KETAMBE (aka Gurah) is little more than six hotels and a sprinkling of houses at the very edge of the Gunung Leuser national park, a ninety-minute bus ride north of Kutacane. There's nothing to do here except plan a trek in the park , or recover from one. At the northern end of Ketambe is a small kiosk, where you can pick up a permit (Rp2000) for the park. All the travel agencies in Ketambe organize rafting trips down Sungai Alas, lasting between one and five days, averaging about US$100 per day including food and permit. It's a very good idea to inspect your raft before you go to make sure it's riverworthy; life jackets are a must too.

Two of Ketambe's homestays , the PHPA Guest House ($5-10) and the Gurah Bungalows ($20-25), are actually inside the park beyond the entrance gates. The Gurah Bungalows have the best accommodation, with spotless doubles. South of the gates, the Sadar Wisata (tel 0629/21406; $5-10) offers attractive wooden bungalows on the banks of the Alas; the en-suite bungalows at Pondok Wisata Ketambe (tel 0629/21289; under $5) are similarly charming; and Pondok Cinta Alam (under $5), nearest the park entrance, is older and scruffier but has the cheapest rooms.