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ENJOYING NATURE IN NORTH SUMATRA’S
GREAT BUKIT BARISAN FOREST PARK
Sumatra is Indonesia’s Western-most and
second-largest island, 1,790 km. long
and 435 km. wide and fringed with
smaller islands off its coasts. The
province of North Sumatra stretches from
the Indian Ocean in the west to the
Strait of Malacca in the east, and from
Aceh in the north to West Sumatra in the
south-west. It is one of the richest
provinces in Indonesia in terms of
nature, offering visitors beautiful
panoramas of terraced rice fields,
mountains, jungle-covered hills,
peaceful white sandy beaches,
waterfalls, music, dance, and folk art.
The Bukit Barisan mountain range, with,
numerous volcanoes, constructs the
‘spine’ of the province. The highest
peak (and the highest volcano in
Indonesia) is Mount Kerinci, at 3,800
meters above sea level. The range is the
source of several large rivers, and
nestled in the north is the Great Salt
Lake, Lake Toba.
A hot, moist climate and heavy rainfall
have resulted in luxuriant vegetation,
swamplands in much of the eastern half
of the island, and impenetrable
rainforests in the interior.
The proposed composite site of Sumatra’s
tropical rainforest heritage straddles
the equator along the north, the center,
and south of the Bukit Barisan range.
The large Gunung Leuser National Park,
50 km. long and over 100 km. wide and
predominately mountainous, is found in
the northern part of this vast area. In
the middle is Kerinci-Seblat National
Park, Sumatra’s largest reserve
protecting the watersheds of two of
Sumatra’s most important rivers: the
Musi and Batang Hari, extending 350km.
down the Bukit Barisan range with an
average 45 km. width each. In the south
of the range is the Bukit Barisan
Selatan Preserve covering more than
2,000 sq. km., measuring some 350 in
length and an average 45 km. in width.
The Great Bukit Barisan Forest Park is
situated between oo1' 16"-029'37" North
and 9812' 16"-9841'00" East.
Administratively, it belongs to Tiga
Panah sub-district in the regency of the
Karo highlands, North Sumatra. Owing to
its location near Tongkoh village, this
is approximately 59 km. from the
provincial capital of Medan. The park
was originally known as the Arboretum
Tongkok Brastagi and then Taman Hutan
Raya Tongkoh Brastagi. In 1989, however,
the 73-year-old park was renamed Great
Bukit Barisan Forest Park, the third
such park to be established in Indonesia
pursuant to presidential decree No.
48/1988. The purpose of the park’s
development is conservation of its
natural resources and adding value to
the environment through increased
function and role.
The Great Bukit Barisan Forest Park is a
unit of management over a protected
forest and conservation site covering a
total area of 51, 600 hectares, mostly
natural mountain forest. It encompasses
Sibayak I and II protected forests as
well as Simancik II and Sinabung II
protected forest, and includes two
mountains, Sibayak (2,211 m.) and
Sinabung (2, 451 m.).
The forest park’s topography is steep
and mountainous. Its climate is B-typed
under the Schmidt and Ferguson zoning
system, with an annual mean rainfall of
2,000-2,500 mm. Temperatures average
between 13 șC and 25 șC, while the
humidity is high, especially in the
forest at night.
The Great Bukit Barisan Forest Park is
home to a wide variety pf pine species (Pinus
merkusii), puspa (Schima walichii), the
grand rasamala (Altingia exelsa),
conifers (Podocarpus sp.), meang (Alseodaphne
sp.), diverse fruit trees (durian,
rambutan), sugar palm, rattan, and so
forth, while orchids and other epiphytes
such as moss, lichen, and tree ferns are
ubiquitous. The animal diversity is
equally impressive, including the
white-handed gibbon (Hylobates Lar),
eagle (Haliantus Indus), hornbill bird (Buceros
sp.), and wild rooster (Gallus varius).
Touring the park
Visitors are advised to prepare with
cool-weather clothing, raincoat, and
heavy shoes for hiking. They are also
advised to bring camping gear and their
own food, especially if they intend to
stay overnight in the park.
Accommodation is provided in the form of
simple guesthouses, and there are
camping grounds. Within fairly close
range of the park are hotels, bungalows,
and cottages with unique architecture.
The mountains are famous for hiking and
mountain climbing, with trails leading
up to the summits. Watching sunrise from
a mountaintop is one of the most
exciting attractions. Other interesting
sights are flower gardens, fruit
gardens, and hot springs where a hot
bath can be had. Entertainments are
elephant riding, animal quarantine
facilities, cultural performances on
stage, and a play-ground for children, a
library, eating places, and souvenir
shops, as well as a zoological museum
and a gazebo built in traditional Karo
style.
A smooth main road links up nearly all
areas, accommodations, the camp ground;
and shelter.
The Malays, the Karo people of the
highlands on the northeast edge of Lake
Toba, the Bataks elsewhere around Lake
Toba. And the Acehnese from beyond North
Sumatra’s northern border are the
inhabitants of the Great Bukit Barisan
Forest Park. They are generally occupied
as farmers or working on plantations.
Brastagi, a tourist town east of Lake
Toba is located in the Karo highlands.
It is known for its plantations,
horticulture, vegetables (cabbage,
string beans, carrots, Chinese cabbage),
and fruit (oranges), especially the
passion fruit which can be purchased
fresh or as a cordial.
The local government intends to develop
the tourism aspects of the area, with
major annual cultural performances,
fruit festivals, and so forth, and to
promote traditionally built villages,
such as Lingga where houses and meeting
halls are said to be some 250 years old.
Lingga was the center of an old Karo
kingdom and boast one of the few
remaining geriten, a place where the
skulls and bones of the dead kings are
preserved.
Despite manmade destruction, Sumatra
still contains some of the world’s
riches and most varied rainforests. Its
greatly diverse flora and fauna
represent the greater part of Sumatra’s
natural heritage and many of its
threatened species.
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