National parks in Indonesia rarely get a spotlight when it comes to tourism. But if you’re a nature lover, there’s no better country than Indonesia to explore its unrivaled landscape. In case you need a number, there are 57 national parks in the country, with six of them being part of World Heritage Sites.
While OnBali provides you with tons of recommendations about places to stay and eat, let me be the one who shows you the beauty and diversity of national parks in Indonesia. Get your boots ready because you’re going on an unforgettable adventure!
1. West Bali National Park
When you plan your trip to Indonesia, the national park on the northwest coast of Bali may not be the first destination you have in mind. But once you complete the three-hour journey to West Bali National Park, I can guarantee you will fall in love completely with the 190 square kilometers of mangrove forests, savannah, tropical rainforests, and diverse marine life.
My suggestion is to stay at Menjangan Island. Pack your binoculars and hiking boots once you explore the underwater beauty with the colorful corals and fish species. The national park is home to the Bali Starling, an endemic bird of Bali that falls to critically endangered species, and the Javan Rusa Deer, which is considered on the vulnerable list.
2. Tanjung Puting National Park
Many parts of Kalimantan or Borneo are still unexplored, but Tanjung Puting National Park is one of the most important parks in Indonesia for orangutan conservation. The 4,150 square kilometers park in Central Kalimantan not only becomes the place where you can observe orangutans in their original habitat but also home to sun bears, long-nosed monkeys, the endemic Bornean white-bearded gibbons, and the giant Bornean butterfly.
The lowland rainforest, swamps, heath forest, and coastal forest make up Tanjung Puting National Park. BirdLife International considers the national park an Important Bird Area (IBA). If you’re an enthusiast birdwatcher, expect to find hornbills, kingfishers, and the Storm’s Stork, a medium-sized stork species that is considered the rarest one because only 500 individuals remain in the wild, with half of it can be found in Kalimantan.
3. Komodo National Park
OnBali expert Mariia Ipatova recalled her visit to Komodo National Park, “It was unbelievable to see up close the Komodo dragon because this is the only place in the world where you can see them in their natural habitat.” Yes, you’ve heard her right! Dinosaurs may not exist anymore, but the Komodo dragon is often considered the closest relative to prehistoric creatures, and you can only find them in the Komodo National Park.
UNESCO recognized Komodo as a World Heritage Site in 1991, and this national park consists of three main islands: Komodo, Padar, and Rinca. Before taking the boats to the islands, you must fly to Labuan Bajo. Beyond the Komodo dragon, the national park also covers the ocean, where it is part of the Coral Triangle. If you’re a diver, Komodo has several world-class dive sites where you can discover thousands of fish and coral reef species.
4. Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park
Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java is a series of caldera and volcanic landscapes covering an area of 502.46 square kilometers. The park is famous for its cone-shaped caldera, and it’s the only conservation area in Indonesia that has a sand sea. Mount Semeru, the highest mountain in Java, is also part of the national park, and it has four lakes and 50 rivers.
Traveling to Mount Bromo for the sunrise is on everyone’s bucket list because the view from this altitude is breathtaking. What makes the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park unique is the people who reside around the national park. The Tenggerese people are the remaining Hindu community in Java, and that’s why you will find temples like those in Bali. They consider Mount Bromo a holy mountain, the way Balinese people believe in the sacredness of Mount Agung. The national park is also home to some endangered flora, including 200 species of endemic orchids.
5. Cenderawasih Bay National Park
Not many people travel to the eastern part of Indonesia, but if you have the time, Cenderawasih Bay National Park in Papua is a destination you cannot miss. If you love diving, I’m sure the national park has been on your bucket list for years! It’s the largest marine national park in Indonesia, and the diversity of the marine life here matches the one in Raja Ampat, also in Papua.
The park covers more than 14,000 square kilometers, including some small islands. You can discover over 200 fish and 150 coral species in the Cenderawasih Bay National Park. But the whale sharks are the main star among 160 shark species in the area. The whale sharks here do not migrate, so you can swim and dive with them all year. They feed on small fish from the fishermen’s net, and the best time to see them is in the morning.
Conclusions
I found it challenging to narrow down the list to only five because there are other incredible national parks in Indonesia that I wish I could cover. However, the ones I mentioned above should give you enough picture of the diversity of the flora, fauna, and terrains in Indonesia.
While reaching these national parks requires more effort and you need to spend more money than going to the beach in Bali, if you have enough time in Indonesia, please don’t hesitate to explore these places. Beyond its stunning landscape, you will also learn that Bali is not the only place with natural beauty. I can assure you that whichever national parks you visit, you’ll fall in love with the country, just as it did to me many years ago.