Getting there
I think this would have been the 2nd time we stayed at the Copthorne before a flight. The first time was for our honeymoom in 1991 where we found out on the morning of our flight we were in the wrong airport. It was saved after a quick dash around the M25. Luckily in a hire car as I had wrapped my company car around a lampost as few weeks before .
Tour Info: Arrive Medan and check-in at hotel. The thriving port of Medan is well placed for the export. of rubber, tobacco and palm oil. Its populatior is amazingly complex, composed of Arabs, Javanese, Chinese, Tamil, native Acehnese and others, all mixed in a hotch potch of cultures. Overnight hotel, bed only.
Rambutan fruit… I think the guide gave us these as they were pretty whacky. As for the boat I am not sure if this is to get to the accomodation or get to see the orangutans. I think this was just the bar restaurant. I think our accomodation was pretty basic. I cannot remember if anyone had a go on the slides!
Orangutans
Day 2. Drive to Bohorok; visit Orangutan ReserveWe pay a visit to the Orangutan Centre at Bohorok, where we see these great apes being trained to live in their original habitat. The rehabilitation programme is sponsored by the Worldwide Fund for Nature with the specific idea of preparing orangutangs (mainly kept as pets until too big to handle) for life in the wild. They are taught to build nests in the trees, how to camouflage themselves, etc. Unfortunately, they still seem to be on their way towards extinction. We overnight at rather basic accommodation close to the Reserve. Overnight hotel, bed only.
I seem to remember that on the way back through the jungle from seeing the orangutans the heavens opened. Sue was wearing an all in one pink jumpsuit which soon got soaked and went see through, a treat for the local lads. All of our money got wet as well... as you can see!
And yes the room was pretty rudimentary.
The fishsellar I think was back at the town, Medan. I am pretty sure this is where we also discovered banana fritters being a common street food that was really delicious.
There are a lot less food pictures in this blog..... I think that has become much more of a thing these days, especially for us
As with the rubber plantation photo above, we would quite often stop at interesting places en route. These bats were just on the side of the road. I cannot remember how they were used (or abused) .
Day 3. Drive to Brastagi. Returning to Medan we have a city tour, including the Sultans Palace and the Mosque, before driving to the Karo Batak Cla township of Brastagi, a cool highland town with a colourful fruit and craft market. Here you may discover tropical fruits such as passion fruit, mangosteen, Durian, Marquisha and Salak. 2 nights hotel, bed only.