"Pagaruyung Palace"

Danau Kaco In Kerinci National Park

You will be picked up at the Minangkabau International Airport in West Sumatra. Your guide will be waiting for you there, and after meeting, you will be taken to check-in at the hotel. If there is enough time and you have rested, you can use this time to do some short activities.

DAY 2 – Padang ke Bukit Tinggi

    Check out of the hotel and continue the journey towards Bukit Tinggi. Stop at the Lembah Anai waterfall tourist spot to take pictures and enjoy the view. After that, proceed to the Panorama Park in Bukit Tinggi, which has a beautiful view and is also a center for Bukit Tinggi's typical souvenirs. Then, visit the Japanese Tunnel. The tunnel was built as a storage place for Japanese military supplies and equipment, with a length of up to 1400 meters and a width of about 2 meters. There are several special rooms in this tunnel, including surveillance rooms, ambush rooms, prisons, and weapon storage. Next, go directly to Ngarai Si Anok to see the beautiful valley view. Then, visit the Great Wall of Bukit Tinggi, which is also a good spot for taking pictures. In the afternoon, check-in to the hotel/guesthouse.

Japanese Tunnel

DAY 3 – Bukit tinggi - Maninjau tour

    After breakfast, depart for Lake Maninjau, visit Koto Gadang village to see silver handicrafts, see the view of the Sungai Landia village, and visit the traditional sugar cane mill at Puncak Lawang. Enjoy the view of Lake Maninjau from Puncak Lawang and Kelok 44. Return to Bukittinggi, check-in at the hotel, and have free time. Lunch and dinner will be at a local restaurant.

DAY 4  - Bukit tinggi - Pacu Jawi - Minangkabau tour

Pacu Jawi

    After breakfast, depart for Batusangkar. On the way, stop at Panorama Tabek Patah, watch the Pacu Jawi race (depending on the available schedule, as it only takes place on Saturdays), visit the Rumah Gadang Istano Pagaruyung, Lake Singkarak, and continue to Upper Lake and Lower Lake. Check in at the hotel/guesthouse and have free time.

DAY 5 - Tour Solok Selatan dan Goa Kapal

Goa Batu Kapal

    In the morning, take some time to enjoy the view of the Twin Lakes, see the fishermen's activities on the lake, and visit the Agrotourism in the accommodation area. Then, check out of the accommodation and continue the journey to Kapal Cave in South Solok. Kapal Cave is about 250 meters from the parking area, the sound of bats and the dripping water on the cave walls make the natural atmosphere even more alive. In the afternoon, continue the journey to Kayu Aro and stop at Telun Berasap Waterfall for a short rest (if there is enough time) before checking in to a Simple Guesthouse in Pelompek village before it gets dark.

DAY 6  - Day Trip Hiking to Danau Gunung Tujuh

The journey to Lake Gunung Tujuh takes about three hours, depending on your travel pace. The climb is quite tiring with tree roots forming almost like a staircase along the hiking trail. After arriving at the lake, you can take a wooden boat used by the local fishermen, subject to availability. After lunch, you will descend and bathe in the river that flows from Gunung Tujuh. The cold water temperature will make you feel very refreshed after the trip. In the evening, you can enjoy the sunset and return to the guesthouse.

DAY 7  - Rawa Bento Boat Tour dan Village Tour and Tour Perkebunan Teh

After breakfast, check out from the guesthouse and continue to Rawa Bento by boat, which takes about one hour to reach the upstream while enjoying the wild animals such as endemic birds of Kerinci, Sumatran Surilly (golden monkey), and roaming buffaloes. This marsh is a prehistoric lake that has now become a tourist attraction with a jungle growing in it. Before noon, return to the dock and proceed to the largest and second-highest tea plantation in the world, Kayu Aro Tea Plantation. In the afternoon, visit Aroma Peco, a tea factory (which can only be seen from the outside), stop by the hot springs and boil eggs in the local style, and check in to a room at Natural Hotspring Homestay, where a private hot spring pool is available in each room.

DAY 8  - Tour Desa wisata Lempur

Starting on the eighth day, after checking out from the Natural Hotspring guesthouse, the first destination visited is the Tuo Hiang Village. There, you can take a leisurely stroll around the village to see the long houses (old houses) that are a cultural heritage of the local community. Next, head to the Muak Village, which is the only village in the Kerinci Regency that preserves the megalithic civilization history, which is still well-preserved and can be seen to this day. Next, visit the Agricultural area of Perikan Tengah Village. Experiencing the processing of agricultural and plantation land such as seedlings, planting, and harvesting of agricultural and plantation products (cinnamon, oranges, and coffee) will be an interesting experience for you. Then, you will visit the Lempur Tourism Village. The first destination is the Lake Lingkat tourism object. The peaceful atmosphere and the lush green trees with diverse flora and fauna (3 species of pitcher plants) are the main attractions of the lake. Finally, you will be taken to Cinnamon's Guesthouse (with a chance to bathe in the river on the edge of the forest if there is enough time).

DAY 9 & 10  - Hiking & Camping Danau Kaco

Walking through the rainforest for about 3-4 hours, visiting beautiful waterfalls (Bersisik emas), and crossing small rivers along the way. If lucky, you may encounter some wild animals such as Golden Monkeys (Sumatran Surilli), Siamangs, and others. After reaching the lake, enjoy a refreshing swim in the cold and clear water. Watch the springs at the bottom of the lake continuously pumping fresh water, and look for the colorful freshwater crabs that make their homes in the lake.

Stay overnight at the lake, which can emit a stunning blue light at certain times. Be sure to take a walk at night to try to spot the glowing eyes of the forest's inhabitants. Enjoy a relaxed morning by swimming and/or exploring the surrounding rainforest. Return to Lempur around noon.

DAY 11  - Tour Lembah Kerinci

Starting from Lempur tourist village, you will be taken to Pendung Koto Padang village to see the traditional sword-making activity by the local community. The sword-making craft has been a long-standing tradition that has been practiced by the people of Pendung Koto Padang for decades. Next, you will go to Sungai Penuh city to visit Tanjung Bajure market, a traditional market that has been operating for several decades and is still active today. At Tanjung Bajure market, there is a traditional transportation service in the form of a horse-drawn carriage called "Bendi". Then, using the Bendi, you will go to Rawang village, where there is leaf betel batik craft (Kerinci Batik) and see the batik craft activity there. 

Next, you will go to Bukit Khayangan on the west side of Sungai Penuh city. The beautiful natural panoramic view is the main attraction that you can enjoy at Bukit Khayangan. Then, you will go to Depati Kopi, a very popular coffee shop in Kerinci Regency located not far from Bukit Khayangan. There, you can enjoy a cup of coffee while enjoying the beautiful natural panorama. Finally, you will go to Tapan River, which is marked by natural rocks and clear water for swimming before ending the day's journey at Aliyah Homestay, Tapan.

DAY 12  - Tapan – Bayang Tour

After breakfast at Homestay Aliyah, you can head to the Pesisir Selatan district to visit the Jembatan Akar tourist attraction located in Bayang Village. Jembatan Akar is a natural bridge formed from the roots of banyan and kubang trees. The roots of both trees have been intertwined for hundreds of years, spanning the Batang Bayang River. This natural bridge, or "titian aka," is 25 meters long and 1.5 meters wide, located 10 meters above the river's surface. This natural bridge is often visited by tourists, especially on weekends.

After exploring the Jembatan Akar area, you can head directly to the Bungus Beach area in Painan. Upon arrival at Bungus Beach, you can cross over by boat to Lodge Jophira Tintin Beach for a few days' stay.

DAY 13 & 14  - Painan Tour

The wide and calm Bungus Bay is located 20km south of Padang. The peaceful fishing village is inhabited by friendly locals who mostly work as fishermen. There is also a cluster of islands located off the southern tip of Bungus and Teluk Kabang next to it. These islands covered with tropical forests are surrounded by swaying coconut trees and sloping white sand beaches leading to protected warm waters, harboring a diversity of marine life such as coral reefs, fish, and marine mammals such as turtles and rays.

As for activities that you can do in Bungus Bay, on the first day, you can explore the cluster of islands by boat all day. On the following day, from morning until lunchtime, you can go snorkeling. Finally, after lunch, you can head directly to a hotel in Padang. Upon arrival in Padang, you can check-in at the hotel right away.

DAY 15 – Padang To Airport

After breakfast at the hotel, immediately depart to the airport for farewell.

 

 

 

 

Our longest and most wild trek, the Sumatran Tiger Trek takes you deep into primary rainforest and through Sumatran tiger habitat. You’ll hike up ridge trails, cross jungle streams,  visit peaceful waterfalls, and even take a dip in the the magnificently blue Lake Kaco. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot siamang gibbons, mitered leaf monkeys, hornbills, and a variety of birds and other wildlife. And yes, a few of our guests have even had the good fortune of seeing sun bears and Sumatran tigers, with a huge majority at the very least seeing pugmarks, scratches on trees, scat, and sometimes even a tiger’s nearby “aum” call. While the itinerary below is for five days/four nights, for this Sumatra jungle trek we also have 3D/2N or 4D/3N options as well.

- DAY 1

If  you started the trek late, make camp there, orcontinueup Bukit Lintang to the hill campsite. Bukit Lintang is known for having very healthy wildlife populations, sobeon the look out for wildlife as diverse as wildboar to Malayan tapir, sambar deer to Sumatran tigers.

- DAY 2

After roughly five hours of trekking, arrive at the unnamed waterfall where you’ll make camp. Enjoy swimming in the fresh mountain water, ride the natural  rock slide beside the waterfall in to the pool below, or continue exploring the surrounding rainforest. Turn in forthenight.

- DAY 3

Enjoy a peaceful breakfast surrounded by birds singing their morning songs against the backdrop of the bubbling waterfall. Break camp and continue trekking through the primary rainforest of the Kerinci Seblat National Park, making your way back up Bukit Lintang, and down a fairly steep trail out of the hills. This slightly more lowland forest has a different feel, with taller trees growing in this more level landscapeOn thisthirdnight, you’llmakecampnear a smallcreek.

During the hike, learn about jungle survival from your guide – how to find drinking water, how to identify edible fruits, plants, and other foods for foraging.

On this third night, you’ll make camp near a small creek.

Set up camp in the forest surrounding the lake. Before bed, take a night-walk for chances of spotting nocturnal creatures like civets, colugo, slow-loris, flying squirrels, and a variety of tree-frogs and insects.

- DAY 5

Wake up next to Lake Kaco and enjoy a leisurely morning, swimming and relaxing in the lake. Eventually, pull yourself away and continue roughly three hours along forest trails looking for birds, wildlife and signs of other animals as you make your way out of the forest.

You’ll arrive back in Lempur generally by mid- to late-afternoon. Spend the night back in the Lempur guesthouse.

CONDITIONS

• Each day has roughly six to seven hours of trekking, including rests and stops to study the environment, with only the last day being around four hours. Of course, times can vary wildly depending on if you’re blazing through the forest (why??) or taking more time to observe your surroundings more closely.
• No comfy accommodations here! You’ll be sleeping rough in tents on sometimes uneven/rocky ground, with very thin camping mattresses, under the forest canopy for four nights. Plus two nights in a very simple family-run guesthouse in the village. But you’ll be having an experience of a lifetime.
• Also, as it is a rainforest, expect and prepare for rain at some point during your trek, no matter what season you’re travelling in.
• Terrestrial leeches can be abundant at times. While harmless, they can certainly be annoying – this is not a trek for the pampered.
• This is also not a zoo – the animals here are very wild and extremely wary of people, and the lush environment itself makes visibility difficult. While seeing tracks and other fresh signs of a variety of wildlife is very common, actually spotting large mammals is rare.
• Since you’ll be hiking in the middle of the Bukit Barisan mountain range, at elevations between 1100m to 1500m above sea level, temperatures are relatively cool – expect highs of around 25°C during the day, and down to around 15°C at night.
• Food is very traditional local fare. Vegetarian and vegan options are available, if you let us know ahead of time.
• Like all of our trips, you travel at your own risk. Keep in mind that you are visiting a wild and extremely remote area of rural Sumatra, with wild animals and other dangers that come from being in a natural landscape. Quality medical care is also very far away. It’s your responsibility to make sure you are covered with valid travel and medical insurance.

*Note: While this Sumatra jungle trekking itinerary is for five days, if you're short on time you can trim it down to four days/three nights or even three days/two nights, while still having good opportunities to see wildlife and be in Sumatran tiger habitat. You may not go as far as the unnamed waterfall, especially on the three day trek, but will still visit Bukit Lintang, prime Sumatran Tiger habitat, and Lake Kaco. If you want to spend even more than five days exploring the rainforest there, we can arrange that as well. Let us know what best fits for you and we'll make it happen!

The Kerinci Seblat National Park has some of the best birdwatching in Sumatra, and all of Indonesia.

 The range of elevations – from 250m to 3805m – means there is a huge diversity of bird species to be found on this Kerinci Bird Tour. Many rare Sumatran endemics, like the Schneider’s Pitta, Sumatran Ground Cuckoo, and Sumatran Trogon, can be found alongside charismatic birds like Rhinocerous Hornbills and colorful barbets. Below you’ll find the three main regions that we operate Sumatra birdwatching tours – on the slopes of Mt. Kerinci for the high altitude endemics, Bukit Tapan for a range of elevations, and Hutan Adat Lempur for a well-protected mixed habitat with some species harder to see elsewhere. Each of the areas are about one hour apart from the next, with Mt. Kerinci furthest north, then Bukit Tapan in the center, and finally Lempur in the southern end of the Kerinci valley.

KEREINCI BIRDING LOCATION :

1. MOUNT KERINCI TRAIL

• A sampling of endemics and other targets:Schneider’s Pitta, Salvadori’s Pheasant, Salvadori’s Nightjar, Sumatran Trogon, Sumatran Cochoa, Sumatran Wren Babbler, Sumatran Whistling Thrush, Sumatran Frogmouth, Shiny Whistling Thrush, Red-billed Partridge, Rufous-vented Niltava, Wreathed Hornbill, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Sunda Bush Warbler, Rajah Scops Owl, and many more.

2. TAPAN ROAD

• A sampling of endemics and other targets: Sumatran Leafbird, Graceful Pitta, Sumatran Green Pigeon, Sumatran Treepie, Sumatran Peacock-Pheasant, Sumatran Drongo, Sumatran Trogon, Red Headed Trogon,  Spot-necked Bulbul, Black-browed Barbet, Long-tailed Broadbill, Temminck’s Sunbird, Fire-tufted Barbet, Sunda Minivet, Marbled Wren Babbler, Sumatran Green Pigeon, Rufous-chested Flycatcher, Black Laughingthrush, Great Hornbill, Rhinoceros Hornbill, and many more.

3. LAKE KACO TRAIL

• A sampling of endemics and other targets: Sumatra Ground-Cuckoo, Sumatran Peacock-Pheasant, Sumatran Leafbird, Graceful Pitta, Sumatran Green Pigeon, Sumatran Treepie, Sumatran Drongo, Sumatran Trogon, Sumatran Bulbul, Cream-striped Bulbul, Grey-cheeked Bulbul, Spot-necked Bulbul, Black-browed Barbet, Long-tailed Broadbill, Temminck’s Sunbird, Fire-tufted Barbet, Sunda Minivet, Marbled Wren Babbler, Sumatran Green Pigeon, Rufous-chested Flycatcher, Black Laughingthrush, Rhinoceros Hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill, and many more.

Feel free to focus your time in a single location, just two of them, or go for all three to really see what Kerinci has to offer – the choice is yours.

ITENERARY :

* Day 1

   - Transfer from Padang Airport to Guest House/Hotel, drive around 7/8 Hours by Private Transport. 

* Days 2 & 3

   - start Birding at Mount Kerinci Trail until 2000 Asl.  Back to Gust house /Hotel.

* Day 4

   - Early in the morning check Out Guest House/Hotel (5 Am)  Ddrive to Tapan Road for Birding until afternoon. after Birding at TAPAN Road drive to Cinnamon Guest House Lempur. 

* Day 5

   - After breakfast in the morning, star to Birding At lake kaco trail for looking SUMATRAN GROUND CUCKOO until A afternoon and Back to Cinnamon Guest House Again.. 

*Day 6

 - Tapan Road/Lake Kaco - looking for missed species

* Day 7

   - after Breakfast In the morning,  transfer to Padang and Say Goodbye. 

We are very flexible with the existing itinerary, and you can request according to the day you want for a birding tour in the Kerinci area.

• After breakfast, Visit the sugar processing ‘factory’ (really just some people in a shed pressing and boiling raw sugar cane juice).
• Explore the coffee farms that are switching over to organic Arabica coffee with the help of a local NGO.
• Walk through the endless green tea fields and take a tour of the old Netherland tea factory in village of Bedeng VIII (Delapan).
• Eat lunch in KORINTJI HERITAGE cafe, in the Town of the Pungai Penuh.
• grab a Bendi (horse drawn carriage) through the old neighborhood of  Pondok Tinggi filled with traditional Kerinci longhouses. Head to the nearby Mesjid Agung. Built in the traditional style in 1874, it’s the oldest mosque in town, and still actively used.
• up to Bukit Khayangan or hike up the hill behind Sungai Penuh to get a beautiful view of the Kerinci valley from Mt. Kerinci in the north, to Lake Kerinci in the south.
• In the late afternoon, head to Bukit Sentiong on the edge of town for the grilled corn stands and a nice view of Sungai Penuh and the Kerinci valley at sunset.
• In the evening, visit Pasar Malam, the carnival-like night market, to eat Martabak, Sate, and other lovely street foods.
• Drive up to Bukit Tapan at night for some wildlife spotlighting
• Back to Hotel..

• In the morning Visit the lively Pasar, or wet/dry market, in the center of town. Get some Sarabi and other goodies for breakfast.
• head to the village of  Pulau Tengah on the edge of  Kerinci Lake. Meet up with some fisherman there for some canoe rides and to watch/participate with them as they fish.
• Stop for lunch at one of the restaurants that sits atop or next to the lake, Don’t forget to pick up some Dendeng Batokok, grilled beef strips from heaven native to the area.
• Head further south to the hills around Lempur to see traditional house.
• Explore the village of Lempur and the nearby lake of Danau Lingkat to take a ride on the bamboo rafts, see The Nepenthes and enjoy the scenery.
• Head to the village of Lempur  and meet your host family
• In the evening, follow a local honey hunter as they harvest honey from wild Indonesian honeybees.
• Meet up with your host family in Lempur and turn in for the night.

• Head further south to the hills around Lempur to see cinnamon farmers at work and or Cinnamon Process.
• head to the rice fields to watch the farmers plant and harvest the Lempur heirloom rice Beras Payo. Participate if you want to get your hands dirty!
• lunch at one of the Local restaurants
• Explore the village other highland farms in the area that produce Tomatto, potatoes, chilis, etc.
• Visit the house handicrafts from bamboo and lern how to make.
• Head back to your homestay for dinner together with your family.
• In the evening, visit art galleries of traditional dance, and you can also join and lern for dancing with them..