Kerinci Seblat National Park

Kerinci Seblat covers about thirteen and a half thousand square kilometres along the Barisan range across four provinces, which makes it the largest national park in Sumatra, and it is one of the three components of the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra inscription - a property that UNESCO placed on the list of World Heritage in Danger in 2011 over illegal logging, road-building and encroachment, where it remains. It holds the largest surviving population of Sumatran tiger, perhaps a third of the total, along with sun bear, tapir, clouded leopard and around four hundred bird species, and the anti-poaching patrol units working here are among the more effective in Indonesia. Visitor infrastructure is thin: Kerinci volcano, Lake Gunung Tujuh and a handful of trails and waterfalls are the practical access points.

What you actually see

• Sumatra's largest park - 13,500 square kilometres across four provinces.
• The main tiger stronghold - perhaps a third of the remaining Sumatran tigers.
• A World Heritage site in danger - listed as threatened since 2011 over logging and roads.
• Limited access points - the volcano, Lake Gunung Tujuh and a few trails.

When to go

May to September. Three days.

Honest expectations

You will not see a tiger; almost nobody does. Infrastructure is minimal and guides are needed. Leeches, mud and rain are constant. The park faces real and ongoing encroachment pressure.

Nearby

Mount Kerinci and Lake Gunung Tujuh are inside the park; Sungai Penuh is the base.