Rimba Ecolodge

Accessible only by boat, Rimba Ecolodge sits on a remote stretch of West Sumatra’s coast, where rainforest meets the sea. Backed by the jungle-covered Bukit Barisan mountains and facing a curve of black-sand beach, it’s part of a grassroots conservation project run by a Franco-Indonesian non-profit. Accommodation is in simple, open-sided bungalows made from rattan and local wood, all with sea views and shaded verandas. Wildlife is ever-present: gibbons call from the canopy, hornbills swoop overhead, and turtles occasionally nest on the beach. Rimba Ecolodge supports the surrounding community through education, reforestation, and ranger training programmes. Guests can join guided forest treks, snorkel in coral-rich bays, or simply watch the light shift over the Indian Ocean from a hammock.