Ethical Animal Observation
Simolap Wild Adventures wants to take you on the wildest of adventures: jungle trekking through the Sumatran rainforest, watching Orangutans, river rafting, swimming in hot springs, and sleeping under a tropical canopy! And what’s incredible about this jungle trekking tour company is the underlying principle of 'gotong royong' on which all their work is based.
Gotong royong means ‘mutual cooperation’, or ‘in it together’. Founders and staff believe that environmental conservation works best as a collaborative effort. Guides (and chefs!) work to preserve the jungle that it shares with its guests, achieving a balance between the needs of their community and the preservation of its rainforest.
Sumatra is an Eden of Darwin’s dreams. It is one of the large Indonesian islands and part of the Malay Archipelago. The island is home to Gunung Leuser National Park in the Barisan Mountain Range, the largest protected wilderness area in Southeast Asia.
Jungle Trekking Leads to Local Conservation Solutions
This treasured world is under threat from species and water decline, so it is the kind of place that a conscientious conservationist hesitates to share. Enter: Simolap Wild Adventures, a trekking tour company that believes that bringing you along is good for the environment!
As a respectful trekker, you will hike, sleep and eat in this diverse rainforest that is not only extraordinarily beautiful with its unique habitats and ecosystems but houses thousands and thousands of species of animals and plants. This long list of animals reads like a natural explorer’s dream list: Sumatran Orangutans, Sumatran Elephants, Sambar Deer, Leopard Cat, and Sumatran Rhinoceros.
Simolap Wild Adventures believes that ethical ecotourism has the power to be good for both human residents and the wildlife of Sumatra. It funds vitally important jungle conservation and protection efforts. Tour-guides share their unique environment with travelers from around the world, through a nonconsumptive, low-impact style of travel that has become so popular with ethical explorers that it provides a powerful local incentive for conservation.
Community Engagement
Rian is the founder and the driving force behind Simolap Wild Adventures. SWA was born from his desire to create environmentally friendly travel experiences for travelers. He is often developing the organic garden, fishing in the river, or creating new flavours of herbal tea. For guests staying in the Guesthouse, and for overnight trekkers, chefs cook most of their meals using fruits and vegetables from the organic garden. Nothing, gear or food waste, goes out on the trek that doesn't come back.
Five Things We Love About Simolap Wild Adventures
01.
Environmentally responsible
The Simolap jungle trekking team wants to lead by example to inspire others to take on sustainable practices. The money raised through environmentally friendly tourist activities funds their conservation work while providing employment and training opportunities for people from the village and surrounding areas.
02.
Animal protection
Simolap trekking guides work with their guests to educate them on the importance of not feeding or getting too close to wildlife. One of the significant issues of tourism in the area is people-to-wildlife interactions that cause long-term health detriment to endangered populations such as Orangutans. Simolap Wild Adventures takes guests to remote locations that have not been damaged by over-tourism, and ensures they minimise impact along the way. Knowing that Gunung Leuser National Park is home to many endangered and protected species, Simolap Wild Adventures provides Wildlife Safety and Regulations for their travelers.
03.
Leaders in education
Simolap Wild Adventures runs a number of education campaigns in their community. They work with families and other teams to address issues of street, beach and forest waste collection, organizing regular clean-up days. They lead public talks on natural resources, and hold fun educational days about Sumatra’s endangered species. Teaching children in the community about jungle habitat and fostering an appreciation for wildlife is a key way Simolap Wild Adventures connects the heart of its business to the love of its community.
04.
Trekking tours with lots of choice!
Simolap Wild Adventures offers 2, 3, 4, and 5-day jungle trekking multi-day adventures, as well as a number of types of Day Trips including: full day or half-day jungle hikes, waterfall or hot springs visits, and short wildlife spotting and discovery treks.
05.
Truly in the heart of the jungle
Simolap Wild Adventures has a guesthouse right on the edge of the National Park in North Sumatra. This starting point plants guests right in the heart of the remote jungle. It's also located near the Teba River, and many of your treks will intersect with the river in exciting ways! After exploring and trekking for the day, you could find yourself enjoying secluded waterfalls and natural hot springs. Trekkers see incredible wildlife such as Orangutans, River Otters, Gibbons, Monkeys, and evidence of some of the last Sumatran Tigers when they are lucky. SWA has its own organic garden and fish pond so you will be rewarded with the freshest of fortifying and delicious meals.
Book a trek today
If you're looking for genuine, organic, real adventure, Simolap Wild Adventures will definitely deliver! If it's also important to you to contribute to conserving and protecting the wild areas you are excited to see, then booking a trip with Simolap is the way to go!
