The
old harbor area with it's candi and menapo (masonry temples and
channels) is over 1,500 hectares and is about 26 kilometres
downstream from the modern capital on the other (northern) shore
of the river. This biggest archeological complex of Sumatra,
with a small but very interesting museum, can be reached from
Jambi by waterbus or chartered speedboat. The full size of the
location and the connected river villages is not known yet. The
restoration of the three most important structures (Tinggi
Temple, Gumpung Temple and Kedaton Temple, the last with a core
of unusual small river stones) has been completed. Under the
findings in Muara Jambi is an exceptional nice Prajnaparamita
statue, without head, comparable with the one in the National
Museum in Jakarta from the beginning of the 13th century. Under
the pressure of the ever-closing agriculture the excavations and
restorations continue in a race against time.
Probably Muara Jambi was attacked and destroyed around 1377.
Following a legend the last ruler of Jambi, prince Telanai, got
the prediction that his son would cast bad luck over his
principality. Big fear got him, and when his son was eventually
born, he was put in a coffin with a letter, and thrown into the
sea. The coffin washed ashore in Siam, where the former ruler
adopted the Sumatran prince. Eventually the young prince
returned to Jambi with a big army from Siam, killed his father
and looted the city.
Whether this story is true can be
doubted, but fact is that Jambi was the location of the findings
of Siamese bronze Buddha statues. Above all excavations in Jambi
Estuary showed a piece of a Sukhothai Buddha stone, which
originated from the current Thailand as well.
Mount Kerinci
A
climb to the top of Mount Kerinci or one of many other volcanoes
shows an important and remarkable change in vegetation; lower
trees, which are covered in mush and sub-alpine meadows and
swamps at the top, gradually replace high trees. A remarkable
flower on higher altitudes is the Javanese edelweiss Anaphalis
javanica, which only grows on volcanoes. This flower usually
reaches four meters in height and is colored white-green because
of its small hairs; the flowers are yellow with white. The peak
of the volcano itself is bald, because of the last eruption in
1934. The park also houses the biggest flowers in the world, the
monstrous, flesh red flower of the parasite Rafflesia arnoldi
and the two-meters-high flower-flames of Amorphophallus titanum.
Mount Tujug and Kerinci Lake
Mount
Tujug is a 10 sq km big crater lake about 50 kilometers north of
Penuh River. It's on 1966 meters and it's called the highest
sweet water lake in Southeastern Asia. The environment offers
simple accommodations, from where people can book a day trip to
the lake.
Another, easy to reach lake is Kerinci Lake, surrounded by
mountains, 783 meters above sea level and 42 sq km big. It's a
good plan for a day trip. Both lakes and the surrounding
rainforest are good places to enjoy the fauna of the park.
Kerinci Seblat National Park
In
this national park, live up to 129 species of birds, 36
mammalians with 24 protected, 10 species of reptiles, 6 species
of amphibians, and 8 species of primates. There are also 4000
floras dominated by family of Dipterocarpaceae. Some of these
are highly endangered, especially the animals like Sumatera
Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatraensis), Wild Mountain Goat
(Capricornis sumatraensis), Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris
sumatraensis), Sumatran Elephant (Elephanus maximus sumatranus),
Dead Flower (Amorphophallus titanum) and Rafflesia Flower
(Rafflesia arnoldi).
Ecologically, Kerinci Seblat National Park is a conservation
area with prime complete ecosystem, starting from low rainforest
area, up to sub-alpine area. Some areas may represent high
wetland like Peat Lake, freshwater swamp and volcanogenic lake.
Bukit Tiga Puluh National Park
Bukit
Tiga Puluh National Park is a 143,143 hectares area on the low
land area of eastern Sumatra, included into two provinces, Riau
and Jambi. Ecologically, this area is classified as low land
tropical rainforest, with some intra ecosystem inside like swamp
and highland. Some of endangered species are highly protected
here like Dead flower (rafflesia hasseltii and rafflesia
arnoldi), amorphophallus SP, and some endangered animals like
Sumatran tiger (panthera tigris sumatraensis), tapir (tapirus
indicus), primates like Siamang (symphalangus syndactylus),
Ungko (hylobates sp), birds (bocerotidae and argusianus argus).
This area is also interesting in its natural features of its
geology, like the 30 Mountains intrusive complex, folded
tertiary sediments, and some offer science breakthrough. Old
tribes, which characterized most of Central Sumatra forest, is
also one uniqueness you will find inside this park like Talang
Mamak tribe.
Berbak National Park
Berbak
National Park is a national park area on the eastern coastline
of Central Sumatra included in Ramsar Convention for
international wetland conservation. In 1992, the minister of
Forestry, Republic of Indonesia following the original 1935 by
Dutch colonial, officially states this area as National Park.
Berbak National Park is a national park area on the eastern
coastline of Central Sumatra included in Ramsar Convention for
international wetland conservation.
By canoeing through the swamp river canal, we can enjoy the
undisturbed wildlife on the riverside and canopies. We have two
exotic areas in this park, that are Air Hitam Dalam, typical
freshwater swamp and floodplain, with wetland ecosystem and Air
Hitam Laut and Cemara River where typical coastline and
saltwater swamp and marsh is dominating the area. Up to 300
species of birds are living peacefully inside the park. Some
exotic birds like, Wild duck (cairina scutulata), and all
species of Raja Udang (alcenedenidae), and also 9 species of
Rangkong (Bocerotidae). Migrant birds up to thousands, which
reside off their Siberian - Australian journey, especially
during October - March season, really amaze any human being, as
we will find them blackening the coast horizons.
Primates also
dominate the canopies during our canoe traverse. The more
challenging wildlife to observe may lie deep underwater below
your canoe. We can observe 2 species of crocodile, that is
saltwater crocodile (crocodiles porous) and freshwater crocodile
(tomistoma schegelii). Turtles family also dominates the swamp
area. Big mammalia like Sumatran tiger (panthera tigris
sumatraensis), Black bear (Helartos malayanus) may occasionally
show up in front of your canoe. It may be special for the tiger,
will require some patience from you and may be a good stamina to
traverse into the center of the park on foot.
Trekking in Kerinci - Seblat
Especially
long trips through the park need a guide. Local guides can be
hired in Kersik Tuo village at the foot of Mount Kerinci.
Eco-Rural Travel office can also be found here, it's a company,
which sell good maps, hires camping gear and organised trips for
several days. It's sponsored by the WNF. Mount Kerinci, or Mount
Inderapura, can be reached with most vehicles. The popular climb
to the top of Kerinci takes two days.
JAMBI Jambi province is located
JAMBI Jambi province is located on the east coast of Central Sumatra
faces to Malaka Straits sharing borders with four other provinces in
Sumatra and has long a melting pot for different ethnic groups. The
earliest inhabitants were the Kubus, who were among the first wave of
Malays to migrate to Sumatra. The ancient kingdom of Melayu developed
and grew in Jambi and maintained relations with the mighty kingdoms of
Sriwijaya, Majapahit and Singasari, but was eventually attacked and
annexed by Sriwijaya in the middle of the 17th century. Encompassing an
area of 53,435 sq km, almost 60% of which is forest, the province is
home to a large variety of fauna and floraand and an exhilarating place
for active and adventurous visitors.
One
of the greatest kingdoms in Indonesia history, the Buddhist Empire of
Sriwijaya, prospered and grew along the Musi River bank in Shouth
Sumatra over a thousand years ago. Located in the southern-most rim of
the Shout China Sea, close to one of the world's busiest shipping lanes
linking the Far East With Europe, the region's historical background is
rich and colorful.
The
old harbor area with it's candi and menapo (masonry temples and
channels) is over 1,500 hectares and is about 26 kilometres
downstream from the modern capital on the other (northern) shore
of the river. This biggest archeological complex of Sumatra,
with a small but very interesting museum, can be reached from
Jambi by waterbus or chartered speedboat. The full size of the
location and the connected river villages is not known yet. The
restoration of the three most important structures (Tinggi
Temple, Gumpung Temple and Kedaton Temple, the last with a core
of unusual small river stones) has been completed. Under the
findings in Muara Jambi is an exceptional nice Prajnaparamita
statue, without head, comparable with the one in the National
Museum in Jakarta from the beginning of the 13th century. Under
the pressure of the ever-closing agriculture the excavations and
restorations continue in a race against time.
A
climb to the top of Mount Kerinci or one of many other volcanoes
shows an important and remarkable change in vegetation; lower
trees, which are covered in mush and sub-alpine meadows and
swamps at the top, gradually replace high trees. A remarkable
flower on higher altitudes is the Javanese edelweiss Anaphalis
javanica, which only grows on volcanoes. This flower usually
reaches four meters in height and is colored white-green because
of its small hairs; the flowers are yellow with white. The peak
of the volcano itself is bald, because of the last eruption in
1934. The park also houses the biggest flowers in the world, the
monstrous, flesh red flower of the parasite Rafflesia arnoldi
and the two-meters-high flower-flames of Amorphophallus titanum.
Mount
Tujug is a 10 sq km big crater lake about 50 kilometers north of
Penuh River. It's on 1966 meters and it's called the highest
sweet water lake in Southeastern Asia. The environment offers
simple accommodations, from where people can book a day trip to
the lake. 
In
this national park, live up to 129 species of birds, 36
mammalians with 24 protected, 10 species of reptiles, 6 species
of amphibians, and 8 species of primates. There are also 4000
floras dominated by family of Dipterocarpaceae. Some of these
are highly endangered, especially the animals like Sumatera
Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatraensis), Wild Mountain Goat
(Capricornis sumatraensis), Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris
sumatraensis), Sumatran Elephant (Elephanus maximus sumatranus),
Dead Flower (Amorphophallus titanum) and Rafflesia Flower
(Rafflesia arnoldi).
Bukit
Tiga Puluh National Park is a 143,143 hectares area on the low
land area of eastern Sumatra, included into two provinces, Riau
and Jambi. Ecologically, this area is classified as low land
tropical rainforest, with some intra ecosystem inside like swamp
and highland. Some of endangered species are highly protected
here like Dead flower (rafflesia hasseltii and rafflesia
arnoldi), amorphophallus SP, and some endangered animals like
Sumatran tiger (panthera tigris sumatraensis), tapir (tapirus
indicus), primates like Siamang (symphalangus syndactylus),
Ungko (hylobates sp), birds (bocerotidae and argusianus argus).
Berbak
National Park is a national park area on the eastern coastline
of Central Sumatra included in Ramsar Convention for
international wetland conservation. In 1992, the minister of
Forestry, Republic of Indonesia following the original 1935 by
Dutch colonial, officially states this area as National Park.
Berbak National Park is a national park area on the eastern
coastline of Central Sumatra included in Ramsar Convention for
international wetland conservation.
Especially
long trips through the park need a guide. Local guides can be
hired in Kersik Tuo village at the foot of Mount Kerinci.
Eco-Rural Travel office can also be found here, it's a company,
which sell good maps, hires camping gear and organised trips for
several days. It's sponsored by the WNF. Mount Kerinci, or Mount
Inderapura, can be reached with most vehicles. The popular climb
to the top of Kerinci takes two days.
JAMBI
One
of the greatest kingdoms in Indonesia history, the Buddhist Empire of
Sriwijaya, prospered and grew along the Musi River bank in Shouth
Sumatra over a thousand years ago. Located in the southern-most rim of
the Shout China Sea, close to one of the world's busiest shipping lanes
linking the Far East With Europe, the region's historical background is
rich and colorful.
