Meet Jeri

I'm Jeri, born and raised in Batang Serangan, just outside Bukit Lawang. I've known this jungle my whole life — its orangutans, its rivers, its silences. I created Wild Bukit Lawang because I want travelers to find this place the way I know it: not as a tourist destination, but as a home. A place with warmth, culture, and extraordinary wildlife.

This isn't just a booking website. It's a bridge. I want to help travelers experience Bukit Lawang authentically, while directly supporting the local guides, homestay owners, and families who make this place what it is.

“Bukit Lawang runs on tourism, and speaking English opens doors for these kids that I didn't have when I was their age. That's the dream: to give them the tools to build their own futures in their own home.”

— Beyond tourism —

Why I teach English to local kids

For the past 3–5 years, I've been teaching English to about 10–20 local children, ages 8 to 16. We meet in the afternoons in a small space in Bukit Lawang — a few times a week, around 4 to 6 PM. Most of them were shy at first. Some couldn't speak a single word in English without blushing. Now? They're confident. They ask questions, they tell stories, they laugh with me in English. Watching that change is the reason I keep going. Bukit Lawang runs on tourism, and speaking English opens doors for these kids that I didn't have when I was their age. That's the dream: to give them the tools to build their own futures in their own home.

— A new kind of tour —

Join the class

Through Wild Bukit Lawang, travelers can now join one of my English lessons for 1-2 hours. You'll chat with the kids, play games, share stories about your country, and help them practice. It's not a performance, it's a real class. Maximum 5 travelers per session to keep it personal. The kids love it, the travelers leave moved, and everyone wins. This is the activity I'm most proud of.

My dream is to see Bukit Lawang known around the world — without losing what makes it special. Come visit. Come trek. Come meet my students. Come see what I see every day.

— Jeri Claudius Sembiring