West Kalimantan national park has ecotourism potential

Betung Kerihun National Park in Kapuas Hulu district, West Kalimantan, holds strong prospects as an ecotourism destination. The Jakarta Post's photographer PJ Leo visited the site from July 26 to Aug. 4 at the invitation of the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF).

KAPUAS HULU, West Kalimantan (JP): Kapuas Hulu district in West Kalimantan is home to various Dayak nature and cultural attractions which would be viable as ecotourism packages, especially with promotion from Betung Kerihun National Park, the biggest conservation area situated on the border of West Kalimantan and Sarawak, Malaysia.

It has an area of 800,000 hectares, about 5.5 percent of West Kalimantan's total 14,807,700 hectares.

WWF, an international agency handling many forest conservation projects, is among those who consider Betung Kerihun National Park's potential as a tourist attraction. The park has an abundance of flora and fauna which is of great value and deserves to be conserved.

Betung Kerihun National Park merges with the Lanjak Entimau Nature Conservation area in Sarawak, the first transfrontier reserve in Asia, designated in 1995.

"It would be a pity not to use this district for ecotourism purposes," said Soewartono, unit head of Betung Kerihun National Park. "Therefore, conserving its nature and selling its beauty is our priority."

Indonesia is believed to hold greater capability to earn a fortune from ecotourism than other tropical countries.

Betung Kerihun National Park will be able to earn its share of ecotourism profits if it is able to improve accommodation and transportation for tourists.

In the meanwhile, tourists also can enjoy the stunning architecture of traditional Dayak houses in Kapuas Hulu district, with the oldest buildings 12 meters in height and new ones measuring two meters. They also can peek into the lifestyle of Dayaks living together under one roof.

How do you get to Betung Kerihun National Park? A Cessna airplane from Pontianak or from other towns in West Kalimantan takes visitors to Putussibau. The journey continues on through the Putussibau-Nanga Badau "fast track", an alternative to staying too long on the ferry which stops in Embaloh Hulu district.

From Sadap village in Embaloh Hulu, the journey continues on a lake in Betung Kerihun National Park, using a boat owned by local villagers. The long journey is an adventure in itself and should not be missed.

But time is of the essence. The local government should be quick to respond to the needs of tourism, and the central government should not hesitate to support ecotourism proposals.