The mesmerising sounds of the rainforest as darkness falls in Gunung Leuser national park.

My expedition to Sumatra in 2023 was a great reminder that it takes hard work, blood and sweat to capture pristine jungle soundscapes. The forests of Leuser NP are thick with undergrowth, almost impenetrable. There are a few footpaths close to villages but that would not suffice for our purposes. As soon as you veer off the path and into the forest, you have to start cutting through thick vines at every step. Progress is painfully slow in the high humidity and heat. Additionally, the speed at which these plants grow is astonishing - paths cut one day might be completely overgrown in less than a week.

Add to that the abundance of rattan-like spiky vines and the occasional clump of poison ivy. And also the myriad of leeches that will easily and quickly get under your clothes. The ground is very slippery and unstable. Also, mosquitoes and flies and other bloodthirsty insects. And once you have an open wound from thorns or biting creatures, spores and bacteria in the soil ready to hitch a ride in your bloodstream. We became intimately familiar with all of these in the space of a few weeks.

Fortunately (or not?) there is no other way to access this fascinating landscape. You can't fly or drive in and capture pristine soundscapes the next moment. Nature makes you feel painfully humble by the time you're far enough into the wilderness, and that is a blessing in disguise. With this newly acquired humility comes an openness to hearing more than just a cacophony of sounds, or your own heavy breathing and heartbeat. You start to appreciate the beauty of this raw environment much more than if it would have simply offered itself to you.

At the end of a grueling day of vertical hiking, I lie in bed in my little hut overlooking the edge of the forest with just a mosquito net between myself and the jungle. The piercing insect chorus lulls me to sleep as the oppressive heat dies out. A lone Argus pheasant calls, looking for a mate. A thunderstorm can be heard in the distance for a few minutes before it makes contact and then moves on. Life in the jungle is not easy, but I loved every minute of my time here. I hope you can experience some of this by listening to my recording.

Recorded with Sony PCM A10 and Clippy EM272 microphones in Gunung Leuser National Park, North Sumatra. Enjoying the videos I upload on here? Feel free to support me by:
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