Tangkahan has become known as an eco-tourism hub because of its location on the border of the Gunung Leuser National Park. Though curious elephants can sometimes be troublesome to local villagers, the people of Gunung Leuser National Park have turned the curiosity of these intelligent animals in their favor. The borders of the national park are patrolled by 7 elephants who help to keep the park safe from poachers and illegal loggers.
When the elephants aren’t on their rounds protecting the park and the local villages, you can get to know them and help bathe them, every day at 9 am and 4 pm. This small village is located at the confluence of the Buluh and Batang Rivers, making it the ideal location for jungle trekking, hiking and other eco-tourism activities. If you’re looking to relax some sore muscles after a long day of hiking, be sure to book a room at the Jungle Lodge where you can jump into the river for a swim through the cooling waters and the naturally heated waters of hot spring that bubbles up into the river. Just before the junction of the two rivers, you can also find a waterfall where you can perch yourself on a rock and let the waters fall down onto your back, giving you a wonderful massage.