When I was little, growing up in Queensland, Australia, I took a wildlife rescue course. I took great pride in being the youngest ever participant at Wildcare at the innocent age of 10. We learnt how to respond to native animals that had been injured. Some had been hit by Read more…
Choosing the right clothing for a country can be a daunting task. There’s a delicate balance between dressing for the environment and being respectful to local customs, which can definitely limit options. When people think of Sumatra they think hot, humid, tropical. This is very true for the cities, but Read more…
It’s July and the driest time of the year in this narrow rainforest valley. The Gurah River from the jungle meets the Alas River snaking its way south between the two mountain ranges. Then spreads out into a miniature delta behind Ketambe village. The rain hasn’t come for over a Read more…
The incredible great red ape is one of our closest relatives and have adapted to life in the jungle in amazing ways. Many years ago they were spread throughout South-East Asia, all the way to China. Today only three distinct species remain. The Bornean orangutan (Pongo Pygmaeus), the Tapanuli orangutan Read more…
After years spent planning, saving, dreaming and waiting out covid – it finally becomes real. Our little slice of hilltop heaven in the valley of the Gunung Leuser National Park is difficult to walk up, let alone drive up. Before we can begin building our home and ecolodge, or replanting Read more…
I first travelled to Ketambe in 2016 when I met Safar. Since then it’s been a rollercoaster of exciting new experiences and cultural differences – some of which I may never get used to! Here are my top 10: 1. Conversations can switch between different languages without a second Read more…
Tomorrow it finally begins. Years of planning, dreaming, imagining, saving and waiting. We bought this little slice of nature nearly 4 years ago. One and a half hectares of Gunung Setan, a steep slope with 3 flattish peaks and a scattering of banana, rubber and durian trees between the villages Read more…