Basic ecotouristic information on Gunung Palung National Park (Borneo, Indonesia) which can be visited - localization, access, characteristic, fauna and flora, possible activities.
Localization
West Kalimantan, north of Ketapang and east of Sukadana.
Access
Difficult - minimum 6 hours from Pontianak by boat
Characteristic
900 km2; There is a complete range of sea coast to montane habitats. Anyway, the centerpieces of the park are the Gunung Palung mountains. The double mountain Palung and Panti is isolated from any other mountain area by the flat swampy plain. This isolation has resulted in a valuable degree of distinctiveness in the montane flora and fauna. It is one of only a handful of parks in the world where orangutans can be seen in the wild. Typical ecosystems: tropical rain forest, swamp forest (20 000 ha), mountain forest (1 000 ha), wetlands, mangroves (7000 ha), sea and sea coast.
Fauna + Flora
Species List - See the Attachment
Possible activities
From Lubuk Baji three clearly-marked trails lead out into the jungle.
Climbing Gunung Palung summit, kayaking/canoeing.
Note
Best time to visit VI-IX
There is no tourist infrastructure inside the park
Illegal, non-mechanized, 'hand logging' has been a problem in the park, especially from ca. 2000-2003.
Damaged by huge fires in 1997.