The Tangkahan elephant sanctuary is a hidden paradise in Indonesia where you can wash and interact with semi-wild Sumatra elephants in their natural environment.
This riverside elephant habitat sits on the edge of the Gunung Leuser National Park, which is one of the most important (and threatened) rainforests in the world, and the jungle has a great variety of rare animals.
Tangkahan is easy to visit from the popular orangutan trekking hub of Bukit Lawang, or there’s plenty of accommodation for people who might want to stay there longer and spend more time with the Sumatran elephants.
This blog post will explain how to get to Tangkahan, where to stay, and everything else you need to know before you go!
Drone pic of Tangkahan
Tangkahan Elephant Sanctuary: What To Expect
The Gunung Leuser National Park is a protected jungle area in North Sumatra where you can see all kinds of animals, including tigers, orangutans, rare birds & lizards, and much more.
This rainforest, and the animals in it, are threatened by illegal deforestation and poaching, and the Sumatran elephants are critically endangered.
At the Tangkahan Elephant Sanctuary, they have 9 rescued elephants (a baby was born in 2021) and you can pet them, feed them, and help bathe them in the river. It was a great experience!
They used to let you ride the elephants too, although that’s been discontinued. Instead, you can go walking with the elephants in the jungle.
From what we saw, the elephants are well cared for, have lots of freedom of movement, and seemed very happy when we visited.
I’ll discuss the ethics and conservation aspect a bit later in this guide.
• Elephant Washing
One of the main activities at Tangkahan is the elephant washing, where you can bathe and scrub a Sumatran elephant in the river.
Sadly they weren’t letting tourists join the elephant washing when we visited, so we’ll have to come back for that sometime!
• River Lunch
We booked a half day tour of Tangkahan through our hotel, and one of the things it included was a lunch by the riverside.
They made a hilarious jungle crown for Intan using fern leaves, and then fixed a meal for us that included fresh fruit, veggies, rice, chicken, and fish.
It was fun, and the scenery at the river was amazing. The water was a nice turquoise color.
• Waterfalls
There are a bunch of small waterfalls near Tangkahan, including some where you can swim.
The waterfalls are very close to the village and barely require any hiking, but they may involve stream crossings, so a waterproof bag is a good idea for your electronics.
• Jungle Trekking
The most popular place for jungle trekking is Bukit Lawang (which is where we did most of our treks), but you can also trek at Tangkahan and the experience is similar.
Gunung Leuser is an amazing jungle habitat where you can see wild orangutans, gibbons, Thomas leaf monkeys, long tailed macaques, monitor lizards, giant ants, limestone caves, spectacular banyan trees, and other jungle sights.
There’s also the possibility of seeing rare birds, Sumatran tigers, rhinos, sun bears, pig tailed macaques, vipers, cobras, kraits, and many other things.
Natural tree swing from a jungle vine!
Sumatran Elephant Conservation
Sumatran elephants are critically endangered because of illegal deforestation and poaching. Their native habitat in Sumatra is being destroyed by humans and replaced with crops.
Even though the elephant is protected under Indonesian law, the government hasn’t done much to enforce it, and 50% of the world’s Sumatran elephants died between 1985 and 2007.
Sadly, conservationists think that the Sumatran elephant may become extinct in the wild in less than 10 years if the poaching isn’t stopped.
This is important to understand, because rescue sanctuaries like this one at Tangkahan are a necessity. They give the elephants a place where they can live and reproduce in peace.
Tangkahan isn’t perfect, but the hope is that the tourist money flowing into places like this will help incentivize the proper protection of these animals so we can keep enjoying them in the future.
We never noticed any kind of distress from the animals, and they actually seemed really happy and healthy. You can always tell if elephants are in a good mood by the wagging tail, just like dogs.
Dental checkup
How To Get To Tangkahan Elephant Sanctuary
Tangkahan is located in north Sumatra, Indonesia.
The nearest international airport is in the city of Medan (KNO). Medan gets daily flights from places like Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Jakarta, starting at 500k Rupiah (~$30 USD) for a one way ticket. You can shop for flights to Medan at Skyscanner.
Tangkahan is a 3+ hour drive from Medan city, or 1 hour from Bukit Lawang. If you’re coming from the Medan airport in heavy traffic, it can be 4+ hours of driving.
Most of the road to Tangkahan is in good shape and it was redone recently. Your hotel can arrange a driver to pick you up from Medan, or you can book a driver online here.
The other option is to book a tour to Tangkahan from Bukit Lawang. This can be a good idea because Lawang has better hotels and more things to do.
Morning views on the road to Tangkahan
Best Tangkahan Tour
Here’s a top rated Tangkahan tour package with Klook for seeing the elephants at Gunung Leuser National Park, starting from either Bukit Lawang or Medan.
They have a one day tour starting from Bukit Lawang, or a 3D2N tour starting from Medan that also includes the orangutan trekking at Bukit Lawang.
This tour is a good option if you’re staying outside of Tangkahan, but want to spend at least one day seeing the Sumatran elephant sanctuary.
We’ve used Klook for lots of tours and activities around the world, and they’re great. Highly recommended!
Book Now: Tangkahan Elephant Tour
Tangkahan Accommodation – Where To Stay
Tangkahan has a bunch of budget friendly hotels that are basic, but comfortable.
Here are some of our top picks:
- Green Forest Tangkahan – Single rooms and family rooms available plus free breakfast.
- Green Lodge Tangkahan – Garden views on the north side of Tangkahan village.
- Mountain View Cottages & Restaurant – Garden or mountain view with free breakfast.
There’s also the option of staying at a hotel in Bukit Lawang or Medan, and doing a day trip to Tangkahan from there.
Bukit Lawang has more hotel options than Tangkahan, and more things to do, so it’s generally a better place to base yourself in my opinion.
The main reason to stay at Tangkahan would be to get more time with the elephants, because this is the only place you can see them.
Other Tangkahan Tips
- ATM: There’s no ATM in Tangkahan, so make sure you bring enough cash. The nearest ATM is in the village of Titi Mangga, about 20 minutes from Tangkahan, otherwise there’s one outside of Bukit Lawang. You can also pay things by bank transfer, but credit cards generally aren’t accepted.
- Hotels: The accommodation in Tangkahan is pretty basic, but it’s improving. Expect cold showers and fan only, no A/C. The fan should be enough to keep you cool at night. Electricity is stable, but sometimes there are short outages.
- WiFi: There’s almost no WiFi in the village or at any of the hotels in Tangkahan, but that may change before too long.
- Cell Service: Telkomsel has decent 3G/4G reception in the village. We were able to use this for a hotspot at times.
- Restaurants: There aren’t really many standalone restaurants yet, but you can eat all of your meals at your Tangkahan accommodation. Many of the hotels include free breakfast.
- Safety: We spent months traveling as a couple in North Sumatra and overall it’s very safe. Just take normal precautions. If you’re a solo female traveler, you can ask about joining a trekking group with other tourists.
- Mosquitoes: According to this Lancet study from 2018, Malaria is rare in this part of Sumatra. I’ve never heard of a tourist getting Malaria from mosquitoes in the Bukit Lawang area. However, it’s still a very good idea to sleep inside a mosquito net and wear repellant while out and about, just in case. Malaria can be nasty and dangerous.
More Things To Do Near Tangkahan
• Bukit Lawang: Orangutan Trekking
Bukit Lawang is the main trekking town at the Gunung Leuser National Park, and it’s one of the best places to see the Sumatran orangutans in the wild.
Don’t forget to check out my complete guide for trekking and seeing orangutans at Lawang! This is a must do on your visit to North Sumatra.
It’s only a 1 hour drive from Tangkahan to Bukit Lawang, or vice versa.
Read More: Bukit Lawang Orangutan Trekking
• Batu Katak: Rafflesia & Titan Flower Trekking
Batu Katak is another small village on the east side of Leuser where you can do flower trekking to see the giant Rafflesia and Titan Arum, two of the biggest flowers in the world!
This was one of the best highlights of our visit to North Sumatra. The Titan Arum flowers can grow to be 3 meters (10 feet) tall! There’s also several limestone water caves to see near Batu Katak, but I had an injured leg so we didn’t get to do the cave treks yet.
Batu Katak is 3 hours south of Tangkahan, or 40 minutes south of Bukit Lawang. You can message Joe on WhatsApp (☎ +62 812-6340-3452) and he can arrange your pickup, trekking, and other info. He’s a local, and he was a huge help for planning our trip.
When To Visit Tangkahan
Gunung Leuser National Park has a tropical rainforest climate that doesn’t seem to follow the same weather patterns as the rest of Indonesia. You can find a monthly breakdown here.
I wouldn’t stress about when to visit. Every month is rainy at Tangkahan, because it’s a rainforest! The driest months are February, March, June, and July, but the rainfall is still much higher than places like Bali.
We went in December and the weather was good for seeing the elephants. The rain usually comes in the evenings or at night, and only lasts a few hours.
Most tourists come in June to August, so if you want to avoid the crowds, pick a different month. Happy travels!
See Also
- Most Beautiful Indonesian Islands – Best Places To Visit In Indonesia
- Best Hikes In Indonesia – Volcanoes, Jungles, & Waterfalls
- Indonesia Waterfall Guide – Best Waterfalls In Indonesia
- Indonesia Beach Guide – Best Beaches In Indonesia
- Best Things To Do In Indonesia – What To Do In The Islands
- Indonesia Travel Guide – Tips, Info, & Photos
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