Visiting Gunung Halimun Salak National Park

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Tourism of Indonesia

Ready to Go to Gunung Halimun Salak National Park

Planning to go on a tour or travelling, we definitely want a smooth trip, comfortable accommodation, cheap hotels, good food, cheap plane tickets, close to everywhere, and can rent a motorbike or car.

Attraction

In Gunung Halimun Salak National Park, there is natural beauty and unique culture of the local community. There are many uniqueness, starting from the village (desa), sub-district (kecamatan), district (kabupaten) and provincial levels.

In Indonesia, each province has different and interesting characteristics. Each province has a different and unique culture and lifestyle.

Mount Halimun Salak National Park is a 400 km2 conservation area in the Indonesian province of West Java on the island of Java.

Established in 1992, the park comprises two mountains, Mount Salak and Mount Halimun with an 11-kilometer forest corridor. It is located near the better known Mount Gede Pangrango National Park, but the national park should be accessed from Sukabumi, 2 hours drive to the administration post and then 2 hours drive (30 kilometers) again to Cikaniki post gate.

The park contains water catchment areas shielded from urban populations and agricultural areas to the north, as well as several endangered animals and rare birds.

Its mountain tops reach 1,929 metres and are often mist-shrouded, while its valleys are thought to hide much that remains to be discovered.

Mount Salak is a critical water catchment area for its very high rainfall. The park is an amalgamation of two important ecosystems at Halimun and Mount Salak, which are connected by an 11-kilometer forest corridor.

Also there communities in the park. The Kesepuhan traditional community is a group of around 5,300 people who live in the southern part of the park. Their main village is Ciptagelar.

Gunung Halimun National Park represents the ecosystem types of lowland rain forest, sub-montane forest, and montane forest. Most of the forest areas of this Park are situated in mountainous terrain with several rivers and waterfalls.

The area protects the hydrological function of the regencies of Bogor, Lebak, and Sukabumi.

Among the plants that dominate the forest areas of the Park are rasamala (Altingia excelsa), jamuju (Dacrycarpus imbricatus), and puspa (Schima wallichii).

About 75 orchid species grow in the park and several of them are categorized as endangered species, including Bulbophylum binnendykii, B. angustifolium, Cymbidium ensifolium, and Dendrobium macrophyllum.

This Park forms a habitat for several endangered animals like lesser Malay mouse deer (Tragulus javanicus javanicus), Javan gibbon (Hylobates moloch), Javan leaf monkey (Presbytis comata comata), ebony leaf monkey (Trachypithecus auratus auratus), barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak muntjak), panther (Panthera pardus), and Asian wild dog (Cuon alpinus javanicus).

There are about 204 species of bird, of which 90 are permanent and 35 are endemic to Java, such as the Javan hawk eagle (Spizaetus bartelsi).

Two species of bird, the spotted crocias (Crocias albonotatus) and the red-fronted laughing thrush (Garrulax rufifrons), are threatened with extinction.

The Javan hawk eagle, which is identical to Indonesia’s national symbol, the Garuda, can be quite easily spotted in the Park.With its wet climate, this Park is the source for several year-round rivers, and it boasts eight beautiful waterfalls which have great potential as tourist or recreation attractions.

The government is taking good care of the preservation of nature and maintaining the condition of the forest.

The environment is also well maintained.

Activity

Visiting Gunung Halimun Salak National Park, we will witness routine community activities in unique traditional cultures. And there are special dishes and food as part of culinary tours that are delicious and yummy.

With its rich variety of attractions, this Park is an ideal site for both recreation and ecotourism. The silence of the deep forest, broken only by the whoops and cries of birds and animals, offers a magnificent backdrop from which to observe wildlife at close quarters.

This Park is equipped with a canopy trail – a walkway suspended between trees – which offers visitors a glimpse of the activities of birds and other wildlife living in the forest canopy.

Colorful wildlife, thundering waterfalls and pristine  rivers guarantee an unforgettable experience, particularly for visitors from big cities.

Established in 1992, Gunung Halimun Salak National Park (GHSNP) is the largest remaining primary lowland forest in Java, home to 23 mammal species, at least two of which are endemic and endangered (the Javan gibbon and the grizzled langur).

The roughly 113,000 hectares found within its boundaries also cover a wide range of plant and animal species. The park also supports more than 200 bird species, of which 18 are endemic, and over 500 plant species.

Indigenous Kasepuhan and other Sundanese communities live in and around the park and depend heavily on its natural resources.

The park protects an important watershed for Java. However, small-holder and plantation agriculture, infrastructure development, small-scale gold mining, and unsustainable fuel wood and non-timber forest product harvesting threaten GHSNP’s resources.

Visitors trek here to observe rare primates, birds, or other forest attractions, and to relax in the tranquil setting of towering waterfalls.

There are many activities in Mount Halimun Salak National Park:

  • Cimantaja, Piit, Cipamulaan, Cihanyawar, and Citangkolo Waterfalls: forest exploration, plant and animal observation.
  • Citarik River: rafting.
  • Cikaniki and Citalahab: camping, canopy trail, and plant and animal observation.
  • Cibedug Temple: this small temple, dating from the megalithic era, is situated 8 km from the village of Citorek.
  • Mt. Halimun (” 1,929 m asl.), and Mt. Sangga-buana (” 1,919 m asl.): exploration and mountain climbing.
  • The Nirmala tea plantation, located at the main Cipeuteuy entrance, is an additional attraction.
  • Cultural attractions outside the Park include the Seren Tahun ceremony in July. The ceremony is held at Kesepuhan Banten Kidul and is enlivened with a show of folk arts, from rarely-seen debus performances to angklung and other typically Sundanese arts.

In this place there are also regular events or activities held every year, both national and international.

Accessibility

The journey to Gunung Halimun Salak National Park is now very easy. We can enter through various modes of transportation.

Access to go to Mount Halimun Salak National Park:

  • From Jakarta go to Bogor, then from Bogor/Sukabumi to Parungkuda-Kabandungan, about 1.5 hours by car (50 km),
  • From Bogor to Cisangku, about 2.5 hours by car (50 km). Then From Rangkasbitung to Bayah-Ciparay, about 6 hours by car (186 km).

The condition of the infrastructure is getting better. Starting from highways, airports, trails, ports, bridges, stairs, even some places can be reached by toll roads.

We can visit by plane, car, ship, bus, motorcycle and bicycle. At some point, we can take the train. We can also walk freely.

Amenity

In Gunung Halimun Salak National Park, as technology getting better. We can easily find locations for mini markets, shops (warung kedai), Money Changer, ATMs, Bank BRI BCA BNI Mandiri, BTPN Bank Nagari BJB, supermarkets, and restaurants. So we will not starve or lack the necessary items.

Suggestion Before Visiting Gunung Halimun Salak National Park:

  • Best time of year to visit: June to August
  • Temperature: 30° C (on average)
  • Rainfall: 4,000 – 6,000 mm/year
  • Altitude: 500 – 1,929 m asl.
  • Geographical location: 106°21′ – 106°38′ E; 6°37′ – 6°51′ S

If you are sick and need help, you can also visit clinics, drugstore pharmacies (apotek), practice doctors, hospitals, and health centers (puskesmas).

In this place we can also look for places of worship such as mosques, churches, and others.

Accommodation

Finding place to stay in Gunung Halimun Salak National Park is very easy. We can stay at home stays, hotels, inns, hostels and other places.

To get lodging at a cheap and definitely comfortable price, please see below:
Booking.com

Experience and Reviews

There are already many visitors have visited Gunung Halimun Salak National Park, there are many interesting stories that are told. Like feeling satisfied, happy, wanting to come again, sleep well, and almost no one is disappointed or complains to come here.

So, visitors will find out on how to find the best hotels, where is exactly located, why it is amazing, how much is the fare and rate, who are the people, whom to ask, and when is the best time to visit.

We can visit these tourist attractions from Tanjung Pinang, Tanjung Redep, Tanjung Selor, Tapak Tuan, Tarakan, Tarutung, Tasikmalaya, Muara Bungo, Muara Enim, Muara Teweh, Muaro Sijunjung, Muntilan, Nabire, Negara, Nganjuk,

That’s all the information we provided, hopefully useful.

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