Batu Mandi Guest House Bukit Lawang

We had a wonderful family stay here and used it as a base for exploring the national park. It’s bicycle-friendly, and the bedroom cost 200.000rp (10€). They even taught us to cook some of our favorite Indonesian dishes. For a jungle trek, we recommend the guide Supri. With him, we saw five different kinds of monkeys. He and two other guys looked after us for two days, at 120€/person.

I liked having my own front porch, and the owners were friendly and accommodating. They made me feel welcome. The guest house is a short walk from the Bohorok River, on a very quiet stretch with no other places in sight. The banana pancake, which was actually a Dutch Baby, and the fried noodles were enjoyable, though I wouldn’t call the food outstanding. The room had several problems: the door lock didn’t work, there was no air conditioning, just a wall fan, and the bath towels felt cheap and made for children. The bathroom sink had very low water pressure, its outlet had no power, and the lighting was poor. The walls were dingy and needed painting.

The restaurant food is delicious and better-priced than most places in town, with a full menu. The lady of the house makes it with love, and she’s the warmth and heart of the place: smiling, playful, and gentle. You’re on the jungle side of the village, across the bridge, about a 10 minute walk through the jungle from the main village path, so it’s out of the way. That also makes it super quiet. We saw all kinds of monkeys from the garden and restaurant, and the river views are lovely, with an easy swim nearby. There are private porches over a big garden. Rooms are simple but clean, with mosquito nets and fans that worked just fine. The bathroom is VERY basic, just a bucket, no spray hose. A peaceful place if you want to feel tucked into the jungle while staying reasonably close to other things.

When we got very sick during our stay, everyone looked after us so kindly. They brought medicine and food and offered to take us to the nearest doctor. Supri had arranged transport from Medan to Bukit Lawang and drove us to the nearest ATM too. Thanks to him, we could postpone the jungle tour flexibly and extend our stay. Wisma Batu Mandi felt like a little paradise and our favourite stop of the whole trip so far. We felt part of the family from the start, especially thanks to Supri, Holanda, and Putra, who welcomed us so warmly. It’s in the forest right by the river, with wonderful animal and water sounds at night. The garden is beautiful and lovingly landscaped, with fruit trees, a great lounge area, three dogs, and cats. The village and small supermarkets are an easy walk away. The restaurant serves delicious Indonesian and Western food and drinks. Thank you so much!