Start: 20th August 2025 | End: 30th August 2025 | Meeting location: Kuala Namu | Spaces available: 6
Included in the tour:
- Expert herpetologist guides.
- Transport.
- Private room.
- Meals & drinks.
- Entry fees.
Nights 1 - 5 & 10: Berastagi
We begin our first Sumatra herping expedition in the highlands of Berastagi, beneath the Mount Sibayak active volcano. This submontane rainforest habitat is packed with rare and unique species of herpetofauna, including many endemic species which have almost never been photographed before. Our biggest target in this area is the incredibly impressive Gunalen's pit viper (Trimeresurus gunaleni), a large, black-banded green pit viper endemic to the highlands of Northern Sumatra. These are heavily poached for the pet trade and extremely rare in most areas we can access, but our team found areas at the upper elevations where we can reliably encounter them.
Gunalen's pit viper is just one of several pit viper species which inhabit the highlands of North Sumatra, and we will check out some trails at slightly lower elevations for the Lake Toba pit viper (Trimeresurus sabahi toba), also very beautiful with its blue interstitial skin, pink ventrolateral stripe and bright red eyes. Even in the mossy submontane forest, we can find the Sumatran leaf-nosed pit viper (Craspedocephalus andalasensis), while the ultimate holy grail find is the ever-elusive Sumatran clade of the mountain pit viper (Ovophis cf. convictus). Even the local poachers have hardly ever seen them, but they do exist in the area.
This area is rife with extremely special frogs and especially lizards. One of the rarest and most impressive lizards in the world, the Modigliani's nose-horned lizard (Harpesaurus modiglianii), occurs here and we will try our hardest to find one during our stay in the area. We have a great chance to see the huge and endemic Manthey's mountain dragon (Gonocephalus lacunosus), and will surely see many of the two endemic Dendragama species present in the area. Most frog species occurring in the area are endemic to Sumatra, pictured above are just a small selection of the interesting species we have observed here.
Red-headed krait (Bungarus flaviceps)
Striped bronzeback (Dendrelaphis caudolineatus)
Wallace's flying frog (Rhacophorus nigropalmatus)
Speckle-headed vine snake (Ahaetulla fasciolata)
Matang beautiful frog (Pulchrana signata)
Sumatran leaf-nosed pit viper (Craspedocephalus andalasensis)
Ampat Lawang reed snake (Calamaria leucogaster)
Malaccan slug snake (Asthenodipsas malaccanus)
False file-eared tree frog (Polypedates pseudotilophus)
Harlequin flying frog (Rhacophorus pardalis)
Sumatran cobra (Naja sumatrana)
King cobra (Ophiophagus hannah)
Elegant bronzeback (Dendrelaphis formosus)
Long-nosed horned frog (Pelobatrachus nasuta)
Wagler's pit viper (Tropidolaemus wagleri)
Hagen's pit viper (Trimeresurus hageni).
Jasper cat snake (Boiga jaspidea)
Sumatran leaf-nosed pit viper (Craspedocephalus andalasensis)
Nights 6 - 9: Ketambe
After our first 5 days at Berastagi, we will drive deep into the valleys of Northern Sumatra, over the provincial border to Aceh, where we will stay in remote rainforest chalets surrounded by primary rainforest. The elevation varies from around 400 - 600 meters above sea level, so we will can see a seemingly endless diversity of lowland-dwelling species.
This area is the best place in Sumatra to observe the awesome Sumatran leaf-nosed pit viper (Craspedocephalus andalasensis), while both Hagen's pit viper (Timeresurus hageni) and Wagler's pit viper (Tropidolaemus wagleri) are both common in the garden of our resort. One of our goals for this expedition is to hike deep into the primary rainforest valleys in the area and search for Sumatran pit viper (Trimeresurus sumatranus), very rare in the region but possible to encounter here.
While there are not as many endemic species here as in the highlands of Berastagi, there are records of several rare endemic snakes for us to search for, while we observed multiple endemic frog species during our scouting trip here. There are also multiple impressive Gonocephalus sp. endemic to North Sumatra occurring in Ketambe. Obviously this is a herping trip, but it must be noted that wild Orangutan can be seen regularly in the garden of our resort, along with many other mammals, birds and other interesting wildlife.
Accommodation & washing:
The accommodation on this expedition will be a comfortable hotel in the cool-weather highlands of Berastagi and jungle bungalows while in Ketambe. You will always have access to electricity (assuming no power outage) and a western bathroom as a minimum. Both areas do not get hot enough to warrant air conditioning at night or during the daytime. All hotels are supposed to have hot water, but it can be unreliable. You must ensure you get a TELKOMSEL sim card if you want to have 4g/5g signal throughout the expedition. There will be an opportunity to wash dirty clothes at a laundrette on day 5 of the expedition.
Food:
The food options during the tour are highly varied, with both western and asian cuisine available at every meal in Berastagi, while our food in Ketambe will consist mainly of locally sourced food. This is often grilled chicken with rice and curry, pancakes, and other appetising dishes.
Environmental conditions & fitness:
While in Berastagi, the weather will rarely exceed 26c and can drop as low as 16c at night, so ensure you pack some warmer clothing for our hiking at night. We must expect rain almost every day of the expedition, so at least one rain-jacket is necessary. We will have options for our guests to hike both easier and more challenging trails during this expedition. No walk is mandatory, but we expect guests to be able to hike an absolute minimum of 10 kilometres per day on uneven terrain.
Travel information:
All participants must arrive in Kuala Namu Airport before midday (12:00pm) on the 20th August 2025 at the absolute latest, but we advise you to arrive the day before and get a good night of sleep before we begin. We will return to Kuala Namu airport on the 30th August 2025 at around 3pm, when the tour ends, so we recommend booking your flight out at 5pm at the earliest.
It is the guests’ responsibility to meet all entry requirements needed to enter Indonesuia, including visa procedures. Guests travelling from most countries can pay for a Visa On Arrival within the airport. Make sure to check the entry requirements for your country before booking.
