Increasing community awareness, especially those living adjacent to conservation areas, on the importance of environmental conservation is necessary, both in the relation with day-to-day life or in the aspect of sustainability. But, community’s awareness on the environment is also based on their prosperity, especially if it is derived from the natural environment itself.  Environmental conservation can be more effective if the surrounding community obtains economic benefits directly through responsible management of the environment. Therefore, it is highly important to integrate community development programmes complementary to environmental education programme to motivate community to respect more the environment and to trigger concrete action of community based environmental conservation. YEL fully realizes that the community will respect and protect the source of their prosperity through proper understanding.

In terms of integrating community development programmes into environmental education, YEL developed programmes in eco-tourism in Bukit Lawang, Bohorok Sub district, to promote ecologically friendly nature tourism. For this purpose, YEL includes the surrounding community to be actively involved in the eco-tourism activities by, among others, increasing capacity and knowledge of local tourist guides to better accompany both local and international tourists visiting the Gunung Leuser National Park. 

Moreover, YEL is also very serious in the promotion of eco-tourism through its own facilities managed by YEL’s Education Division or through collaboration with other parties.

Exploring Bukit Lawang

Involving local tourist guides, YEL offers a programme calledExploring Bukit Lawang, in which tourists are invited to enjoy the beauty of tropical rain forest in Bukit Lawang, just at the foot of Mount Leuser (Gunung Leuser).

Starting early in the morning at one of the entrance of Gunung Leuser National Park observing the rangers feed the orangutan at breakfast time, the journey continues with long trekking through the forest observing and to be amazed by other wild life of many different species.

The tourists are offered with options, either to continue trekking until Tangkahan, which takes about 3 days or to stay overnight in the forest and return to Bukit Lawang the day after through the river (tubing or rafting). If they chose to continue to Tangkahan, the tourists can combine their programme with Elephant Jungle Patrol.

In addition to jungle trekking, tubing and rafting, tourists can also visit a bat cave at Bukit Lawang.

Elephant Jungle Patrol
This is a programme in the company of elephant patrol using the boundary observation route of the Gunung Leuser National Park.
The part of Gunung Leuser National Park in North Sumatra is a hidden paradise, one of the last destinations to enjoy tropical forest in its best condition. Large trees and dense tropical vegetation, interspersed with beautiful rivers, waterfalls, caves and hot springs awards this site as one of the most beautiful on earth.  The forest hosts endangered and critically endangered animals such as Sumatran orangutan (Pongoabelii), Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) and Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus). This forest also become the only place in Indonesia offering a journey on the backs of the elephants to explore the tropical rain forest through a route hardly reached by foot. This is the genuine place to have real and only experience to explore tropical rain forest by camping and, above all, riding the elephants.

Come and join the Elephant Jungle Patrol if you are looking for a challenging and unique vacation.

4 days trip on the back of the elephant through the tropical rain forest from Tangkahan to Bukit Lawang offers opportunity to be in a team with the Mahouts (elephant care takers) and their elephants, to learn to control and to take care of the elephants. And, there are plenty of time to enjoy the tropical rain forest and to swim in the rivers, as well as to stay overnight in a modest but romantic jungle camp, where you can taste local cuisine and listening to lullabies by the sounds of the jungle in the night. Early reservation in important: only 2 trips in a month (4 days with 4 elephants).

Eco-tourism on Pulau Banyak
In collaboration with Yayasan Pulau Banyak (YPB; Pulau Banyak Foundation), YEL offers a package to visit PulauBanyak, which is situated within the administrative of Aceh Singkil in the Province of Aceh.

Pulau Banyak is actually a group of islands consists of 64 small islands. The biggest ones are the islands Bangkaru and Tuangku, which are still covered by pristine forest. Main villages are situated in the eastern and western parts of the archipelago, on the islands of Balai and Tuangku. The total population numbers 7,000, spread in 7 villages.

Pulau Banyak has attrackted many tourists to conduct various activities, such as exploring the beautiful beaches by kayaks, snorkeling and fishing. Furthermore, Pulau Banyak is also the best  turtle conservation area in Sumatra.

The main attraction of eco-tourism in Pulau Banyak is the monitoring and observation of turtles on Bangkaru Island. Despite of its size, which is the second largest island within the group, Bangkaru Islands is unpopulated and specifically assigned for the observation of turtles. Tourists can join the turtle patrols moving all day and night involving international volunteers.

Contact us for more details on our eco-tourism programmes!