutan habitat as threatened ([CNN Indonesia, 13 October 2026](https://www.cnnindonesia.com/gaya-hidup/20261013113644-269-1414713/habitat-orangutan-terancam-imbas-karhutla-tn-tanjung-puting-meluas)).

Your visit can help when park fees go to the authorities and guide income rewards guides who protect the animals. It harms when demand for close encounters keeps orangutans habituated and exposed to disease. Our [Indonesia planning guide](/guides/indonesia-travel-planning) helps you fit Sumatra or Kalimantan into a wider route.

## When is the best time to see orangutans, and what should you pack?

Orangutans can be seen year-round; the dry season usually means easier trails, but in 2026 it also brought fire closures and haze. Check park status and air quality before booking. Pack light long sleeves, closed shoes with grip, leech socks for Sumatra, insect repellent, a rain shell, masks and a dry bag.

In the wet months, Bukit Lawang’s trails are muddier and rivers can rise quickly after storms; follow your guide’s lead on any river crossing. In the dry season, check for fire closures and haze, which in 2026 affected both Leuser and Tanjung Puting. BMKG’s [2026/27 rainy-season outlook](https://www.bmkg.go.id/iklim/prediksi-musim/prediksi-musim-hujan-2026-2027-di-indonesia) expects rains to start first in northern Sumatra and spread from there, with most of Indonesia entering the wet season in November or December 2026.

Insurance: check your policy covers jungle trekking, river-boat trips and medical evacuation from remote areas, and read the cancellation terms for park closures, haze-related flight disruption and illness. You should not visit great apes while ill, so cancellation cover for illness matters more than usual.

Health: see a travel clinic well before you go about vaccinations and mosquito-borne disease precautions for Sumatra and Kalimantan, and pack a basic first-aid kit with blister plasters and rehydration salts.

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