Hi mightymin217,
After texting various contacts in Bukit Lawang I found there is NO elected leader of the guides at this time, but someone has stepped in as a temporary one. So I have contacted this person via text message and told him I have sent him a copy of your post.
And I will be following up on this.
Bukit Lawang has been very dear to my heart since I first visited for just an afternoon in August 2000 and then for 19 days in Jan/Feb 2005 to find out how I could help to bring the travellers back after the devastating flood of Nov 3 2003.
Gathering information on where to stay i.e. Nora's Homestay in the village of Gotong Royong and what good guides to for solo females to use I answered all the questions I could find on the travel forums about Bukit Lawang and after 6 yrs of volunteering work I was told by a reliable western traveller that traveller numbers were back to pre flood days by July 2009.
Photos I took of honest respectful guides who were operating from Nora's Homestay in Jan 2005.
http://travel.webshots.com/album/354912564dvtkJh?start=12
Even back in 2000 Bukit Lawang was getting a terrible reputation of disgusting guides who took advantage of women in every way and many European women were posting on LP Thorn Tree Indonesia forum saying Do not go to BL, not even if you are 2 women because the guides will still con you and treat you in a disgusting way.
It was these posts that prompted me to want to suggest some good reliable guides in BL.
Out of 160+ guides there are only a few bad ones but they are the ones that seem to continuely get work and traumatise female travellers.
Always best to contact a recommended guide before you arrive in BL.
Do NOT leave it to chance and wait until you arrive and then unwittingly chose one of the suspect ones.
No point in putting up photos of the bad ones because they regularly changed their appearance - long or short hair, beard or moustache or clean shaven.
Usually they have at least 2 names and they pick and choose which name they use.
I have personally experienced the 2 name situation and when you ask around no one knows them because they are known by the other name.
In the next day or two I will write another post with recommended guides in Bukit Lawang.
Check out my photos above as these guides are still all operating today and are reliable honest and respectful.
Pamela.
Edited: 8 years ago