BEST PLACES TO SEE ORANGUTANS
Some orangutan rehabilitation centres are open to visitors, but there is nothing like spotting these noble creatures in the wild.
Sumatra – Bukit Lawang Home to around 5000 orangutans, this rehabilitation centre allows you to get up close and personal with Asia's great apes.
Kalimantan – Tanjung Puting National Park Several stations feed free-roaming ex-captive orangutans reached by a romantic jungle river cruise.
Kalimantan – Palangka Raya Circumnavigate Sungai Kahayan's Orangutan Island in high style.
Kalimantan – Kutai National Park The most accessible place to see wild orangutans, and hear chainsaws.
Komodo Dragons
Tales of evil beasts with huge claws, menacing teeth and yellow forked tongues floated around the islands of Nusa Tenggara for centuries. This continued until around 100 years ago, when the first Westerners brought one out of its namesake island home near Flores.
As mean as these 3m-long 150kg lizards look, their disposition is worse. Scores of humans have perished after being attacked, and Komodos regularly stalk and eat small deer. One researcher compared the sound of a Komodo pounding across the ground in pursuit to that of a machine gun. They have also been known to follow bite victims for miles, waiting as the venom from glands located between their teeth slowly poisons and kills their prey within 24 hours.
In 2011, the International Rhino Foundation declared the Javan rhino extinct in Vietnam, leaving the estimated 60 living on Java's Ujung Kulon Peninsula the only examples left in the wild.
Birds
Astrapias, sicklebills, rifle birds and manucodes are just a few of the 1600 species of exotic feathered creatures you'll see in the skies of Indonesia, 380 of which you'll only find here. On Papua alone, there isn't just one species called 'bird of paradise', but 30. For many a birder, watching a pair of these perform their spectacular mating dance is the dream of a lifetime.
Birdwatching is popular in many of the national parks. Guides are often fantastic at spotting birds, but may not know much more about them than you. The second edition of A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Indonesia is your most comprehensive resource. On Sulawesi, Tangkoko-Batuangas Dua Saudara Nature Reserve has regular birdwatching tours. In Bali, you can go on guided bird walks in and around Ubud.
Papua easily wins the birdwatching crown, however. Its range of birds includes migrating species from Australia and as far afield as Siberia.
Birds of Paradise
Papua's glamorous birds of paradise are a product of extreme sexual selection. In a place where food is abundant, and predators scarce, the main factor deciding who gets to reproduce is the female's choice of mate – and, it turns out, the ladies love a flamboyant fella.
While the female tends to look unremarkable, male birds of paradise may be adorned with fancy plumage, perform elaborate dances, or develop bizarre calls, all with the hopes of inspiring a lady to give him her number. The Wilson's bird of paradise, endemic to Indonesia, has both bright red and yellow feathers, as well as a curling tail like a handlebar moustache, while the Parotia dons a tutu and twirls for his potential mate.
For a stunning all-access look at the world's 39 birds of paradise, pick up the National Geographic coffee table book, Birds of Paradise: Revealing the World's Most Extraordinary Birds, by Tim Lamen and Edwin Scholes.
Life Underwater
Indonesia's incredible range of life on land is easily matched beneath the waves. The waters around Komodo, Sulawesi, the north coast of Papua, and even some spots in Java, Bali and Kalimantan are home to a kaleidoscope of corals, reef dwellers and pelagic marine life. In the Raja Ampat region of Papua there are at least 450 species of coral, six times more than found in the entire Caribbean. Thriving in that environment are over 1600 species of fish, with divers encountering up to 300 in a single dive. Manta rays are also found in abundance, along with 118 species of shark, including the endangered hammerhead and sawtooth.
Exit the oceans to head upriver, and the story continues: Irrawaddy dolphins and finless porpoises occupy many of Indonesia's bays; a single population of truly freshwater dolphins (called pesut) can be found in Kalimantan's Mahakam River; and the world's smallest fish (paedocypris progenetica, 7.9mm) occupies Sumatra's peat swamps.
One hawksbill turtle that visited Bali was tracked for the following year. Its destinations: Java, Kalimantan, Australia (Perth and much of Queensland) and then back to Bali.
Plants
Indonesia's plant diversity rivals the Amazon, and its botanical riches have defined its history. Wars were fought over the archipelago's spices while high-value timber extraction has opened the forests for settlement and further exploitation.
Many species are showy bloomers, though these are usually rare outside of cultivated areas. Orchids are abundant (2500 different species at last count) and are best seen at Bali's excellent botanical gardens. You can expect a riot of fragrant frangipani, lotus and hibiscus blossoms as well as a festival of other blooms across the archipelago. Impossibly complex heliconias hang from vines in all their multifaceted crimson, orange and golden glory.
Amid all of the flashy flora are many edible plants, including some of the world's most (in)famous fruits. Queen Victoria is reported to have been manic for the subtly sweet mangosteen from Maluku, while some strains of Kalimantan's durian are sought after by connoisseurs. Bananas are common in many varieties, all very different from the supermarket sameness back home.
Meanwhile, in forested areas, regal trees provide welcome shade from the equatorial sunshine. As you trek below, the plants in the canopy above are locked in a deadly battle for that very same sun. Towering dipterocarp rely on brute strength to push through the canopy, while vines and lianas sneak their way to the top on the shoulders of giants. Some fig species start life clinging to the upper branches of other trees before dropping a network of roots that surround, strangle, and occasionally kill their host.
Look for coffee plantations, especially in the hills of Bali near Munduk. On Maluku – the original Spice Island – you can still catch the scent of vanilla and cloves, the latter most often wafting off the glowing end of a sweet kretek cigarette.
But it wouldn't be Indonesia without some real characters. Consider Rafflesia arnoldii, the world's largest flower, and the Amorphophallus titanum, the world's tallest flower. Both can be found, usually by their smell, on Sumatra and parts of Kalimantan and Java.
In areas where the soils are poor, some plants have become carnivores. Nepenthes species, known as pitcher plants, lure ants and other insects into their slippery chambers full of digestive juices. When things get really tough, some turn to even more alternative sources of nitrogen: bat guano and shrew poop.
Norway has placed $1 billion on the table to encourage Indonesia to get a handle on deforestation and climate change.
National Parks & Protected Areas
Despite a constant nipping at the edges by illegal loggers and farmers, Indonesia still has large tracts of protected forest and parks, and many new protected areas have been gazetted in recent years. National parks receive greater international recognition and funding than nature, wildlife and marine reserves, of which there are also many in Indonesia.
Most of Indonesia's national parks are isolated, but the extra effort required to get to them is more than rewarded by the country's magnificent wilderness. Visitor facilities are minimal at best, but at many of the parks you'll find locals who are enthusiastic about their land and are ready to guide you to its hidden gems.
Environmental Issues
Deforestation
Indonesia's islands continue to be deforested at an alarming rate through illegal logging, conversion to palm-oil plantations, and mining. Since the year 2000, over 16 million hectares of forest cover have been cleared in Indonesia, an area roughly the size of Greece. Six million hectares of that were old growth forest, with almost half of that occurring in theoretically protected areas. And this rate
does not seem to be abating; indeed, in both 2009 and 2012 as much as two million hectares of forest was destroyed. Indonesia now destroys its forests almost twice as fast as Brazil.
Feeling the heat of international pressure, Indonesia issued a sweeping moratorium on logging in 2011 that left loopholes large enough to drive a fleet of logging trucks through. Deforestation actually increased. Meanwhile, companies independently make grandiose green-washing pledges to end their deforestation, then turn around and hire local smallholders to clear and plant the land for them. The forestry department draws lines around swaths of newly protected land, while local ministers use different maps to carve it up and sell the logging rights. The government declares formal recognition of indigenous people's right to manage their forests, but their claims are then contested in long-running legal battles.
Mineral Extraction
Coal, oil, gold, nickel, tin, aluminium, copper, iron ore, diamonds…what lies beneath Indonesia's forest is just as tempting for exploitation as what grows above. Although mining can be done in an ecologically responsible manner, a lack of oversight and poor enforcement of regulations has resulted in a legacy of environmental disaster. Vast swaths of land have been dug open with little regard for environmental impact and almost no reclamation.
A ban on export of raw ore enacted in early 2015 will have serious implications for Indonesia as companies rush to build domestic smelters. These processing facilities will require extensive infrastructure investments, including power plants and roads, and will further tax natural resources. Environmental groups also worry that the historical lack of industry oversight in Indonesia will allow these new plants to cut corners and ignore safeguards.
TOP 10 NATIONAL PARKS & RESERVES FOR TRAVELLERS
Park Location Features Activities Best time to Visit Page
Gunung Leuser Sumatra rivers, rainforest, mountains; tigers, rhinoceros, elephants, primates such as orangutans, white-breasted Thomas's leaf monkeys orangutan viewing, wildlife spotting, birdwatching; trekking, rafting Dec-Mar (Click here)
Tanjung Puting Kalimantan tropical rainforest, mangrove forest, wetlands; orangutans, macaques, proboscis monkeys, diverse wildlife orangutan viewing, birdwatching May-Sep (Click here)
Kelimutu Nusa Tenggara coloured lakes vulcanology, short walks Apr-Sep (Click here)
Gunung Rinjani Nusa Tenggara volcano volcano hiking Apr-Sep (Click here)
Ujung Kulon Java lowland rainforest, scrub, grassy plains, swamps, sandy beaches; one-horned rhinoceros, otters, squirrels, white-breasted Thomas's leaf monkeys, gibbons jungle walks; wildlife spotting Apr-Oct (Click here)
Gunung Bromo Java volcanic landscape crater climbing Apr-Oct (Click here)
Pulau Bunaken Sulawesi coral-fringed islands snorkelling, diving, island lazing Jun-Jan (Click here)
Kerinci Seblat Sumatra mountainous rainforest, one of Sumatra’s highest peaks trekking; wildlife spotting, birdwatching Dec-Mar (Click here)
Komodo Nusa Tenggara Komodo dragon snorkelling, diving; being chased by wildlife Apr-Sep (Click here)
Bali Barat Bali low hills, grasslands, coral-fringed coasts snorkelling, diving; wildlife spotting year-round (Click here)
Cascading Effects
The side effects of deforestation and resource extraction are felt across the nation and beyond: floods and landslides wash away valuable topsoil, rivers become sluggish and fetid, and haze from clearing fires blankets Malaysia and Singapore every dry season, increasing international tensions. The carbon released from deforestation and fires is a significant contributor to global climate change, which in a vicious cycle creates a longer dry season allowing for more fires.
The problems flow right through to Indonesia's coastline and seas, where more than 80% of reef habitat is considered to be at risk. A long history of cyanide and bomb fishing has left much of Indonesia's coral lifeless or crumbled. Shark finning and manta hunting have taken their toll on populations, while overfishing threatens to disrupt the marine ecosystem.
Meanwhile, the burgeoning middle class is straining the nation's infrastructure. Private vehicles clog urban streets, creating choking air pollution; waste-removal services have difficulty coping with household and industrial refuse; and a lack of sewage disposal makes water from most sources undrinkable without boiling, putting further pressure on kerosene and firewood supplies.
There are over 25,000 flowering plant species in Indonesia, and an estimated 40% exist nowhere else on earth.
Endangered Species
The Greater Sunda Islands, comprising Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan and Bali, were once connected to the Malaysian peninsula and Asian mainland. When the glaciers receded and ocean levels rose, the Sunda Shelf flooded isolating the islands and the animal populations that migrated there. Some large Asian land animals still survive in this area, including tigers, rhinoceroses, leopards and sun bears – but their existence is tenuous at best.
Despite lingering claims of sightings, the Javan tiger was declared extinct in 2003. The Sumatran tiger is literally fighting for survival. There have been several incidents of tigers killing loggers trespassing in protected habitats, and of poachers killing tigers, also in protected habitats. Fewer than 500 individuals remain in the wild. Leopards (the black leopard, or panther, is more common in Southeast Asia) are rare but still live in Sumatra and in Java's Ujung Kulon National Park. This park is also home to the 60 remaining one-horned Javan rhinoceroses. Rhinos have not fared well in Indonesia and the two-horned variety, found in Sumatra and possibly Kalimantan, is also on the endangered list.
Perhaps the most famous endangered Indonesian animal is the orangutan, which is under constant threat from logging and conversion of habitat to palm-oil plantations. In one especially tragic case, an adult orangutan that wandered onto a palm-oil plantation died after locals set the tree it was sheltering in on fire to drive it off. Poachers regularly shoot mothers to sell their babies as pets. Also victims of the pet trade and habitat loss, all Indonesian gibbon species are endangered.
Fewer than 2000 Sumatran elephants remain in the wild, and are being driven into conflict with people since 70% of their habitat has been cleared for plantations and farming. The pygmy elephants in North Kalimantan have been reduced to fewer than 100.
BE THE SOLUTION
You will still see plenty of animal exploitation in Indonesia, including performing monkeys on street corners in big cities and endangered birds in markets. Taking photos or paying the handlers money only encourages this behaviour.
Shops sell turtle-shell products, rare seashells, snakeskin, stuffed birds and framed butterflies. Avoid these. Not only are they illegal, but importing them into most countries is banned and items will probably be confiscated by customs. See the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES; www.cites.org) for more information.
Some animal exploitation is more subtle. Consider the life of a cute civet locked in a cage in a warehouse force fed coffee to 'naturally' process the beans, for example. It's a far cry from the happy story plantations sell to justify charging outrageous prices for kopi luwak (civet coffee).
Finally, rubbish is an obvious problem. And while packing out your biscuit wrapper from some already rubbish-strewn waterfall may feel futile, your guides and other trekkers will notice, and might even join you. It is a small, but important step in the right direction.
Local Issues
There is much to be done to protect Indonesia's magnificence. While some steps are being made on the national scale to address the issues, a history of decentralisation and an ingrained culture of corruption means that many problems are rooted in the local and regional levels – which is where they must be addressed. Community organizing is becoming more common as the local people grow increasingly frustrated with the situation, and less worried about the consequences of standing up for their land and their health.
Sumatra
Deforestation is a massive problem, threatening this island's rainforests and all its inhabi
tants, including the Sumatran tiger, Sumatran elephant, Sumatran rhinoceros, and Sumatran orangutan. National parks and other protected lands have consistently been sold off to logging companies and palm-oil plantations. Plans for hundreds of kilometres of new roads through the Leuser ecosystem threaten this critical habitat, while smoke from fires constantly chokes neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia during the dry season.
In a positive move, Indonesia finally ratified a 12-year-old transboundary haze agreement in 2014, becoming the last Southeast Asian nation to do so. Around the same time, anti-corruption officials arrested Riau's governor for allegedly accepting bribes from palm-oil companies. In late 2015, conservation groups backed by the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation won the battle for a 60-year lease of 44,000 hectares of critical habitat.
Rogue pilot Harrison Ford (yes, that one) lambasts Indonesia's forestry minister about Sumatra's deforestation in the documentary series, Years of Living Dangerously.
Java
As Indonesia's most densely populated island, it's not surprising that rampant development causes widespread flooding in Jakarta, Semarang and other cities every rainy season. This results in mass social upheaval and chokes surviving coastal mangroves. Although Jakarta has begun purchasing heavy equipment to remove garbage from the city's rivers, unless something is done about the 70,000 tonnes of rubbish dumped into the waterways every year, it may be a losing battle.
Lonely Planet Indonesia Page 147
