Small, remote and proudly untouched and unchartered, Tangkahan is as close as many travellers will come to going into the real wilds of Indonesia. A cloak of waxy jungle covers this little corner of northern Sumatra; a web of mud-track walkways and tenuous rope bridges criss-cross its wilds; wild elephants silhouette between its tree trunks and rivers gush and flow between its rocky creeks and rainforests.

Anchored on a small roadside conglomeration of lean-to bungalows and bamboo guesthouses, this region is now being hailed as the eco-tourism golden boy of Southeast Asia. Tangkahan tour guides are also Tangkahan’s protectors, religiously devoted to the preservation of the habitats and jungles all around them. Today, they offer programs introducing travellers to the lands of the Gunung Leuser National Park (the borders of which sit very close by), along with sustainable elephant trekking. The spot also boasts its own hot springs and sheer-cut waterfalls, all to be enjoyed far from the usual crowds and organised tours.