Ecotours are emerging across Indonesia. They offer an alternative way of travel for those seeking more responsible travel for their vacations. Several non-profit organizations have created tours that help their cause directly or simply want to help the forests, oceans, beaches, animals, children, and the air we breathe. Voluntourism, meanwhile, allows travelers the chance to give back while on vacation.

Gunung Leuser National Park, Sumatra: The Gunung Leuser National Park is home to orangutans, Sumatran tiger and rhinoceros. Locals practice responsible tourism that aims to protect the forest and its inhabitants. Many of the rainforest regions of Indonesia are destroyed by deforestation and although some are protected from logging under federal law, illegal logging practices still occur. Tourism acts as an alternative income for many people here who have moved away from illegal means of income.

By visiting the region and participating in ecotourism activities such as trekking, tree planting and water rafting you are supporting the guardians of the Gunung Leuser, and you have the chance to get up close with the beautiful orangutans that call this place home.

This unique adventure in North Sumatra offers an exclusive opportunity for you to get hands-on with ongoing conservation efforts in remote villages and forest restoration sites. In addition to soaking up the culture and discovering the breathtaking beauty of this friendly and welcoming Indonesian island, you will also be involved with a number of tasks such as permaculture, restoration of former palm oil plantations, preparing new tree nurseries or identifying and recording native plant life in newly flourishing areas.

You also have the opportunity to visit the superb Leuser Nature School which aims to incentivize local farmers to become guardians of the forest by providing free education for their children in exchange for their involvement in forest restoration and protection efforts. All your hard work is rewarded with three relaxation days in Bukit Lawang including a jungle walk in search of wild orangutans.

You Can Book Tour here: A different Travel Company or write to info@different-travel.com

Bali Sea Turtle Society, Bali: The Bali Sea Turtle Society or BSTS is a charity group that aims to protect sea turtles. Six out of seven sea turtle species around the world are threatened or endangered by either getting caught in fishing gear or plastics in the sea or consumed by curious foodies around the world. Their eggs are also consumed in a lot of developing countries due to the false belief that they are an aphrodisiac. Shells are also turned into jewelry while the plastic in the ocean and global warming is always a threat.

BSTS has organized tours that directly support their efforts to save the turtles. Visitors volunteer alongside local researchers, supporting a variety of activities in Bali. Researches move the eggs to a fenced-off hatchery, which is guarded to keep them away from poachers and once they’ve hatched, they will release the turtles into the ocean. Volunteers walk the beach with researchers. Volunteers also help measure sea turtles, collect and move eggs and release baby turtles to the ocean. Since BSTS began its efforts in 2001 they’ve helped save more than 800,000 hatchlings in Bali.

Unfortunately, sea turtles are still being hunted and sold in certain parts of Indonesia, despite laws that protect these gentle creatures. BSTS works with local communities and tourists all over the island to protect sea turtles by educating communities about the dangers of hunting turtles into extinction for illegal trade. Anyone can join hatchling releases for free and you can also donate by purchasing their documentary DVD, “A Journey Back to the Sea” for Rp 100,000. One hundred percent of the proceeds go to BSTS’ conservation efforts. www.BaliSeaTurtle.org

Friends of the National Parks Foundation (FNPF): In 1997 a Balinese ornithologist founded the Friends of the National Parks Foundation. FNPF  protects the wildlife, restores habitats, and educates local communities through projects that protect the forests in the Kalimantan region in Bali’s Mt. Batukaru as well as forests in the Nusa Penida Island. Dr. Wirayudha and his conservation group are working painstakingly to breed the critically endangered Bali Starling.

If you’re interested in supporting the FNPF, take your family on one of the FNPF’s ecotours.  The volunteer component offered by the FNPF, designed for travelers, is a way to showcase the work being done by Sustainable Harvest and its local partner families. During the trips, volunteers work alongside small scale farmers, supporting their efforts and also helping to build solar latrines, plant trees, or construct wood-conserving stoves. All proceeds from guests are “donations” and 100 percent of the money is used to fund FNPF’s project work.

FNPF takes groups on traditional Klotok boats into the Tanjung Puting National Park, the optional choice of camping in tents in the rainforest. You will visit the rainforest and see orangutans, hornbills and other wildlife as you cruise gently up the Sekonyer River into the National Park. FNPF encourages tourists to take walks into the rainforest and see their reforestation projects, meet the local village communities and to see how mining and palm oil plantations are threatening the region.

The FNPF Centre is located on a beach on the north side of Nusa Penida, close to the village of Ped. They have 3 twin rooms, 1 single room, and a dormitory for larger groups which is nestled directly in the middle of the forest. Expect to be visited by wild birds, visit their nursery or snorkel at an amazing coral reef. There are plenty of interesting things to see and do on Nusa Penida, you can rent a motorbike and tour the rest of the island while there. If you would like to stay at our Centre in Nusa Penida, please CLICK HERE TO APPLY and send the application form to fnpf.id@hotmail.com.

Bali Sharks, Serangan Island: Bali Sharks was founded by Hawaiian surfer Paul Friese in 2011 and was initially known as the Serangan Shark Project. Friese started his mission to protect sharks after learning about the prevalence of poaching in the area. Together with his friends, Friese helped turn poachers into tour guides, giving the local community a source of income without destroying wildlife.

Today, Bali Sharks offers one of Bali’s most unique fundraising projects: swimming with the sharks! Bali Sharks’ marine tour is perfect for kids of all ages and is 100 percent ocean-friendly. Wouldn’t it be a fun excursion to let the kiddos swim with juvenile sharks? Of course, guests swim in a safe and controlled environment to observe these magnificent creatures in all their glory. The facility also offers a free nursery tour to kids under five years old. Together with Gili Eco Trust, these sharks are kept in a nursery for rehabilitation until they are ready to be released again into the wild.

Bali Sharks Ecotour is three hours with transportation and meal provided. Tour includes the Turtle Conservation Center, Marine Garden, and the Shark Nursery. Guests are allowed to feed and swim with sharks. Baby turtles releasing is seasonally from June into October. This is a family-friendly activity for all ages. Species include Black & White Tip Reef Sharks and sometimes Bambu and Wobbegong (carpet sharks.) Visit Bali Sharks

Raja Empat Biodiversity Resort: Raja Empat is an archipelago of islands, located just off the tip of Bird’s Head Peninsula in Indonesia’s West Papua province. It is an important ecotourism destination as it is pristine because it is difficult to get to, but entirely worth the effort. The Nature conservancy and Conservation International claim that 75 percent of the world’s marine species live here on the islands.

Raja Empat is one of the most beautiful destinations in Indonesia and one of the greatest ecotourism places in the world.

Biodiversity is a passion for the team at Eco Resort in Indonesia, they are passionate about the environment, minimizing their impact and developing a sustainable future. There are currently no formal rules regarding Sea Turtle capture or nesting area protection in the Raja Empat Regency, but Biodiversity is trying to change that.

They continue to educate the local community about alternative proteins in their diet other than sea Turtle meat and eggs. Sea turtle monitoring programs are a high priority and they hope the data they collect will provide key information to help establish an official ruling for the protection and conservation of Sea Turtles in the area. Coral reef conservation is another priority, therefore they:

Promote safe diver and snorkeler practices;

Do not sell shell or coral local crafts;

Promote the use of reef-safe sunscreens;

Safely dispose of our rubbish;

Regularly do beach cleanups;

Do not anchor on reefs, we use mooring lines here on our house reef;

Only buy Line-caught fish and no reef fish;

Have set up and are maintaining a Coral Nursery to help with reef restoration; and

Are planning an artificial reef.

Soul Surf Project, Legian Beach, Bali: There are hundreds of surf lessons all around the coast of Bali but why not help a great cause while you’re learning how to surf at Legian beach! In this experience, you will learn your basics of surfing in a safe way, together with our partner and sponsor RipCurl School of Surf.

The class lasts approximately 1.5 hours and they provide a standing guarantee, meaning that they guarantee that you will be able to stand on your board by the end of the lesson. This is a chance to support a local NGO working with local underprivileged children and leave a positive impact behind after your holiday.

This is a social impact experience where 100 percent of revenues go to the Foundation.

Westerlaken foundation focuses on improving human and children rights in Indonesia. At this moment the foundation finances impactful research especially on children’s rights within orphanages on Bali. In cooperation with other foundations, movements, NGO’s and GO’s Westerlaken foundation finances research and initiatives to protect the coastal and marine environment by raising public awareness, campaign, research and fight against captivity.

Westerlaken foundation finances the work of Yayasan Bali Bersih, the Indonesian counterpart of Westerlaken Foundation, which is actively engaged in providing first response to standings and emergencies of stranded dolphins, whales and sea turtles and actively campaigns against dolphin captivity in Indonesia.

Westerlaken Foundation assists Jakarta Animal Aid Network and Dolphin Project in the savings and relocation of the ex-Melka resort captive dolphins. Westerlaken foundation actively finances relief to people affected by the 2018 Lombok earthquakes. Their surf school is usually booked so make sure you pre-book way before you arrive in Bali. Contact them at https://www.soulsurfprojectbali.com/contact

Wakatobi, Sulawesi, Bunaken, Sulawesi: Wakatobi (pronounced WAHK-kah-TOH-bee) features a luxury dive resort in southeastern Sulawesi, Indonesia. The area includes 143 islands, but only four of them are inhabited. Since 2005 the park has been listed as a tentative World Heritage Site. In 2012 it was added to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Wakatobi was established following an extensive search to identify the perfect location for a dive resort in terms of geography, climate, oceanic topography and marine biodiversity. To ensure its future, the developers created one of the largest privately protected marine reserves in the world.

Wakatobi is the third largest marine park in Indonesia. It hosts 942 fish species and 750 coral reef species, versus 50 in the Caribbean and 300 in the Red Sea. Wakatobi covers 1.4 million hectares. It includes the highest number of reef and fish species in the world.

The islands form the largest barrier reef in Indonesia, second only to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Jacques Cousteau called the Wakatobi area an “Underwater Nirwana.”

Having identified the premier location, the developers built an island paradise with the essential facilities and comforts to make an unforgettable dive trip. From shore or by boat, you have exclusive access to 50 dive sites, miles of pristine reefs, where diverse and dramatic undersea landscapes harbor the highest level of marine biodiversity on the planet. New and undocumented species continue to be discovered at Wakatobi.

The House Reef is a cornucopia of marine life, which you can enter directly from the beach or the jetty. The coral top is host to sea grass offering refuge to species such as filefish, blue ringed octopus and bumphead parrotfish, while the corals are home to numerous colorful juveniles of many species. The dramatic drop off where the wall begins offers glimpses out into the blue and down the wall – turtles, bumphead parrotfish, rays, mild mannered triggerfish, box fish and puffer fish can be seen among many other species.

Anano Beach is a great place to observe sea turtles in their natural habitat.

The incredible white sandy beach is home to two types of sea turtles, Honu (green turtles) and Koila (hawksbill turtles). Depending on the timing of your trip, you might get to see the turtles spawn, hatch and migrate to sea. The optimal time to observe spawning is during the full moon where green turtles usually gather at the shoreline in preparation to lay their eggs in the early hours of the morning. This enchanting beach is also a popular spot for divers and sun loungers.

Adventurers also enjoy the majestic Lakasa cave, which is is filled with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. The cave descends 120 meters. Locals believe that it has mystical properties. East and West come together at Wakatobi’s spa, which blends the best of Indonesian and European traditions. For more information, visit https://www.wakatobi.com/

Komodo National Park, Komodo and Rinca: Komodo is a small island of 280 square kilometers. It is located between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores. The Island has about 800 human inhabitants and double that number of dragons. Most of the other islands where the dragons live have no permanent human residents at all.

Visitors to this area also should see the island of Rinca, which is just south and east of Komodo. It’s also part of Komodo National Park, but offers a slightly different landscape and good dragon populations. Rinca is just a short boat ride from Komodo island and is even closer to the island of Flores. In addition to wildlife viewing, Komodo National Park offers some of the best diving and snorkeling in Indonesia. The waters are clear and the marine life is spectacular. Whales and dolphins travel through the area regularly.

Camp Leakey, Tanjung Puting, Orangutans, Borneo: At Camp Leakey, we see up to 15,000 a year from all over the world. The local people saw them coming in and built up the tourism industry. The good thing is that the money stays in the area. The cooks are local. The guides are local. The boats are local. That’s one of the reasons the local people are so supportive.

After you go into the education center, you can walk to the feeding station. Once a day, the orangutans are provided with fruit and they usually come through the trees to the feeding platform. The feeding lasts two hours and some people watch them the whole time. You get very intimate encounters with the orangutans at Camp Leakey.

The tourism is controlled. Visitors can only observe the feeding at Camp Leakey. You’re not allowed to wander alone in the forest. It enhances the value of the park to the local people and then they will fight for it. Tourism directly benefits the orangutans. It makes the local people want to protect them. The main issue for orangutans in Southeast Asia is palm oil plantations. The forest needs to be cleared completely for the plantations. Orangutans spend 90 percent of their time in the tree canopy. When you cut down the trees, they have nowhere to go. We’re headed toward a point where most of the orangutans we see will be in captivity or at Tanjung Puting.

Indonesia is the fourth-largest nation in the world with more than 267 million people. The country is comprised of more than 17,500 islands, including Bali, Borneo, Java, Lombok, Sumatra and Sulawesi. Learn more about Indonesia. Learn about where to go, what do and what to say.

Indonesia is the fourth-largest nation in the world with more than 267 million people. The country has more than 17,500 islands, including Bali, Borneo, Java, Lombok, Sumatra and Sulawesi. Learn where to go, what do and what to say.

Get the most from your trip with the Language and Travel Guide to Indonesia. Learn where to go and what to say. Thousands of islands. Hundreds of cultures. One book. Watch our Indonesian tutorial.

The post Adventure Abounds Across Indonesia appeared first on Language and Travel Guide To Indonesia.

Indonesia is home to the second‑largest rainforest in the world, but it’s going fast. As a result, the country has more endangered species than any other nation in the world.

Indonesia’s forests contain an estimated 4,000 species of trees, 30,000 flowering plant species, 500 species of mammals, more than 1,500 species of birds, and 5,000 varieties of orchids. The flora of Indonesia ranges from the tiny orchid to the giant rafflesia plant—the largest flower in the world (up to three feet across). Many of these plants and animals are only found on these islands.

Plants are integral to local life across Indonesia’s many islands. Local people use approximately 6,000 species of plants for traditional herbal medicines and for important rituals and ceremonies.

Indonesia has just one percent of the world’s land area, but this country is home to more than 10 percent of all mammal species and 17 percent of all birds. Indonesia has more known mammal species than any other country in the world. It also has more endangered mammals than any other country, including the endangered orangutan, Javan rhinoceros, Komodo dragon, Sumatran tiger, and Sumatran elephant.

Indonesia is home to leopards, king cobras, hornbills, proboscis monkeys, sun bears, wild boars, and hundreds of other rare and fascinating creatures.

Scientists are still discovering several new species each year, especially on Borneo and in the highlands of Papua.

The large mammals of western Indonesia arrived from the north when the islands were covered with dense jungle. They remain only where lowland forest is still intact. The greatest threat to their existence, other than poaching, is the clearing of forest for agriculture and intensive logging. 

The Asian elephant is the largest mammal on earth. In Indonesia, it roams the wilds of Sumatra and Kalimantan. The largest populations are concentrated in Way Kambas National Park and the Air Sugihan Reserve in South Sumatra.

Most visitors to Indonesia hope to see the Sumatran tiger. However, this beautiful animal rarely shows itself. Unfortunately, human development has already pushed two other tiger species in Indonesia into extinction. The Javan tiger was declared extinct in 1994 and the Balinese tiger was last seen several decades before that. Fewer than 500 Sumatran tigers are left in the wild and the number is dropping steadily.

If habitat destruction and poaching across Asia are not stopped, wild tigers have just a few years to survive. Tiger bones and body parts are sold on the black market for use in traditional Chinese medicines. This demand alone is putting tremendous pressure on these beautiful animals. Meanwhile, the forests where they live are being destroyed for timber, mining, and farming.

The orangutan is another favorite attraction among wildlife enthusiasts. In Indonesia, its name means man of the forest.

The orangutan is the only great ape found in Asia and it is highly endangered because of habitat destruction and illegal poaching. Orangutans live in the wet and hot forests of Sumatra and Kalimantan (Borneo).

The orangutan is one of the most impressive and famous apes in the world. The orangutan is the largest tree-dwelling animal on the planet and the second-largest great ape behind the gorilla. A full grown male is as large as a man, but several times stronger. The mature male has large, fleshy cheek pads and a heavy throat pouch. It can weigh more than 250 pounds. The full-grown female is about half that weight.

Adult orangutans have an intelligence level similar to that of a five-year-old child. They move through the forest high in the canopy,swinging from tree to tree. Orangutans range over large areas in pursuit of food, including fruit, bark, leaves, flowers, and insects. They live a nomadic lifestyle that depends on food availability. The current number of wild orangutans is estimated at fewer than 60,000 animals on both Sumatra and Borneo combined. There were twice as many just 10 years ago.

There are only about 3,000 – 5,000 Komodo dragons alive in the wild and they are limited to a few volcanic islands in Indonesia. The island of Komodo is now a nature reserve where the dragon is protected. The dragon is a large and deadly monitor lizard with close ancestors that date back more than 100 million years. It is the largest living lizard in the world (averaging 10 feet long and 200 pounds), but not the largest reptile(alligators and crocodiles can grow larger).

The world of the Komodo dragon is restricted to the Lesser Sunda Islands of Rinca, Komodo, Flores and the smaller islands of Gili Montangand Padar. The natural habitat of the dragon is extremely harsh by human standards. These arid, volcanic islands have steep slopes and little freshwater most of the year.  Dragons are most abundant in the lower forests and savannas. They are an endangered species because they have such a small habitat in just one region of the world. An ecological disaster in this area,such as a major volcanic eruption, could push them into extinction.

The one-horned Javan rhinoceros is only found in Ujung Kulon National Park in West Java. As late as the 1880s, thousands of these animals roamed all over the island of Java. Then the colonial Dutch government put a bounty on them to rid the island of these pests. In just 40 years, the rhino faced extinction on Java. The Dutch then created the Ujung Kulon Wildlife Reserve in 1921 on the southwestern tip of the island to give the remaining animals a chance to survive. The reserve became a national park in 1981.

This animal is extremely rare, with just 40-50 animals remaining in the wild.

Despite their size, Javan rhinos move quickly and quietly through tangles of vines and thick walls of jungle shrubs. By lowering their heads, the animals move like huge wedges that push the undergrowth up and over their backs as they plow through the thick vegetation.

The forests of Sumatra also support the Sumatran rhinoceros,the smaller cousin to the Javan rhino. As with many other species around the world, it is threatened by loss of its natural habitat. Poaching also threatens its existence. Tracks have been seen in the swamps of Kalimantan, which indicate that a few of these creatures also may still be alive on the island of Borneo.

Indonesia is home to 17 percent of the world’s known bird species. There also are more endangered bird species here than anywhere else on earth. Sumatra and Kalimantan alone have some 450 species of birds. There are more than 300 bird species on Bali and Java. In Maluku, signs start to appear of the influence of Australian birds, most noticeably the parrots and cockatoos. The hornbill is a cornerstone of the arts and culture of the Dayak tribes of Kalimantan. 

Indonesia’s 17,500 islands compose the largest and most varied archipelago on earth and span more than 3,100 miles from Asia to Australia. The country is more than 80 percent water, which includes more than 80,000 kilometers of coastline—equal to nearly one-third of the earth’s circumference. This vast coastline offers more coral reefs than any other place in the world.

Indonesia lies in the middle of the Indo-Pacific basin. This region extends from the Indian Ocean waters off East Africa all the way to the Hawaiian and Marquesas Islands in the South Pacific. The trench is a term used to describe the seam of two tectonic plates deep under the oceans in the area.An upheaval along this trench caused the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the deadly tsunami that killed thousands of people throughout the region, on December 26, 2004.

Indonesia has more coral reefs than any other place on earth. They are fed by rich nutrients in the ocean currents. These islands hold about 10 to 15 percent of the world’s coral reefs, many of which are still unknown. There are more than 500 species of coral throughout these islands,including some of the most colorful species on the planet.

These waters are home to 3,000 species of fish and 30 species of whales and dolphins. The Sulawesi Sea is the equivalent of a highway for sperm whales, dolphins, and other large marine life, such as sea turtles and manta rays. There are more species of fish, coral, and other marine life found in Indonesian waters than in any other country. 

You could spend your entire life in Indonesia and not experience the entire country. Unfortunately many of these wild places and their inhabitants won’t be around forever, so pick some of these threatened destinations and pack your bags for Indonesia.

Indonesia is the fourth-largest nation in the world with more than 267 million people. The country is comprised of more than 17,500 islands, including Bali, Borneo, Java, Lombok, Sumatra and Sulawesi. Learn more about Indonesia.

Get the most from your trip with the Language and Travel Guide to Indonesia. Learn where to go and what to say. Thousands of islands. Hundreds of cultures. One book. Watch our Indonesian tutorial.

The post Indonesia Adventure Travel appeared first on Language and Travel Guide To Indonesia.

Trekking through the swamps and rainforests of Kalimantan may not be everyone’s idea of a fun and relaxing holiday, but to an increasing number of ecotourists there is no better way to spend a couple of weeks.

After speaking with a group of ecotourists, recently returned from Tanjung Puting National Park in Central Kalimantan, their motivations for going became clear. They went in search of adventure, excitement and, most of all, orangutans. Daily treks through Tanjung Puting, in search of wild orangutans, and active involvement in data collection and habitat surveys, turned the ecotourists into willing volunteers.

The treks were long and arduous, but the group remained determined. Some did not even get to see any wild orangutans, yet still they trekked for hours in search of them. Others saw many. Margaret, an ecotourist from Western Australia, said that her group found one orangutan with an infant within an hour of going into the jungle. ‘We were very lucky. We stood for four hours under two trees, watching them eating the fruit. It was great to see. We also took very detailed notes on the habitat and the orangutan’, she said.

The group also came into close contact with the rehabilitant orangutans at the Ministry of Forestry’s (MoF) feeding station. Although not officially permitted, holding the rehabilitant orangutans was the highlight of the trip for most of the ecotourists.

Australian ecotourist Terry likened the experience to nursing a human child. ‘We ended up carrying the babies around. They just run up and hug you and want to be carried’, he said. For Judith the experience was more profound: ‘I cried when I got to hold them. To me it was such an honour to accomplish one of my goals.’

Canadian anthropologist Dr Birute Galdikas oversees the non-government Tanjung Puting tours. For her, ecotourism is not just about cuddling baby orangutans. She ensures there is a strong emphasis on raising awareness about the plight of the critically endangered orangutan. She does this by involving the ecotourists in the collection of data, and by arranging lectures and trips to see local Dayak villages and areas of deforestation. This last is a sobering lesson.

The deforestation they saw astounded all the ecotourists. ‘Oh, the destruction! We went up to the gold mine, just outside Tanjung Puting, and that was so important to see because there was so much destruction there’, said Australian ecotourist, Ros. ‘The river, the logging, the records we kept, all those things were reinforcing all the time about the habitat destruction and the invasion of western civilisation’.

Others began to see the futility of efforts to save the orangutan if their habitat was continuing to be destroyed. ‘People are working to rehabilitate them, but the government and companies are chopping the trees down’, said Gordon, another ecotourist from Western Australia. Gordon was involved in an orangutan rescue during his stay at Tanjung Puting. ‘It’s illegal to log in the forest where we were, but you see the rafts full of logs every day. Yes, they all want to save the orangutan’, Gordon went on, ‘but even as we left in January the papers were saying Indonesia is going to increase its export of timber to help its balance of payments. We went two thirds of the way across Kalimantan to save four orangutans and put them back into Camp Leakey. But at the other end they are chopping the trees down’.

Ecotourism offers as an important conservation tool.

Andi Mappisammeng, Director General of Tourism, says: ‘Ecotourism can be a great ally of conservation efforts. It can encourage love of nature as more people seek solitude with nature. It can also provide a self-financing mechanism for the conservation of the natural heritage through proper management and ecological control.’

Echoing such sentiments, the government has resolved to establish more orangutan ecotourism centres in Kalimantan. At present, Tanjung Puting is the only orangutan centre open to ecotourism. But there are plans for ecotourism centres at Sungai Wain and at Kutai National Park in East Kalimantan.

The dilemma for ecotourism planners in Indonesia, as anywhere, is to ensure that they achieve a balance of economic, social and ecological control. To date, however, a lack of political will and commitment to achieving genuine sustainable development has flawed the government’s conservation record.

Economic and political concerns take priority over ecological ones. How strong really is the government’s desire to establish an enterprise that is truly sustainable? Indonesia’s forests are among the nation’s most valuable resources, second only to oil. Business people both overseas and within Indonesia constantly lobby the government to win the right to exploit them.

Some of the wealthiest people in the country have lucrative shares in logging concessions and timber processing companies. Most are closely connected with President Suharto – his children Siti Hardiyanti, Sigit Harjojudanto and Bambang Trihatmodjo, and other well-connected people such as Bob Hasan, Liem Sioe Liong, Sukanto Tanoto and Prajogo Pangestu.

The vast wealth and power that comes from this industry results in huge rewards offered in return for political favours that see certain companies and/ or individuals granted resource concessions over other bidders.

If we examine the situation of protected areas in Kalimantan we will see how economic and political interests are favoured over conservation values. The total land area of Kalimantan is 536,150 km2. Of this, 20,338 km2 of forest has been set aside for protection. In reality, however, logging and other forms of human encroachment continue to threaten the future of many of Kalimantan’s protected areas.

For example, in South Kalimantan 60% of conservation forests and 35% of protected forests have been grossly deforested. A case in point comes from the Pleihari Wildlife Reserve, which the MoF has converted into production forest for logging. This was the last remaining habitat of the barking deer.

Another example comes from the Bukit Baka/ Bukit Raya National Park. This ecologically rich stretch of rainforest was split down the middle by the logging company Kurina Kapaus Plywood. Then-Minister of Forestry, Hasrul Harahap, granted the logging concession.

Examples can also be found in the proposed and established orangutan ecotourism areas. In and around the 3,040 km2 of Tanjung Puting National Park, mining and logging companies and human settlements have destroyed many forested areas. In fact, although the official Tanjung Puting guidebook states that it remains substantially wild and natural, the Directorate General for Forest Protection and Nature (Phpa) has argued that pressures from transmigrants and oil, gas and gold mines on the park’s border have caused extensive deforestation. In 1989 the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (Iucn) listed Tanjung Puting National Park as a protected region in danger.

At Kutai National Park the deforestation is just as alarming. Although Kutai is only 200,000 hectares it is regarded as one of the most important parks in the world, particularly in terms of its biodiversity value. Kutai is under extreme pressure, however. Mining and logging interests are literally camped at its doorstep, and local and migrant communities continue to clear vast areas of forest for crops. Approximately 100,000 hectares of the park has already been deforested.

The Sungai Wain nature reserve in East Kalimantan, the 11,000 ha release site for rehabilitated orangutans from the MoF/PHPA Wanariset Reintroduction Centre, has been subject to similar pressures. The oil company Vico has cut many lines through the forest for seismic probes and has cleared a large area for use as a helipad. Communities in the surrounding areas also use the forest regularly for their subsistence needs.

Negotiations are currently in place to have Sungai Wain upgraded to national park status so that orangutan ecotourism may begin. As we have seen, however, national park status will not automatically ensure forest protection.

These examples highlight another major obstacle to the success of sustainable orangutan ecotourism. That is, the use of protected areas by local communities. Obviously, to ensure forest conservation, limits need to be placed upon all forms of human access and use of these areas. However, it is the manner in which governments enforce this forest protection that will ultimately determine the success of conservation efforts.

The traditional solution to ecological protection in Indonesia has been to enclose specified areas, in the hope of limiting human activity. Ironically, if the government were to succeed in adequately protecting the forest in this way, the results would be devastating for human communities dependent upon the forest for their survival.

More often, however, the government is not successful in completely enclosing protected areas. As a result, environmental protection is limited, because disenfranchised groups continue to use forest resources illegally and unsustainably. This has certainly been the case since the enclosure of Tanjung Puting, Sungai Wain and Kutai National Park.

Whether the forest exploitation is to meet subsistence needs or for short-term commercial gains, these illegal uses further deplete the habitat of the orangutan while, in the long term, adding to human poverty as forest resources decline.

Incentives for local communities to protect and conserve the environment are vital if the Indonesian government is serious about the promotion of orangutan ecotourism. Genuine socio-economic incentives, control over the direction and size of the ecotourism development and control over the possible impacts would empower local communities making them willing actors rather than reluctant subjects.

Planned correctly, ecotourism can help conserve the orangutan and Sumatra’s tigers. This outcome depends on appropriate levels of management, a supportive political climate and commitment to achieving conservation and social participation at the local level.

Indonesia has more than 17,500 islands, including Bali, Borneo, Java, Lombok, Sumatra and Sulawesi. Learn more about Indonesia.

Get the most from your trip with the Language and Travel Guide to Indonesia. Learn where to go and what to say. Thousands of islands. Hundreds of cultures. One book. Watch our Indonesian tutorial.

The post Indonesia’s Wildlife appeared first on Language and Travel Guide To Indonesia.

Indonesia has more coral reefs than any country in the world. The islands rise from the deepest points of the oceans to the snowy heights of the Jayawijaya mountain range, which towers more than 15,000 feet above sea level.

Six indigenous communities have launched an ecotourism initiative that would show off their ancestral forests. They hope to develop alternate economic models that local governments in Indonesia could embrace, other than extractive industries such as mining and palm oil plantations. The initiative, called Green Indonesia, would ultimately help the communities secure the rights to their own lands, an elusive goal that they have long pursued.

The most famous tribes include the Asmat and Dani people of Papua, the Dayak people of Kalimantan, and the Batak people of Sumatra.

Indonesia has the third-largest area of rainforest in the world, and the Indigenous Peoples and local communities who live in and depend on these forests play an important role in conserving them. With global climate change challenges looming—deforestation is the leading source of Indonesia’s greenhouse gas emissions—the fourth most populous country in the world is searching for a green economic pathway to lift people out of poverty.

Green Indonesia sees significant potential in community based eco-culture tourism—one recent study found that for 26 percent of the traveling population, sustainability and responsibility play a big part in their decision making.

Indonesia is blessed with a more than 400 ethnic groups who inhabit the largest archipelago in the world, over 18,000 islands. The six partner communities of Green Indonesia are:

• The Sui Utik Indigenous Forest in West Kalimantan;
• The Mollo Sacred Lands in Nausus, Timor Tengah Selatan;
• The Paluanda Lama Hamu cloth weavers, in East Sumba;
• The Guguk Indigenous Forest in Jambi, Sumatra;
• The Sawai community in Seram Island, Maluku; and
• The Jatiluwih community in Tabanan, Bali.

Through GreenIndonesia, women weavers from all over Indonesia connect, share knowledge, and keep their traditions alive. The communities work with many local plants to create unique colors and pay close attention to maintaining the environment where the vegetation grows.

The Sawai community, on the island of Seram, Maluku, have transformed themselves over the last decade from poaching endangered birds for illegal wildlife traders to sustainable forest managers of one of the best birdwatching havens in Eastern Indonesia. Other partners also have inspiring successes. The Guguk Ancestral Forest community, for example, has kept logging and palm oil expansion in their territory at bay. Their forests provide a sanctuary for the critically endangered Sumatran tiger, whose population has dwindled to about 250.

The communities hope to show that resilient and green economic development is possible when local community land rights and the integrity of natural ecosystems are equally protected. The national government has been supportive. This support reflects the new government’s focus on addressing climate change and Indigenous community rights in an effective and fair way.

Indonesia is the fourth-largest nation in the world with more than 267 million people. The country has more than 17,500 islands, including Bali, Borneo, Java, Lombok, Sumatra and Sulawesi. Learn more about Indonesia.

Get the most from your trip with the Language and Travel Guide to Indonesia. Learn where to go and what to say. Thousands of islands. Hundreds of cultures. One book. Watch our Indonesian tutorial.

The post Ecotourism Across Indonesia appeared first on Language and Travel Guide To Indonesia.

Most visitors to Indonesia hope to see the Sumatran tiger. However, this beautiful animal rarely shows itself. Unfortunately, human development and destruction has already pushed two other tiger species in Indonesia into extinction. The Javan tiger was declared extinct in 1994 and the Bali tiger was last seen several decades before that. Fewer than 300 Sumatran tigers are left in the wild and the number is dropping steadily.

If habitat destruction and poaching across Asia are not stopped, wild tigers have just a few years to survive. Tiger bones and body parts are sold on the black market for use in traditional Chinese medicines. This demand alone is putting tremendous pressure on these beautiful animals. Meanwhile, the forests where they live are being destroyed for timber, mining, and farming–especially palm oil plantations. Each animal needs up to 20 square miles to survive and forests are a vanishing resource in many regions.

Losing Habitat On Borneo, Sumatra

The orangutan is another favorite attraction among wildlife enthusiasts. In Indonesia, its name means man of the forest. The orangutan is the only great ape found in Asia and it is highly endangered because of habitat destruction and illegal poaching. Orangutans live in the wet and hot forests of Sumatra and Kalimantan (Borneo).

The orangutan is one of the most impressive and famous apes in the world. The orangutan is the largest tree-dwelling animal on the planet and the second-largest great ape behind the gorilla. A full grown male is as large as a man, but several times stronger. The mature male has large, fleshy cheek pads and a heavy throat pouch. It can weigh more than 250 pounds. The full-grown female is about half that weight.

Adult orangutans have an intelligence level similar to that of a five-year-old child. They move through the forest high in the canopy, swinging from tree to tree. Orangutans range over large areas in pursuit of food, including fruit, bark, leaves, flowers, and insects. They live a nomadic lifestyle that depends on food availability.

The males frequently come down to the ground to travel longer distances, while the females rarely leave the trees. They have a solitary lifestyle, unlike other species of monkeys or apes. However, mothers will intentionally bring their young together to play. They make new beds high in the trees every day because they refuse to use the same bed more than once.

Females are not sexually active until they are about 15 years old. They usually reproduce about once every seven years, because the mothers care for their babies for about five years. Females rarely give birth more than three times in their life, which is the longest birth interval of any mammal. This fact doesn’t bode well for a species under siege.

Orangutans also are the victims of an illegal pet trade. Illegal poachers take the baby orangutans after killing their mothers. They sell babies as pets in places such as Taipei.

Indonesian law has protected orangutans since 1925, but enforcing the law and confiscating orangutans from people is a complicated process. In the past, when a government official found someone possessing an orangutan, the animal either had to be released immediately or put down. Since the government rarely had the facilities or the training to properly prepare the animals for release into the wild, and since no one wanted to destroy the animals, few orangutans were confiscated. Thanks to the development of orangutan rehabilitation centers, such as Camp Leakey, Wanariset Station, and others, captured orangutans now have a better chance to return to the wild. Unfortunately, reintroduction is very challenging and does not always work.

Habitat destruction is the greatest threat to the survival of the orangutan. It depends on the rainforest to survive. More than half of the world’s tropical rainforests have been destroyed in the last 30 years and some estimate that 80 percent of the orangutan’s habitat has been destroyed in just the last 20 years. Illegal logging, slash-and-burn agriculture, gold mining, and forest fires threaten their survival. Only about five percent of the surviving orangutans live in protected areas, such as nature reserves and national parks, which means this species might be gone from the wild in 10 years.

The current number of wild orangutans is estimated at fewer than 60,000 animals on both Sumatra and Borneo combined. There were twice as many just 10 years ago.

Most visitors to Indonesia hope to see the Sumatran tiger. However, this beautiful animal rarely shows itself. Unfortunately, human development has already pushed two other tiger species in Indonesia into extinction. The Javan tiger was declared extinct in 1994 and the Balinese tiger was last seen several decades before that. Fewer than 500 Sumatran tigers are left in the wild and the number is dropping steadily.

If habitat destruction and poaching across Asia are not stopped, wild tigers have just a few years to survive. Tiger bones and body parts are sold on the black market for use in traditional Chinese medicines. This demand alone is putting tremendous pressure on these beautiful animals. Meanwhile, the forests where they live are being destroyed for timber, mining, and farming. Each animal needs up to 20 square miles to survive and forests are a vanishing resource in many regions.

Indonesia is the fourth-largest nation in the world with more than 267 million people. The country has more than 17,500 islands, including Borneo and Sumatra.

Get the most from your trip with the Language and Travel Guide to Indonesia. Learn where to go and what to say. Thousands of islands. Hundreds of cultures. One book. Watch our Indonesian tutorial.

The post See Indonesia’s Orangutans, Tigers appeared first on Language and Travel Guide To Indonesia.

Indonesian indigenous communities launched a project this week to encourage foreign tourism in ancestral forests to slow the advance of logging operations and palm oil plantations.

The Green Indonesia non-governmental organization, working with six indigenous groups, said the plan would ease poverty, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and diversify from traditional forest-based incomes such as weaving.

“We’re trying to draw tourists to areas of Indonesia where communities are working to preserve their land and show how they are helping to prevent forests from being lost,” GreenIndonesia head Chandra Kirana said.

The project was inspired by similar initiatives in the Amazon region of South America, she said at a tourism exhibition in Oslo.

Raymundus Remang, head of the Sui Utuk community in West Kalimantan, said the villagers, who have preserved 9,000 hectares of forest from illegal logging and palm oil expansion, would welcome more visitors. Tourists could stay in the community’s vast longhouse, where about 250 people live.

“Everyone in the village has the same feeling of having to protect the forest because it comes from our ancestors,” he said.

Indonesia has lost vast tracts of forests in recent years, threatening the livelihoods of forest peoples as well as endangered creatures such as orangutans and Sumatran tigers.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar endorsed the ecotourism project and said the government of President Joko Widodo was working on a decree recognizing the rights of indigenous groups.

Kirana said she hoped the initiative would draw hundreds, perhaps thousands, of tourists to Indonesia.

Indonesia is the fourth-largest nation in the world with more than 267 million people. The country is comprised of more than 17,500 islands, including Bali, Borneo, Java, Lombok, Sumatra and Sulawesi. Learn more about Indonesia.

Get the most from your trip with the Language and Travel Guide to Indonesia. Learn where to go and what to say. Thousands of islands. Hundreds of cultures. One book. Watch our Indonesian tutorial.

The post Ecotours Across Indonesia appeared first on Language and Travel Guide To Indonesia.