Eco Tourism at Gunung Palung (Palung Mountain)

Gunung Palung National Park is one of the most important conservation areas in West Kalimantan that characterized by high biodiversity and a wide range of ecosystems with their associated floral and faunal communities. As well as for its great conservation value, the park is also an important centre for research and environmental education, a reservoir of genetic resources and a tourism attraction. Within the park, Lubuk Baji and Kubang Hill has been designated as a site that has high tourism potential due to its extremely diverse flora, fauna and beautiful scenery, including with the interesting Balinese community of Begasing village.

Gunung Palung National Park provides suitable habitats for Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii), including fresh-water swamp forest, peat-swamp forest, lowland dipterocarp forest, and lower mountain forest. They spend most of their lives high in the trees where they feed, eating mainly fruits, leaves, tree-bark and insects. Male orangutan, reaching a weight of 90 kg and an arm-span of up to 2.4 m, have enlarged cheek pads and make distant calls to defend their territory.

The 90 thousand hectare Gunung Palung National Park can be roughly divided into two main types of topography: plain and hill. The hills areas are dominated by lowland dipterocarp forest, while fresh water and peat swamp forest occupy the plains. Additionally littoral and mangrove forests can be found along the coast on the western side, while sub-mountain and cloud forests are found on the higher peaks. Due to the vast extent of pristine rain-forest and the high habitat diversity, the density of wildlife seen here is unparalleled from any other National Park in South East Asia. The park is home to an estimated 2000 to 2500 Orangutans, perhaps 10% of the world’s total!. Agile Gibbons, Proboscis Monkeys, Silver Langurs, Red-leaf Monkeys, Hornbills and many other wildlife are easily observed all over the Park in greater numbers than anywhere else.

Our efforts to conserve the biodiversity and empower the local community by sustainable utilization are develop ecotourism program in the park collaborates with Yayasan Palung (as Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program).

ECOTOURISM SITES

Lubuk Baji

The Lubuk baji camp and adjacent forest are located in a hidden valley on the higher slopes of Mount Sedahan, where several jungle streams meet before jumping into a series of breath taking waterfalls and pools, surrounded by dense natural vegetation and majestic trees. From the top of Batu Bulan (Moon stone) Cliff, visitors can enjoy the marvelous view of the Palung and Panti Mountains, situated right in the middle of the National Park. Spectacular examples of Bornean lowland forest can be witnessed at the Batu Gerbang and Batu Lumut sites, where the large trees, high, close canopy and absence of a dense middle layer allow visitors to spot plenty of arboreal mammals and birds.

Lubuk Baji presents a reasonable chance of seeing wild Orangutans, Gibbons, Red-leaf Monkeys, Malayan Sun Bears, Hornbills, Woodpeckers and many interesting amphibians, reptiles and invertebrates. Floral species include Iron-woods, Dipterocarp trees, ferns and tree-ferns, plenty of fruit trees and various species of beautiful orchids.

Batu Barat

The Kubang River flows through the large swamp forest system found on the north/western portion of the Park. Vegetation communities along the river gradually change from Nypa stands into mangrove ecosystem, with spectacularly rooted trees, to fresh water and peat swamp forests, with large trees bending over the water and abundant epiphytes, to the Kubang Hill, dominated by lowland forest. Wildlife is abundant and easily observed, including Gibbons, Red-leaf monkeys, horn-bills and woodpeckers, arboreal frogs, monitoring lizards and small mammals. Proboscis monkeys are usually found along the large Matan River in the afternoon and early morning, while Orangutans can be spotted along the Kubang River, or up on the hill. The Kubang is easily reached by traditional canoe from the Malay fishing Village of Batu Barat, where visitors can spend a night while learning about the local culture.

Riam Berasap

Riam Berasap is found in the heart of the National Park, on the upper reaches of the Siduk River, which swiftly runs from the high mountain peaks into the southern lowlands. The trail to reach the site departs from the traditional Dayak Village of Nek Doyan, following the Siduk River trough a series of spectacular rapids, canyons and waterfalls, immerse in thick, pristine jungle. Riam Berasap is the largest waterfall in National Park, 10 meters high and 5 wide, forming a vast, crystal clear water pool about 300 m2 wide, at the bank of which is located the main camp-site. Visitors to Riam Berasap can spend several days hiking along the river or climbing on the steep mountain slopes, witnessing the magnificence of one of the best examples of Bornean Primary Rainforest. Wild-life is also abundant and relatively fearless of humans, since the local Dayaks believe this area is inhabited by forest spirits and seldom enter it.

How Get There

GPNP can be accessed from Pontianak by 4 alternatives transportation, that are :

• Pontianak-Ketapang By Airplane, it's take 30 minutes. Departure from Pontianak at 08:00; 12:00; 15:00;Cost Rp 500.000
• Pontianak-Ketapang By Ship, it's take 8 hours;Departure from Pontianak at 08:00 Cost Rp 170.000
• Pontianak-Sukadana By Speed boat, it's take 5 hours;Departure from Pontianak at 08:00; CostRp 170.000
• Pontianak(Rasaujaya port)-Teluk Melano By Speed boat, it's take 4 hours; Departure from Pontianak at 10:00; 12:00;CostRp 130.000

Rules

• Visitors are required to report to the National Park Office in Ketapang or Sukadana or Melano and provide a copy of ID documents.
• Visitors should bring their own personal equipment (ex. mattress, mosquito’s net, boot shoes, hat, etc.)
• Visitors must be accompanied by guide
• Visitors are not allowed to collect any plants or animal from the park
• Visitors should minimize any disturbance to the park
• Camping is only allowed within the designed camping site

Ecotourism Package

If you want to take some ecotourism activities in Gunung Palung National Park you can go to Nasalis Tour and Travel in the main page of this website. The site will explain to you all about package for tourism activities.

(All requirements above, only for tourism purposes visitors. If you have any questions about day to day itinerary, please contact us by email.)

All costs in IDR currency (Indonesian Rupiah). USD 1 = approx. IDR 9,150 (July 2008).

Will you try? Please, visit to our park…

For more information, Please visit : http://gunungpalung.net