Jungle Trekking

  My friend and I stayed at Thomas Guest house (excellent place to stay!) and did a two day jungle tour. Although we were at the end of rain season, we... read more were lucky with no rain and seeing a lot of monkeys in the National park. 9 Orang Utans, Gibbons, Thomas monkey, turtles and Varanes. We had very kind and professional guides who could tell a lot about the wildlife and the jungle but who were also very good company! Laughing so much on a tour like this is great. The campsite was very cute and swimming in the river after a long day of hiking is a welcome retreat. To top it all: the meals are delicious! As Thomas says: you get fatter out the jungle than in haha :). Would highly recommend this tour!!

  Exceeded my expectations! The guide was superfriendly, explaind us everything really good and treated the animals and the nature with respect!! They prepared everything for us really nicelythe place to... read more sleep, the food (loot of food, like in a hotelfroots, lunch, dinner, breakfast). And what was really amazing, they used no plastic at all. They brought iron plates and cups or we simply est out of banana leafes! Real jungle feeling!!! The rafting at the end of the treck was also really fun!!

During our stay in Bukit Lawang we slept in the hotel what belongs to Thomas (Thomas Retreat). Such a lovely place next to the river and the jungle. Suring the day you see monkeys plaing around, you can swim in the river, stroul around at the shops on the opposite riversidethe food in the hotel restaurant was really good too and so cheap!! Every saturday they have a local life band playing in the evening. Must see!!!

One of the best thing‘s were the people working at the place! So helpful, friendly and funny!! We will never forget our stay there!!!

  together with a friend we did the two day jungle tour, this was definitely one of the highlights! we were immediately super nice received by Thomas and everyone who... read more works there. during the jungle tour everything is well arranged, guides who know a lot about the jungle and the animals and you will be well taken care of with very tasty food. I can definitely recommend you to do the tour here!

  We arrived in Bukit Lawang by public bus with nothing booked yet.
After walking in the village near the river, we saw the Thomas' retreat guest house and decided to... read more Come to them.
The Thomas' team was really friendly and pleasant. The Host, Thomas, that we met after was also very welcoming with us.
Most of them speak well english and it's easy to discuss with them.

After a good night in their guest house, the best was to come. We started a 3 days / 2 nights trek in the jungle with our guides : Ren and Aguil (sorry if do mistake in the names).

These two guides were like the best we ever had in an excursion.
They were very kind to us, very intresting by their knowledges of the jungle.
They really took care of us in this environment.
The cooker was really good too. We had food for an army at every dinner and we enjoyed the taste of all of it.

To resume, this experience was very nice and I recommand it.

Arnold and Anaël

  We had an amazing 4-day-dschungel trek beginning of August. Our lovely an attentive guides took great care of us, teaching us about the local wildlife and pointing out every plant... read more and animal crossing our way. We were lucky and met many Orang-Utans and had breathtaking encounters, observing them in their natural habitat.

We were well taken care of and spoiled with delicious local food, freshly and lovingly prepared.

I can only recommend Thomas Jungle Tours and his retreat in Bukit Lawang!

  I did a 2 day one night jungle tour with guides Ren and Joga and it was incredible! We saw more animals than we could have ever hoped to see... read more (so many Orang Utans) and both Ren and Joga made sure that we didn’t miss anything and explained everything that we were curious about! The food was also delicious so overall we were taken care of very well and I can recommend Thomas Jungle tours (and Ren&Joga) to anyone who comes to Bukit Lawang!

  This tour was much more better than expected.
We did some tours in Indonesia before, but the guides were not very well informed. They just carried the luggage and... read more that’s it.
With Thomas Jungle Tour and especially our Guide Ren it was completely different. Ren was very well organized and he knew a lot of things about the jungle. He told us he knows everything from his uncle wich was the whole life a jungle guide.
We saw a lot of animals, monkeys, orang utas, dragons, ants and so on. We even tried a peace of Chinin tree bark, from wich gin tonic is made.
The food was also perfect!
Ren told us his dream is to visit Prembanan and Borobudur on the island Yogyakarta. When i asked why he doesnt do it the answer was “I can’t afford it”. He never left bukit lawang for traveling. So if you can afford you can do the same like we did and give him a good tip (of course only if you are that satisfied than we where) and maybe we can help him to make his dream come true. I think this should be possible to nearly every of the travelers... help him to travel also ... and book the tour it is really worth it.

Safe travels
Melanie and Jan

  Lived every minute. No rushing. Understanding of the animals' needs. Didnt feed like some.
We did the overnight and glad we did.

  We had an absolutely amazing trip with Jon and Joga, saw many many orang Utans, even from very close. Thomas‘ Team is very experienced and will make sure you see... read more as many Animals as possible, explain you the flora and fauna and take best care of you. Plus: even though this might not be the number one reason for visiting the jungle - Thomas‘ Cook prepares INCREDIBLE food!! We had the tastiest buffet for dinner, fruit all day, breakfast and lunches prepared with love and attention to detail. I am still impressed how attentive, caring and kind everyone was.
We spent one night in the jungle, did a 11km trek the first day and visited the waterfall nearby on day two. After lunch we went back by tube. All in all super fun, adventurous, magical moments, you learn a lot, have great time with locals, enjoy great food and will be exhausted, thrilled and energized by the great impressions after this tour 🙂 enjoy!

  Wow!! My boyfriend and I took part in the 2 day 1 night jungle trek with Thomas Jungle tours and did not regret our decision!! The experience was simply incredible!!... read more I was hesitant at first (weary of the bugs and of the physical aspect of the trip in hot and humid weather) - but am so happy I did it!! Although it is strenuous physically (7 hours of hiking the first day - up and down), we were able to keep up and the bugs were not a problem (with bug spray). Many stops are done throughout the way, a good lunch is provided, and amazing fresh fruits were served as snacks! Our guide, Dedi, was amazing and always made sure everyone was okay. He was super knowledgeable and very dedicated to his work and the orang outangs. We never felt rushed while hiking and felt as though our safety was his priority. We saw many orang outans which was incredible, as well as other species such as Thomas leaf monkeys, long tailed macaques etc. !! The soft river rafting to get back to the hotel on the 2nd day was super enjoyable as well and fun!! Recommend it to all +++++!!

  My friend Veronika and I were traveling in Indonesia and heard from others who made a jungle trek at Thomas retreat. It sounded so cool that we decided to get... read more in contact with Thomas and so we asked him if it's possible to come to Bukit Lawang in the next two days (only worked because we were there at October when there are not so many people because of the rainy season) and we were so happy that he said to us it's possible!
When we arrived at the camp we were so thrilled because it's really beautiful. The rooms are very nice and the restaurant got a huge menu full of nice things.
We made a 10 hours trek to the camp in the jungle and rafted back to the camp at Thomas' with the river. We saw so many monkeys and other animals (the most amazing part was to touch and feed a very friendly one of the orangutans that come down to us).
Our tour guide (his name is Rain) and the cook in the jungle camp (Dhaniz) were so friendly and funny. I think all of the guys there are like that.

This whole trek was one of the most exciting things I've done until now and I will always remember it!

  Organised a two day one night trek through Thomas Retreat, where we stayed whilst in Bukit Luang. Initial internet research didn't answer all my questions but excellent email correspondence with... read more Thomas led us to our final choice.
Met by our guide, Iyan, on the day before the trek with useful info about what to pack etc and then 9sm on the dot we started.
A short walk from the start and before we'd entered the National Park we came across our first Orangutans! They all have names and Iyan and Sirkam, our guides were extremely knowledgeable and patient, pointing us to the best photo spots and allowing our small group of 4 to get as much out of the trek as possible.
The going is hard, do not expect clear pathways, but manageable. The pace is yours and with 2 guides there is always someone bringing up the rear with a helping hand.
Lunch is taken on route and ample water is a must.
Remember what goes up, must come down and good, comfortable footwear will certainly help you get through it.
The sound of the river signposts that the end is near and the camp itself is adequate for your needs I.e fresh water for washing = river and toilet facilities = camp toilet.
Dinner is served on the river bank with a shared 'dorm' with bedding and mosquito net for a well earned rest.
Options for day two can be varied with with another hike or a more relaxed morning. We chose the relaxed version which was a short walk to a waterfall with pool followed by lunch. Bags packed and a river raft back to town.
Amazing place, great people, professionally organised and one not to be forgotten.

  We visited the park with the guides from Thomas Retreat, they were called Yoga and Raining. Both were amazing. They were knowledgeable and seemed truly interested in getting us... read more to see as much as possible. Their treatment of the natural habitat was excellent and they did not feed the orang utans.
They were also very attentive toward our needs (we were a group of 4) and always made sure we were safe and keeping up. They even offered to carry my bag when they saw I was getting tired.
The price Thomas asked initially for the tour was very high but after some bargaining (during which he became quite hostile) and quoting prices of competitors, we arrived at a commonly acceptable price.
I cannot say whether the experience would have been just as good with other, cheaper guides. All I can say is that our guides were excellent.

  My boyfriend and I had gotten in touch with Thomas about a month before the jungle trek via email. We asked him a bunch of questions and he was able... read more to resolve all of them with detailed answers. We liked the sound of everything, however we felt that the airport pick up price was a little too pricey and he worked with us on that.

We were immediately picked up at the airport by one of his drivers and we were then walked to his guesthouses by another staff member. The room we booked was better than we expected! It was a clean room and bathroom, and working aircon. Before we left for our trek, we left our bags and important valuables in Thomas’s room. When we returned, everything was as it is when we left it.

Our tour guide was Ren and he was absolutely fantastic. He explained everything we saw, and would tell us funny stories along the way. He helped us find orangutans immediately! In total we must have seen about 15 orangutans. We were able to get close to one - Jackie, and Ren was able to let handle Jackie with care when we got close to her. Ren really knows his way around the jungle and I felt very at ease under his guidance.

Tondi assisted Ren with food and prep and he was also very kind and sweet. Udin cooked our dinner and breakfast and the local food he cooked was honestly some of the best food we had our entire trip.

The hike was very strenuous in my opinion - there is a lot of steep uphill climbs where the path isn’t exactly clear. The last hour down towards the campsite is also extremely difficult and dangerous. But Ren and Tondi were very helpful throughout the difficult parts.

We noticed that Thomas’s company treated us better than some of the other companies by the campsite. Ren laid out a mat with cushions for us to sit on by the water. We also had our dinner there. I didnt see others with a mat and cushion, and honestly after a long hike, it was what we needed. We also noticed that our breakfast was much more beautifully presented, and more elaborate than the other breakfasts I saw being served by other companies.

Tubing was a very fun and exciting way to end our trip. Interacting with the orangutans was an experience of a lifetime and I would come back to do it again in a few years!

  My mother and me did the 3 day jungletrekking with this company. Our guide was Dedi. This was absolutely an awesome experience. The nature is amazing and the guide is... read more well prepared and very helpful. Because of this great guide we had so much fun! We saw amazing things in the jungle, this was a life changing trekking. Don't miss this when you are traveling to Sumatra!

  The service was awesome and the food super delicious. Our tour guide was extremely friendly and his English was really good! I don't remember his name, but he wasn't Thomas!... read more We saw few orangutans (but unfortunately not Mila, haha) and other interesting wildlife. I also got chance to taste passion fruit and other exotic fruits for the first time! The whole experience was an amazing one.

  Had an amazing 1 night jungle trek with Thomas Jungle Treks. Our guide Iyon was fantastically knowledgeable about the wildlife and also very environmentally aware. This company's guides do not... read more feed the Orangutans or other wildlife (unfortunately some guides do and this is not good for the animals) and they clean up everything after camping leaving no trace at all. I wouldn't trek with any other company. One of the best experiences of my life!!

  Thomas was very responsive through WhatsApp more so than email so make arrangements with him through that.
He easily organised our weekend trip which included pick up from and... read more drop off to the airport.
The drive from the airport is 4 hours and the roads aren’t smooth the whole way so be mentally prepared for that.

The room we stayed in was large and very clean (important point) as was the bathroom. The aircon wasn’t very strong but the climate is cool at night so the aircon wasn’t necessary for us.

Food as the restaurant was fantastic and highly affordable. Fruit in the area is always fresh and Super tasty!

We did a one day trek into the jungle and had two guides: one senior guide who has been doing this for 25 years (Tambrin) and his assistant (Jon) who carried the lunch and fruit which is included in the one day trek. Both of them were very good guides with a strong command of English. Super friendly and mindful of us as well. We were very well taken care of.

Seeing Orangutans is a given because the national park really makes an effort to protect them so they roam freely in the jungle. As they are used to humans being around they aren’t shy but that doesn’t mean you can approach them. Be respectful and watch them from a safe distance advised by the guides and you will have a wonderful experience.

Also, the trek ends with a raft ride on the river back to the lodge. Be prepared to be entirely soaked.

  What an amazing adventure, we are an Australian family with kids aged 13 & 16 who love a new experience with a bit of a challenge and this jungle trek... read more delivered big time! I booked directly with Thomas who speaks perfect English and is very easy to deal with, he is upfront about all prices and there absolutely no hidden extras, the 3 day 2 night tour was all inclusive and included jungle accommodation, all meals, snacks, fruit, tea and coffee and treated drinking water.
On day one we headed off into the jungle with our guide and almost immediately had an encounter with a mother and baby Orangutan, these encounters happened all day with orangutans, gibbons, Thomas tree monkeys snakes and lizards, it was amazing. The trekking was full on which we really love, the humidity was intense and the hills up and down were extreme which was fabulous, there are routes for all levels but we loved these challenges.
When we arrived at the riverside jungle camp we were met by Ollo, he was a fabulous host making us very welcome with his great humour and fun after dinner games. The food at the camp was amazing, I’m not sure how they managed to cook a banquet of this standard on a little fire but it was delicious and huge. Throughout our 2 days at the camp there was an endless stream of tea, coffee, biscuits and beautiful fresh fruit. The accommodation is very basic in plastic covered bamboo huts with mattresses and mosquito nets but very practical and this really adds to the whole experience. There is also a toilet which makes life a lot easier.
On day 2 we trekked for about 3 hours in the morning and then spent the afternoon at a beautiful spot on the river where the kids, accompanied by the guide swam in the fast flowing water, jumping of a high rock and fallen tree into the water and riding the current. The guide was exceptional and took great care of the kids while my wife and I hung out with a huge gang of monkeys who dropped by to watch. After this we jumped in truck inner tubes and headed down the rapids back to the camp with 2 guides steering the tubes, a great adrenaline rush.
On day 3 we relaxed around the camp before returning to Thomas’ retreat down the river on the tubes.
Thomas runs a professional business with quality well trained staff. At all times we felt very safe and well looked after.
Highly recommend this experience to anybody, this is the closest you will get to Orangutans anywhere in the world.

  The 2 days trek was awesome, walking during the whole first day, then sleeping into the jungle camp, and finally going back to Bukit Lawang the next day. We were... read more a small group (only 3 persons for 2 guides), and we had a very great weather. We've seen 7 orang -utangs, a others animals. The guides were very kind and friendly. Many small breaks during the trek, so it's not so difficult to do. The food was very good (vegan friendly), and you definitely have enough to eat. If you like hiking, nature, authenticity and simplicity, then this trek if made for you !

  It was an amazing tour through the jungle and we have seen Orang Utans, Gibbons, Longtail Makakes, other monkeys (cannot remember the name), Great Argus, Varan and many more! Also... read more the guides were super cool and we've had a lot of fun! Greetings from GER Stephan and Laura!

  The website stated 35 Euros for the one day trek but when I asked, it was 45 Euros. He said that 35 Euros was without tubing on the way back.... read more The prices could have been clearer. The tone in the email was not friendly.

Thomas is a very rich man, he has 8 inns and many tourists on his tours so he can charge a cheaper price. The price to the airport was 600,000 IDR. We saw that there were about 6 to a car.

Even though we confirmed our trek with him, we had to call him that day itself and he said that he thought we were not going with him because we didn't show up at his inn. Why would we go to his inn when we didn't say we would and we reached at 12 midnight that day? He also expected us to go to his inn for the trek when it was our first day there. The inn is at the wrong location in Google Maps. The starting time was 9am but he said that someone would only reach at 9.30am. He has so many staff I am sure someone was free then. Besides, you should keep to your word. He asked if we had breakfast yet and we said no so he brought us to his restaurant to eat without asking if we wanted to. We thought that the other tourists would be there eating too but they were not so they had to wait for us for half an hour. This we felt bad about but our consent should have been sought.

The guide, Johnny, was funny. We saw lotsa of orang utans. The breaks were a little too long. The other two guides (Wandi and another who don't speak English) were nice as they supported us when we hiked.

You should definitely tube back. It's the best part of the trek haha.

We confirmed in the email that his staff would pick us up from our inn (didn't stay with them) for our trip to the airport. However, when we were trekking, he said to meet him at the bridge and that if we wanted the staff to meet us at our inn, we had to pay 20,000 IDR. We don't like it when someone negates his word.

For the trek, fruit, Nasi goreng (bring a spoon, not nice) are provided. Water is supposed to be provided too according to the website but he said he didn't provide water. We had to ask for it.

  Loved everything about it from the amazing overnight trek with up close meetings with orangutans to the chilled out environment of the lodging. Staff are brilliant and food is great.... read more Would definitely stay again and highly recommend visiting. Thanks again Thomas and staff
From Tom (small eating), Pete and Isaac!

  It is a nice place really friendly staff
Only the water pressure is really low and no hot water what they promise on the website
And the owner... read more Thomas is very rude to the guests
I recan he want to have more money out his guest and push them to order meals and book longer trips

  My sister and me took part in one of Thomas' tours and weMy sister and me took part in one of Thomas' tours and we are still well
Impressed of... read more such a wonderful experience. We arrived late for the tour since we hadn't arrived to Bukit Lawang at the departure time and contact him early in the morning the same day. He sent two of his assistants to pick us up at the bus station and they drove us to his place to start the trekking immediately till we joined the rest of the group, who had already begun.
As soon as we met Thomas we knew we had made the best choice for the tour. He explained us lots of interesting details about the flora and after a while we met the first orangutan. We realized he and his assistants are fallen in love with the jungle, where they grow up.
The trekking was not easy sometimes but any of us had a single problem as the three guides watched out of us in every single moment providing kindly help to go up the many hills. The way was really fun singing and talking not only about the jungle but also about life an culture in Sumatra.
We met also the famous Mina among many orangutans and never had a problem or felt scared. We could even feed some of the orangutans! It was just amazing and we felt safe in every moment.
A delicious meal and many fruits were provided during the day, always just in time after hard climbing moments and before we could feel exhausted. They really knew how to control our energy and when having a rest was needed.
As we reached the camp where we would spend the night, we couldn't believe how good it was! Nice tents, blanket and pillow were provided. We could swimm in the river for a while before enjoying a delicious dinner, that the great Holo made for us. The feeling was as back in the days, going to kids summer camp 🙂
We shared a really beautiful time playing and sharing anecdotes before going to bed.
I guess after the long journey the day before we were really tired but actually all of us slept as babies although we slept on the floor with only a yoga mattress. Even my sister had to wake me up cause everybody was already up. It felt so good waking up in the wild nature... Holo made a yummy breakfast and after a while having fun with the many monkeys around, we decided to go up to the hill again instead spending the morning swimming and chilling in the river. And it was really worth. We met still more orangutans and even gibbons! Thomas was thankful to us for not bring lazy and choosing trekking again cause he hadn't seen gibbons since a long time; they seem rarely to been met. So we were all just satisfied and happy not only because of us but also because of him and the other guides.
Later the "jungle taxi" picked us up at the river and we went back to the village. The tubbing was just the perfect end for those two magical days.
We were supposed to leave Bukit Lawang the same day but after what we had lived there, we decided to stay at his guest house one night, which afterwards turned to be two nights 😉
Everyone and everything around was so real and so nice, that we didn't manage to say good bye so fast. And the rooms at Thomas' we're not only clean but also comfortable and really nice, with amazing views direct to the river and an atmosphere that I guess we'll never forget.
Our schedules for departuring were quite weird but it was not an issue as Thomas organized comfortable transport for us at 5 A.M to get in time for our flight from Medan.
We felt as at home and leaving this amazing spot was sad for us.
We're pretty sure we'll be back soon and can only recommend to live the jungle with the real jungle people: Thomas and his team, best guides and host ever!!! Thanks a lot for everything guys! <3
Celia & Julia

  Great place to stay! Had an excellent tour through the jungle with great food and guides! Would do it again soon!

  We love every minute of the tour with Thomas! We also stayed at his retreat and were impressed by not only the clean and well presented facilities but the kind... read more and genuine helpfulness of his staff. After arriving, Thomas came and personally greeted us and then sat down and told us about the trek the next day.

Within 20 minutes of our trek, We saw some orangutans and then soon after we were really lucky to see some gibbons! Well I've never seen a guide so excited. Thomas was genuinely excited to see gibbons which he explained are much rarer to see.

The trek was challenging at times, sometimes more of a climb than a trek but Thomas and the other guides were always there to suggest the next step or even take your hand to steady you. However, we were just in normal trainers/running shoes so for the two day trek, you don't really need boots.

The night in the jungle was wonderful. Olo made us a superb dinner and then we had the best time learning games and just generally having a laugh. Sleeping was a mat on the ground with a sheet, pillow and under a little hut. We all slept better than expected but don't think you'll be living it up with a proper mattress.

Tip:'don't wash your clothes and expect them to be dry the next morning. The humidity in the air makes that near impossible.

Also, don't be put off by Thomas' written English when you email him. He speaks really good English but admits himself isn't great at writing!

  My boyfriend and I were on the 2-day jungle trip with Thomas and his team in December 2014 as part of our short 3-night trip to Sumatra. I decided to... read more book the tour with Thomas after reading all the good reviews on the Internet. I was not disappointed; it was even better than I expected. Thomas was very prompt in responding to all my e-mails prior to the trip. Besides the jungle tour, we arranged with him for the pick- up from and to the airport, which went smoothly, and accommodations for three nights at his guest house in Bukit Lawang. We left for the tour on a Saturday morning from the guest house. We were quite a large group, of about 13 people, besides the guides, but the bigger group made it all the more fun. Thomas accompanied the group, together with two other guides. Even if the trekking was somewhat challenging at times, we were able to do it at our own pace. One of the three guides was always trailing behind the last person in the group, and we never felt rushed. We saw many leaf monkeys and orangutans; took lots of pictures, and even held hands with one female orangutan, named Jackie. That was quite a remarkable experience, to be able to get that close, although a bit scary, because if Jackie takes hold of your hand, you cannot make her undo her grip, until she wants to let go. That happened to me, and the guide had to trick her with a big piece of pineapple to let go of my hand. The camp where we spent the night had very, very basic accommodations. It’s a make-up tent with yoga mats that you sleep on. You feel like you sleep on the bare ground, basically. It was very hard and uncomfortable, but for one night, was not such a big deal, and I was there for the raw experience, anyway. Oh, and forget about a decent toilet. At night, you have to use a flash light (bring one) to get to a trail by the camp which ends in a hole in the ground (bring toilet paper, if you don’t want to use leaves). Take some warm, long-sleeve clothes as it gets quite chilly at night. The entertainment that Thomas organized for us at the camp in the evening - the group games, was super fun! “This is a cup, a what? A cupoh, a cup!” You had to be there; will never forget that game. Thomas is a real character! I don’t remember when I laughed that hard before. Food was plenty and very tasty in the jungle and at the camp. The tubing down the river back to the village the next day was also a lot of fun. The price for the tour was very reasonable considering how many people, besides Thomas, were involved in making our trip so memorable. We were lucky with no rain during the tour, although in the village there was torrential rain every evening and throughout the night while we were there. If you happen to be in the village on a Sunday afternoon, it seems like that is the time of the week when villagers burn their trash. The whole village is engulfed in smoke, which makes it hard to breathe, and it feels like there is no escape from it. Luckily it started raining early in the evening which put the fires down. That was the only thing I did not like about Bukit Lawang. But, Thomas’ jungle tour, I cannot recommend it highly enough!
Tip: Purchase jungle shoes for the jungle trekking. Thomas can get them for you for $2 a pair. Highly recommended, even if you brought your own hiking boots. The jungle can be quite muddy, and you don't want to be caring dirty boots back in your luggage.

  Literally one of the best days I've ever had - we all agreed.

The guides were absolutely fantastic, teaching you about the jungle every step of the way. ... read more />
We saw so many orangutans and the guides were very respectful of them by the way they organised themselves - if they felt like we were disturbing the orangutans too much, we moved on.

Very warm people with whom I felt extremely comfortable with...and you should have seen the lunch they prepared!!! Rice and chicken, fruit platters - the lot!

I only did a day's trek however my friend did two days one night (and tubed back down the river!) and he said it was one of his favourite nights. He said the food prepared was amazing and the trekking group and guides all mingled together in the camp.

A must do!

  I cannot understand the previous reviews. He lied to us so many times... Following the great comments on tripadvisor, we booked a one-day tour on the phone. Thomas confirmed several... read more times that he would run a tour on the day we were in Bukit Lawang and that he would be our guide (I asked explicitely since we were two people). He also said that he would come to pick us up in the afternoon.

He did not come in the afternoon (somebody else came) and we could not talk to him until he showed up at the B&B at ten in the evening. At that moment, he told us that there was a problem (!). Since his "tours" only run if there are three or more people, he could not run it. With an air of arrogance, he found us a solution (!) He put us with another guide in another group (that of course, we could not choose since it was ten in the evening).

He did not apologised a single time! He might be a good guide (no idea) but his attitude showed us the worst of a guide-turned-into-businessman. Several other travellers that we met on the bus had the same opinion. In short, be careful if you are not three or more, and if you can, look elsewhere!

  Went to Thomas' lodge in April 2013 and planned overnight jungle camping trek with him and his team (his family). It was a magical and amazing experience. Thomas is a... read more great guide and his entire team (really they are a family) is wonderful. The 4 rooms at Thomas' are good for an adventure in the jungle. There is running water, a cool indoor/outdoor shower with cool,fresh (but not hot showers) water. The food at Thomas' is delicious and you will never ever go hungry... No need to pack snacks for your jungle trek either, the food these guys prepare in the middle of no where is so good. It was our Easter dinner! Before we left for our Trek we spent 2 nights at Thomas' and the first day he arranged for us to go whitewater rafting which we def recommend. Totally fun day with a nice group of guys and yet another delicious meal. Indonesian food is underrated and so delicious. The nights we spent at Thomas' were spent singing along with Lilly on his guitar with friends from the village and the other guests all gathered and joining in singing 80,s and 90's music on the guitar in the middle of an Indonesian jungle!! The rooms are basic and clean and the family will stop at nothing to make sure you are comfortable. Thomas' boys are incredibly sweet and showed us pics of their family and practiced their English. The 2 day trek was amazing - and can be tailored by Thomas depending on each group or person's ability. I had an amazing time trekking and climbing and using the vines to get from one spot to the next... Like rock climbing with vines! The orangutan are breath taking... The cheeky monkeys are fun, bathing in the water fall with a monitor lizard was an experience!! In sum I highly recommend this someone looking for an outdoor adventure, some challenge both physically and also if you are new to camping, it's a once in life time experience with people that love the jungle, the animals and are fantastic hosts. I hope to go back one day and bring my friends and family to meet Thomas and his family. It's a magical experience... All that people have wrote on here is true and I'd be more than happy to answer any specific questions about what to bring, accommodations, the camping etc... So please do feel free to email me. I'm sad it's over and wish I could do it all again!

  Spent 2 months travelling in SE Asia and the 3 days spent with Thomas in the jungle created the best memories.

We booked a week in advance and Thomas... read more met us at Medan airport where we were taken by air-conditioned (necessary!) car to Bukit Lawang. From the start he was very friendly and approachable and a really laid-back, funny guy.

First night in his guest house, we were allowed to chill before chatting about the trek. Even though we'd booked 2 nights we were allowed to cut it back to one, which I'd recommend as we saw so much in the first day. The day was fun and informative and Thomas along with the other guides kept us interested and smiling throughout. Learnt so much about the jungle and it's inhabitants. I could not believe how close we got to orang utans - they are amazing - just watch out for Mina! I won't bang on about them because you really have to experience it yourself. Plenty of other sightings too - black gibbons, leaf monkeys, moon snake, macaques, turtles, lizards...

The trek is hard and surprised us all, legs get tired fast! (there were 4 of us and ended up trekking in a group of 7). However it is well paced so you have time to recover. Plenty of food stops with crazy amounts of tropical fruit and other treats. In the evening you end up at a camp with other trekkers and share a large open tent. Thomas has some great stories and fun games which makes it a great night. And the meal was amazing - hot food, about 7 different dishes. Despite being in the middle of the jungle some of the best I had in Indonesia!

On day 2 we were due to be trekking further but one of our group became ill. They were great and took a shortcut back, making sure he was well looked after and taxied us to the hospital the next day. But we'd seen so much it was okay and we still got to raft back down the river which is loads of fun.

All in all brilliant. He's not the cheapest and says so himself, but for a once in a lifetime experience I'd highly suggest paying a bit extra to make your time in the jungle a lot more rewarding.

  We, a family with 2 boys, stayed 5 days at Thomas Retreat and made the 2day jungle trip.Thomas and his staff made it a great experience. The people are very... read more friendly and they helped us a lot. We learned a lot about the junglea and life in Sumatra.
Thomas organized a day trip to the elephants, which was worth the money.
Thomas Retreat is a good place to stay, when you want to visit the jungle. The rooms are clean, the kitchen is very good and, as written above, the beer is cold.

Besides the comments above,
1. Take something like a pillow (towel), if you sleep in the jungle, and
2. Don´t try to pay with traveller checks in Bukit Lawang. It doesn´t work, you need cash.

  Only this one has cut his hair because otherwise he would be too handsome. We (2 adults, 2 daughters) have been a full week at Thomas'Retreat (see my review) and... read more of course went on a 2 day jungle trek with this great guide. Everything you read in the reviews below is true! Thomas has a great sense of humour, has extensive knowledge of flora and fauna but is also one of the most compassionate and honest men I have met. He and his staff made the trek unforgettable, and I should not forget to mention his nephew Olo with whom we played the most hilarious games after dinner in the jungle. A dinner by the way, that was cooked by the Marina Bay chef cook as Thomas assured us. Well, it certainly tasted that way. So don't miss out on this one, go with Thomas!

  My friends and I stayed 2 nights with Thomas and it was a great experience. We were supposed to do the 2 day trek but missed our flight so ended... read more up exploring a bat cave for half of a day and 1 day trek but it was still perfect under the circumstances. Thomas picked us up and dropped us off at the airport for a very reasonable fee. I cannot imagine getting to the location any other way.

We stayed at Thomas' resort which is a small establishment run by him and his family. His wife cooks meals and they have plenty of cold beers to enjoy after the trek's conclusion. The hotel is located along a river with a beautiful view. No hot water or AC but you will not really be thinking about that.

We got up early and trekked through the jungle for about 6 hours until we found the orangutans. It was amazing. We saw 3 (pictures below) and were able to get close enough to give the female and the baby a banana that we had packed with us.

When we got back we were exhausted so we grabbed some food and cold beers and sat with Thomas' friend outside with his guitar and sang songs outside until late.

Awesome experience and lifelong memory. Definitely a must if you are in this part of the world.