Berbak National Park

The Berbak National Park

On the East coast of Sumatera, close to the capital of Jambi Province, lies an area of outstanding beauty as The Berbak National Park. Berbak’s vast swamp forest is of extraordinary natural richness. Also the largest protected swamp forest in South East Asia. It contains an enormous diversity of plant and animals life.Berbak is the most extensive protected swamp forest in South East Asia. It contains over 150.000 hectares of relatively pristine freshwater swamp forest and peat swamp forest. These forests lie between meandering black water rivers lined by Nipah palms and Pandanus trees along coastal plains ranging from sea level to only 12,5 metros elevation.

On the 26^th of February 1992 a presidential decree declared’ 162,700 hectares of the Berbak area to be a National Park. This decision recognizes the area’s high value for tourism, Tour Adventure , education also for research. It’s enormous genetic recourses as well as it’s significance for nature conservation in general. And it’s importance to nature conservation has long been recognized as long ago as 1935 the Dutch Colonial government made a large area of Berbak into a wildlife reserve.

As a large wetland, Berbak is also important for local people. The Berbak wetlands help contain floods in the wet season and serve as a fresh water reservoir in the dry. As a nursery and breeding habitat for fish they are critical to local fisheries.The best way to visit Berbak is by speed boat and there two way of doing so, the first, from Jambi follow the Batanghari River and Berbak Rivers to the Telagalima Kampung, then enter the park via The Deep Black Water River or Sungai Air Hitam Dalam. This route takes 2,5 to 3 Hours trip.The second, from Jambi follow the Batanghari River to Nipah Panjang. This trip takes about 4 Hours. Then continue to the Sea Village of Black Water via the open sea by speed boat or by patrol boat of the local conservation agency, which may take 2 to 8 hours depending on the means of transport we choose. And directly to Benu River which forms the provincial boundary between Jambi and South Sumatera.

The best time to visit the Berbak National Park as Tour Adventure  is the dry season, between March and November. In the west season the visitors may face high winds and large waves in the South China Sea. For our safety and comfort it is requested, we register with the regional nature conservation office (UNTB – Jambi) before entering the Berbak National Park.

The Treasure Trove of Plants and Animals

Along the rivers, we could see some animals drinking of the river edge while birds fly overhead and the Monkeys, Gibbon roam in the forest canopy. Tapir (Tapirus Indicus), the Sumatera Tigers (Panthera Tigris Sumatrensis) and Malay Sun Bear (Helarctos Malayanus) are among the mammals living here, while evidence of the Sumateran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus Sumatrensis) has also been found.The Berbak’s primates include the Pig – Tailed Macaque (Macaca Nemestrina), the Long – Tailed Macaque (Macaca Fascicularis), Surih (Presbytis Cristata) and the rare Siamang (Symphalangus Syndactylus). Crocodiles, Turtles and other protected reptiles also inhabit the swamp forest. Protected species include Crocodilus Porosus, Tomistoma Schlegelii, Batagur Basca and Orlitia Borneensis. The variety of bird life alone is enough to make Berbak National Park a place of international significance.

The Berbak National Park is also teeming with plants life. Berbak harbors the greatest diversity of palms in Indonesia. More than 27 varieties of palm from the Arecaceae family grow here, include Daun Payung (Johannesteijsmannia Altifrons). Berbak contains plants of economic importance such as Durian (Durio Carinatus), Jelutung (Dyera Costulata), Ramin (Goystylus Bacanus) and 10 types of Pandanus from the Pandanacaeae family. And recently, Lepidonia Kingii, which has huge red  purple flowers was found for the first time in Indonesia here in Berbak.The Berbak National Park is  a part of the World’s Natural Heritage. More than 250 types of birds have been recorded, including many protected and beautiful birds like the White-Winged Wood Duck (Cairina Scutulata), Lesser Adjutant (Leptoptilos Javanicus), the colorful Sumateran Kingfisher (Alcedinidae Spp.), the Storm’s Stork (Ciconia Stormi, one of the world’s rarest storks), and as well as 9 out of the 10 Sumateran species of majestic Hornbills (Bucerotidae Spp.).

The Berbak National Park is The Unique. No other area of coastal Sumatera possesses such extensive pristine peat swamp forest. Berbak’s swamp forest if of international significance. For this reason Indonesia has nominated Berbak (according to the Presidential Decree of the 19^th of October 1991) for inclusion in The RAMSAR Convention, an international convention becomes the first ASEAN nation to protect an area under The RAMSAR Convention.

The RAMSAR Convention : First agreed upon in 1971, The RAMSAR Convention aims to ensure that wetlands including the wealth of flora and fauna species they contain are conserved. Nations who are signatories of The RAMSAR Convention have general responsibilities related to the conservation of wetlands in their territory as well as special commitments concerning areas which are included in the list of wetlands of international importance. Placing an area on The RAMSAR list raises the issue of conservation the area it also recognize the value of the area to both the local and word communities.

Now, as Good Traveler and The Best Tour Adventure r also The Best Scientists, how to get there on safety and get our main targets. Prepare the equipments as the completely.