Ketambe

Ketambe is a small village on the Alas River in Ketambe Sub-district, Aceh Tenggara Regency, Aceh, serving as the main gateway to Gunung Leuser National Park. Known for its Ketambe Research Station established in 1971 for orangutan study, it offers semi-wild orangutan viewing and dense lowland rainforest. The area is valued for biodiversity, jungle trekking, and river activities within the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra.

Visitors can expect a quiet riverside village surrounded by dense lowland rainforest of Gunung Leuser National Park. The setting is centered on the Alas River with simple guesthouses and homestays. Exploration is on foot with licensed guides on jungle trails to observe semi-wild orangutans, Thomas's leaf monkeys, hornbills and other wildlife, plus river tubing and short walks to the historic Ketambe Research Station area.

Ketambe Research Station was established in 1971 by Dutch primatologist Herman Rijksen for long-term study of Sumatran orangutans. It became a key site for orangutan ecology and conservation research within Gunung Leuser National Park, which is part of the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ketambe lies in the traditional area of the Alas people of Aceh Tenggara. The village reflects local Alas culture and livelihoods linked to the Alas River and surrounding forest, and serves as a community-based ecotourism model supporting conservation and local guiding traditions.