Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park

Bukit Barisan Selatan runs about three hundred and fifty kilometres down the southern end of the Barisan range in a narrow strip covering some three and a half thousand square kilometres, and it is one of the three components of the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra World Heritage property, inscribed in 2004 and moved to the in-danger list in 2011. It is one of very few places holding Sumatran tiger, elephant and rhinoceros together; the rhino population here is among the last anywhere and is measured in tens. It is also among the most encroached parks in Indonesia, with a substantial area cleared for illegal coffee planting - the coffee supply chains have been traced by investigators to international buyers, which has driven some corporate sourcing changes. Visitor access is limited to a few points.

What's there

• Tiger, elephant and rhino together - one of very few forests holding all three.
• A World Heritage site in danger - listed as threatened since 2011.
• Visible encroachment - illegal coffee clearing inside the park boundary.
• A few access points - Kubu Perahu and Sukaraja Atas for trails and guides.

When to go

May to September. Three days.

Before you go

Large mammal sightings are effectively impossible for visitors. Infrastructure is minimal and guides are required. The encroachment is visible and depressing. Malaria is present in parts.

Nearby

Liwa and Lake Ranau are north; Kiluan Bay and the Lampung coast are east.

Key facts