Kerinci Seblat park lures nature lovers
Kerinci Seblat park lures nature lovers
By Bambang M.
JAMBI (JP): The famed Kerinci Seblat National Park always has
been associated with rich biodiversity, while its beautiful and
refreshing scenery has often been overlooked.
There is a number of beautiful spots in the vast jungle of the
park, such as Mount Kerinci, Gunung Tujuh Lake, Kumbang Lake,
Rawa Ladeh Lake, Telun Berasap Waterfall and Napal Licin cave.
The park is a virtual Eden for nature lovers. It is cool all
day long thanks to the dense forest. Old trees tower into the
sky. Rivers and creeks run clear. On the large tree trunks,
beautiful wild orchids bloom. There is a chorus of chirping
birds. The jungle is hilly and waterfalls are common. The park is
paradise.
The most popular place in the park for eco-tourists is Gunung
Tujuh (Seven Mountains). The 13,500-hectare Gunung Tujuh is in
fact the crater of a dormant volcano, with a lake which is filled
with rainwater.
At 1,996 meters above sea level, Gunung Tujuh Lake is the
highest lake in Southeast Asia. It lies in the middle of the
peaks of seven mountains -- Mount Selasih, Mount Terpanggang,
Mount Mandurai Besi, Mount Tujuh, Mount Lumut, Mount Pandang and
Mount Jujuhan.
Gunung Tujuh is easy to reach, with its main access point the
town of Sungai Penuh, some 300 kilometers north of here. From
there, proceed to Pelompek village, about 56 kilometers away, or
about two hours by bus.
A one-kilometer walk will take you to the Gunung Tujuh park
station, where you can hire tour guides who are well-versed
about the area.
Visitors can also camp overnight near the Gunung Tujuh
station. During the weekend, many young people set up camp here.
They usually come to the site on Saturday afternoon and walk to
Gunung Tujuh Lake the next morning.
It takes about three hours to walk to the lake from the camp
site. The trip can be quite tiresome with the many hills one must
traverse, but the gorgeous scenery is worth the effort.
If you are lucky, you will spot a number of rare birds flying
overhead. These include black hawks (Ictinaeutus malayensis),
Cucak Kerinci (Pycnonotus leucogrammicus) and the red-cheeked
bird (Laphora inornata). In the bush, you may see rare animals
such as the horned frog (Mesophyrs nasuta).
On arriving at the lake, visitors are welcomed by beautifully
clear water. From a distance, it seems the lake has three colors:
blue, green and clear. This is because of different minerals on
the bottom of lake.
"Many believe that the water of Gunung Tujuh Lake cures many
diseases," said Sahar, 32, a tour guide from Kerinci Seblat.
Visitors are allowed to swim in the lake, a rather refreshing
experience after a long walk. But locals warn visitors against
swimming too far from the bank of the river, saying that it is
dangerous.
Sahar said there have been cases of people drowning after
ignoring the warning.
Visitors can put up tents and spend the night by the lake, but
they are warned to beware of wild animals such as Sumatran tigers
(Panthera tigris sumatraensis) and tapir (Tapirus indicus) that,
according to locals, often come to the lake to drink at dawn.
If you decide not to spend the night at the lake, you are
advised to head back before 1 p.m., when thick clouds often
descend over the lake and quickly cover the beautiful scenery.
While maybe not as well known as some of Indonesia's other
natural treasures, Gunung Tujuh Lake and the other natural
wonders of Kerinci Seblat Natural Park are ample rewards for
anyone who wishes to make the effort to visit them.