Jhonys Backpacker-Guest House only stay here book treking with us

We chose to come here because of all the glowing reviews on Google… but honestly, I don’t understand the five-star ratings.
If you’re on a tight budget, looking for an adventure without joining a group, and you don’t really care about comfort or cleanliness — and your only goal is to see orangutans — then Johny might be a decent option.
However, if you’re hoping to sleep in a clean, well-kept room before and after the trek, receive reliable information about the jungle’s plants and wildlife, be guided by someone who checks in on you during the hike, offers a hand when you slip, and actually engages in conversation — then Johny is definitely not the right choice.
✅ The positives:
• Plenty of food during the trek.
• Rido’s meals were excellent — generous, tasty, and perfectly adapted to my food intolerances, which I really appreciated.
• Johny picks you up at the bus stop.
• He knows the jungle trails well.
• He lets you watch the orangutans as long as you want.
• The young assistants are friendly and enthusiastic (though they don’t seem to know much more than he does about the local fauna).
• The camp is ready when you arrive (and in my opinion, the cushions and blankets were clean).
• He respected our wish to finish the trek on foot rather than by rafting, which we really appreciated.
❌ The negatives:
• The accommodation at Johny’s smells awful, and the bed sheets were covered in mold. His wife didn’t even bother to change them when we left for our night in the jungle.

We had an unforgettable stay at Jhony’s Guesthouse! He arranged affordable private transport from the airport and our trekking. The highlight was definitely the jungle trekking — it was an incredible experience to explore the rainforest with a local guide. We were lucky enough to see wild orangutans and gibbons, which was absolutely magical and something we'll never forget.
The trekking felt very well-organized, and Jhony’s knowledge and passion for the jungle made it all more special. Also his junior guide was very well educated about the jungle.
The guesthouse itself is simple but completely fine; clean, comfortable, and located in a peaceful spot. The food in the jungle was delicious every day, with generous portions and a great variety. You really feel taken care of here.
Highly recommended for anyone looking for a genuine and wild jungle experience in Bukit Lawang! Support the locals!

Came to jhony’s for two days trekking tour through the jungle and was an incredible experience, from the start seeing orangutans and many monkeys around, the five start hotel in the jungle for the first night was special and the next day rafting to coming back to our a accomodation in Bukit lawang was the perfect close. Thanks jhony.

During our trip through Indonesia, we made a stop in Bukit Lawang to trek through the jungle in search of the famous orangutans. Without any prior bookings, we headed straight to Johny’s Guesthouse, where we were immediately welcomed. Even though we hadn’t booked a tour yet, Johny was incredibly hospitable and offered us a stay at his place, no strings attached.
Initially, we had considered booking a tour via TripAdvisor, but after chatting with Johny, his knowledge and passion for the jungle quickly won us over. His thorough explanation of the trekking details convinced us that we were in great hands, as his experience and love for the area truly stood out.
A big plus for us was how seriously Johny took our dietary restrictions (allergies to nuts and eggs). He made sure that all the meals provided during our trek were prepared with care, which allowed us to fully enjoy the trip without any worries.
We embarked on a 3-day, 2-night trek into the jungle. We were fortunate enough to see eight orangutans, including some with babies, as well as Thomas leaf monkeys, short — and pig-tailed macaques, and even a stunning hornbill bird. The jungle was teeming with fascinating wildlife, from insects to vibrant plant life, making every moment an adventure.
Both Johny and our second guide, Lana, were incredibly patient with us, especially since we brought along camera equipment and often took our time waiting for that perfect shot.

What can I say about this experience with Jhony, I'll just tell you that I had tears in my eyes after I saw an orangutan with his son a meter away from me.
A breathtaking experience, I was speechless.
All this thanks to Jhony and Lana our guide and assistant guide.
The trek in the forest is long but super pleasant, we often stop to watch the orangutans and also to eat.
Then, spending the night in the forest was a hell of an experience, a 5 star hotel as Jhony says, and that's how it was.
He doesn't force anyone to book the trek with him and in fact he is super open and super honest with everyone.
But if you do the trek with him you won't regret it.

Super central and convenient, great budget accommodation. Jhony is a very nice helpful and honest guy — have not tried the jungle trek but will surely do next time.
100% reccommended.