Gunung Halimun National Park: West Java

Gunung Halimun National Park (GHNP) is one of the few places on Java that still embraces original forest life, functions as a natural reserve, and provides an excellent field for scientific research on flora and fauna — a splendid place to observe nature.

At GHNP, visitors can see exotic creatures rarely encountered in daily life: the famous but threatened Javan eagle (Spizateus barthelsii), blue nuthatches (Sitta azurea), the Sunda minivet with its bright red plumage (Pericrocutus miniatus), scarlet-headed flowerpeckers (Dicaeum trochileum), Javan gibbons (Hylobates moloch), Sunda stink badgers (Mydaus javanensis), grizzled leaf-monkeys (Presbytis comata), the legendary leopard (Panthera pardus melas), numerous varicolored butterflies, dragonflies with radiant, transparent wings.

Among fauna, the park has many kinds of vegetation, such as the edible pakis banyeur (Clidermia hirta), glowing mushrooms that usually appear after rain, the popular Nephentes, many varieties of terrestrial and aerial orchids, giant rattan palm (Plectocomia elongata) — a kind of rattan the young sprouts of which are edible — the giant Rasamala tree (Altingia excelsa), begonias with leaves and stalks that are sour and juicy, and the Java bamboo (Dinochloa scandens) — or awi cangkore as locals call this bamboo, its slim long trunk containing water to quench thirst and to use as eye drops — plus many other uncountable species not yet researched, lying on the ground or up in the trees.

To get to the GHNP from Jakarta, head to Sukabumi after exiting the Ciawi toll gate. In Parungkuda, look for the Taman Nasional Gunung Halimun sign, then start ascending towards Kabandungan, where the park office is located, 29 kilometers away. The winding road is smooth and paved.

Visitors need to stop at the GHNP office to pay a small fee to enter the park. The Cikaniki Research Station is located 14 km from Kabandungan, where visitors can lodge. Book in advance and make a down payment via bank transfer.

There are also a guesthouses and several homestays with simple facilities run by local residents in Citalahap, a further 2 km north.
Wherever you stay, it is necessary to bring personal medication, food and beverages, because no restaurants or drugstores are nearby. But cooks are available for Rp 50,000 per day.

The real journey begins after the GHNP office. It takes at least two hours to cover the route from Kabandungan to Cikaniki, a mere 14 km through Cipeuteuy village. The solitary road is narrow, rocky and only passable by a four-wheel drive (or at least an SUV).

Take heed that your vehicle is in tip-top condition with an experienced driver — also in the best shape — since the last 10 km to Cikaniki will traverse a thick jungle, a deep ravine covered by thick bushes and a high cliff on the way. Travelers will rarely see other passersby who could help in the case of trouble, so full concentration is required — otherwise the car might be swallowed by the cavernous gorge.

The road is slippery during rain, and even during the dry season water spills onto the road from nearby cliffs or bushes, making travelers wonder whether they are driving on a a road or in a brook.

If you are lucky, you may spot a leopard lumbering across the road or a lovely greater racket-tailed drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus) with its blue plumage and long-waving tail perched on a branch close by.

Once you relax from the arduous journey to the national park, ask your guide to show you local places of interest.

Options are plenty: sparkling rivers with waterfalls gushing down, inviting visitors to plunge and wade in its cool waters, a canopy trail, a loop trail, vast tea plantations and factories.

In short, Gunung Halimun offers thick forest with its myriad life forms, waiting to be discovered and admired.

There are three splendid waterfalls located in the middle of the forest, the 7-meter-high Cikudapaeh waterfall, the Macan waterfall located 300 meters from Cikaniki and also 7 meters high, and the 25-meter Piit waterfall.

A canopy trail behind the research station stretches 2,025 meters above the ground, its ends attached to rasamala trees. It is a unique way to scan jungle life from a bird’s eye view. Here, visitors will be positioned at almost the same height as the birds foraging for food. The canopy construction was initially built for scientists to use as an observation point, but now the public may use the trail, also at a small fee.

Bird-watchers and shutterbugs wanting to snap the birds would do well to spare enough time and patience on this bridge, because the birds are very active and blend almost perfectly with the foliage.

The more adventurous may keep on exploring through the loop trail, which ends at the Citalahap Campsite.

Animals are usually very active in the morning, so chances are you might be greeted by the deep-echoing calls of the Javan gibbon, leaf-monkeys and the vast repertoire of many small and large songbirds. Sampling “jungle food” like awi cangkore can also be tried out during this trek.

Whatever your choice, always stick to the track and follow your guide. It is dangerous if you wander off on your own, so walk slowly and carefully, and stay with the pack.

A successful exploration needs proper preparation. Wear boots or sneakers, comfortable clothing, apply mosquito repellent, bring a raincoat or poncho (a must during rainy season), a pen and notepad to jot down observations and sketches, binoculars, a camera or a video recorder and if necessary, a walking cane for support.

Littering in the jungle is prohibited, as are using radios, cassette players or any other equipment that emits noise. Visitors are also required to refrain from being noisy, as this will scare the animals.

Open wide your eyes, ears and heart to the wonderment and beauties that lie ahead and above, and remember that the splendor of the forest cannot be enjoyed by hasty eyes.

In the face of the continuing threat of deforestation, it will be a very great loss if the natural wealth of the GHNP blinks into oblivion without a chance to record and utilize it.

And when wild creatures find it more and more difficult to find refuge in their natural homes against human encroachment, hopefully Gunung Halimun will not be the last sanctuary.

* Cikaniki Research Station (0266) 621256/7

Ani Suswantoro