Fellow travellers,  I just returned from a last minute trip going from my home in Chicago to Thailand, Malaysia and Sumatra, Indonesia.  My goals for the trip were birdwatching, nature and photography.  I was a bit anxious about finding qualified guidance as going solo in some of the remote areas of Asia means you are going to miss out on a lot.   Fortunately I was lucky enough to connect with Rudianto Sembiring of Medan, Sumatra. Rudy picked me up from my hotel on Monday morning in his truck and I was immediatelty struck by his charming personality as well as his openness while processing my described goals for our time together.  Although I only signed up for a three days I decided to stay for five.  Three nights at the national park, including one night camping in the jungle, then one night at the fabulous Lake Toba.  I don't have enough space for all the details, but I do have more to say about Rudy. Fantastic driver (you do not want to seldf drive here) Great connections with all the folks on the route who will 100 per cent add value to your time,  deep involvement in many aspects of conservation in which he is a global celebrity, and finally he puts his clients first and foremost.  Do ask Rudy about his excellent coffee shop for a righteous cup of Sumatran Arabica.    Thanks Rudy for an awesome trip!  PS, we had an awesome encounter with three orangutans!