Ecotourism in the hills of Gunung Halimun National Park

Ecotourism in the hills of Gunung Halimun National Park

By Amanda Talbot

BOGOR (JP): Thinking of a relaxing break away from the traffic
jams and bustle of urban Java? Wanting a break away from the
hectic tourist trails?

Ecotourism in the hills of Gunung Halimun National Park, West
Java, gives tourists a chance to experience a rain forest
wilderness and experience the local culture while benefiting the
local communities.

Gunung Halimun National Park, founded in 1992, is the largest
tract of primary lowland forest in Java. It is home to small
Sundanese and Kasepuhan communities who depend on the park's
natural resources. The communities grow rice, raise animals and
make palm sugar, all for their own consumption. They are now
opening up their communities to small-scale tourism. These remote
mountain communities have long practiced conservation and the
incentive of ecotourism has increased their spirit to preserve
their natural resource.

Ecotourism is tourism that is both ecological and economical,
according to Didik Purwanto, business manager for the ecotourism
program in Gunung Halimun.

"It does not damage the environment, and economically it
brings benefits to the local people, improves their standards of
living and encourages them to continue to preserve the rain
forest," he said.

The ecotourism program is part of the Biodiversity
Conservation Network (BCN), which currently has 20 projects
throughout Southeast Asia. The BCN, funded by USAID, aims to
preserve the biodiversity of an area through a variety of rural
projects from ecotourism to small-scale sustainable forest
businesses. The BCN injected US$448,430 into Gunung Halimun in
1995 to set up the Community Based Tourism Program. The money
went toward training and building accommodation in three
locations within the park. The program is planned to run for
three years.

The Biological Science Club of Indonesia, along with
McDonald's Indonesia and Wildlife Preservation Trust
International, will help with the marketing and ensure the
principles of ecotourism, said Didik. The University of Indonesia
will help with research.

There are three different sites to visit in Gunung Halimun,
each offering unique opportunities for trekking into the rain
forest, experiencing local culture, buying local handicrafts and
seeing the wildlife. There are more than 200 species of rare and
common birds including three types of eagle and several species
of primates including the endangered Javan gibbon. The park's
rich variety of flora includes hardwoods, lianas, medicinal
plants still to be identified.

Visitors stay in the Ecolodges, which are all located near the
edge of the forest. The Eastern Site offers visitors the best
chance of seeing primates and also has the attraction of a tea
estate and factory. In the south visitors stay with the Kasepuhan
people, who manage their natural resources based on their
ancestors' wisdom. The Kasepuhan hold festivals where they
perform traditional dances, puppet shows, and play drums and
angklung, a local bamboo instrument, to thank God and their
ancestors for the harvest. The Kasepuhan predict harvest time by
reading the stars. Harvest moves forward every year, this year it
was in August, in 1998 it will be in July. The Kasepuhan also put
on shows for visitors. In the north visitors can enjoy the
remoteness of their location as the village can only be reached
by foot.

Each site has five comfortable, traditional huts with shared
facilities. Singles cost between Rp 30,000 and Rp 40,000 per
night and doubles Rp 50,000 to Rp 60,000, including breakfast.
Extra beds can be provided and the sites cater for groups of up
to 25 people. The villagers also offer homestays in the northern
site. Visitors can experience locally produced Sundanese food
from traditional recipes for Rp 10,000 a meal.

In the northern site 19 people from three villages are
directly involved in working in the Ecolodges as attendants,
cooks and guides. More people might be involved indirectly in
back-up services such as producing food.

"Most of the money goes to the villages involved to provide
for social and educational needs as there is a lack of cash in
the village," said Didik.

Friendly, hospitable villagers are happy to help with guests'
requests. They are also learning English to cater for
international guests.

Walking through the villages is like taking a step back in
time. Elderly women manually grind rice into flour in large,
stone troughs and other villagers sit around making palm sugar
and let visitors sample this sweet liquid.

Guides are available to take guests on a variety of treks in
the forest.

Glenn Mulcahy, the program administrator, said they were
trying to develop color coded trails to cater for guests'
different fitness levels. Forest treks take visitors beside
clear, fast flowing mountain streams, to tranquil waterfalls,
through terraced rice paddy and deep into the surrounding forest
to hear the animal calls.

Visitors wanting to stay in the park can make bookings by
contacting the Consortium of Ecotourism Development, Gunung
Halimun National Park on 0251 336886. Visitors can just turn up
but it's advisable to make bookings in case sites are fully
booked.

The ecotourism sites in the park can be reached from Jakarta
and Bogor by public and private transport in just a few hours
depending on traffic. Visitors must report to the National Park
office on the way in with a copy of their ID card or passport.

The final part of the journey is usually on a rough unsurfaced
road and those traveling by public transport should be prepared
to negotiate this on the back of a motorbike or in the back of a
small van.

Visitors should pack strong walking shoes, slacks, a warm top
for the evening and a first aid kit. Be careful not to dress
which may offend local Moslem communities.

Those going to experience the rain forest can all do their
part to help preserve it by taking nothing but photographs and
leaving only footprints.