ABOUT SIMOLAP HOT SPRING
A hidden eco-destination at the edge of Gunung Leuser National Park
The story of Simolap
Simolap Hot Spring is a unique natural place located at the edge of Gunung Leuser National Park in North Sumatra. The hot spring has long been considered sacred by local communities, where offerings and prayers are still made today.In 2016, Agus Sitepu gathered a team of family and friends from the village to develop the site for local tourism, and at the same time found with them a local ngo named KPL, to protect this part of Leuser National Park from illegal activities.Together Agus, KPL and local volunteers built the access road, brought electricity from the nearby village, and created the hot spring pool, restaurant and facilities, after 1 year and half of hard work. In the first years, Simolap became a popular destination for local visitors and helped create jobs for the team and nearby villagers.
A Community and Conservation Project
Simolap Hot Spring is managed in collaboration with the local organization KPL (Komunitas Penyelamatan Leuser, in english the Community Protecting Leuser). Since 2016, Agus with his family, friends and team, work hard daily and with passion to create this ideal place. The project combines eco-tourism, community development, environmental conservation and education. The site has also strong partnership with the locals autorities, rangers of the Leuser National Park and worldwide ngo's to develop eco-tourism, welcome international volunteers and improve conservation actions.
Nature and
Biodiversity
Simolap is surrounded by rich tropical biodiversity. Visitors can discover waterfalls, rivers, caves and pristine rainforest landscapes from the Leuser National Park and ecosystem. Around the hot spring area, visitors will find large rainforest trees, gardens, collection of tropical plants and a bamboo water stream flowing from the hot spring to the river. Nearby, agroforestry gardens and plantations include fruit trees such as durian, rambutan, mangosteen and banana, as well as spices like betel palm, pepper, candlenut, young cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
Protecting Forest
and Wildlife
Beyond eco-tourism, Simolap supports conservation and sustainable land management. The project develops agroforestry systems and tree plantations while protecting surrounding forest areas near Gunung Leuser National Park. Visitors and volunteers can participate in useful treks as wildlife monitoring, border patrol and primary rainforest expeditions, and also take part in reforestation, agroforestry, environmental education and other sustainable tourism initiatives.
