Tesso Nilo National Park

Tesso Nilo National Park

Located in the Riau province, the Tesso Nilo National Park is arguably the largest lowland rainforest on the island of Sumatra. Today the Park covers an area of 83,068 hectares, having grown twice as large from the former 38,576 hectares in 2004 when it was designated as a National Park.  Tesso Nilo stretches along 4 districts, namely the districts of Palalawan, Indragiri Hulu, Kuantan Sengingi and Kampar. Tesso Nilo is planned to be expanded to cover 100,000 hectares to serve not only as the lungs for the Indonesia archipelago but also for the world.  

Riau used to have large tracts of jungle, however, because of large scale wild fires, and the building of palm oil plantations, almost two third of primary forests here has been destroyed. For this reason, to stem further degradation, the government has mapped out the area as a National Park, while plantations already in the park are being reverted to the jungles. 

Even so, biologists assert that the Tesso Nilo Park still contains abundant tropical vascular plant species, surpassing those found in the Amazon region. The park is habitat to Sumatra’s endangered elephants, tigers, and tapirs. There are boars, deer, sun bear and other wildlife.

WWF Team Tesso Nilo National Park

In 2012 Tesso Nilo counted some 150 elephants, while WWF found tracks of 50 Sumatran tigers.   Nonetheless, the close proximity of the Park to human settlements still cause wild elephants to wander into villages and are, therefore, considered as pests by the local inhabitants.   Illegal logging and wildfires also continue to threaten the Park.

WWF Indonesia

GET IN

By plane

If you are coming from outside of Sumatra, you may fly into Pekanbaru. From there, go to the WWF headquarters. Along with tours, they may be able to arrange passage for you to the park.

By bus

No regular bus service to either the park or the cities and villages near it exists.

By motorbike

The park headquarters are in Kerinci Pelalawan in Riau, about 5 hours by motorbike from Pekanbaru. Their telephone number is (061) 0761 494 728. To get to the park from the headquarters requires 2 1/2 to 3 hours of travel down a dirt logging road that now passes through large tracts of oil palm plantations and tree farms, as well as cleared jungle awaiting conversion.

FEES AND PERMITS

You will need a permit signed by the head of Tesso Nilo National Park, and you will have to be accompanied by a ranger. The permit will cost about 50,000 rupiah. You will pass through two military check-points on the way in, requiring the letter and the ranger.

SEE

The observation tower - Located near Camp Flying Squad in the north central part of the park, climbing the tower can give you a great for getting a good overview of the park and provide a magnificent vantage point for seeing sunsets and sunrises.

Animal tracks, signs and homes - Fresh tracks from wild tigers are frequently seen near Camp Flying Squad. In other parts of the park, rangers will probably be able to locate tracks made by Malayan tapir, wild pigs and deer. You might also see trees that have been clawed by hungry Malayan sun bears seeking food. Large mud mounds constructed as homes by ants, as well as hive-like mud structures about six feet high smaller trees, may be readily seen within the park.

Elephant Sumatra

Primates - A species of larger primates live along a small waterway in a remnant forest near the main ranger station where visitors stay, and one may spot them in the morning and in the evening. One may also walk through that section of the park. As you drive through the park with the rangers, there is also a good chance of spotting primates on the road and in the trees that were planted for tree farms before the creation of the park.

Silang (wild honey trees) - Sialang trees, from which locals sustainably harvest wild honey, grown in and around the park. Depending on what part of the month one visits, watching a sialang ceremony conducted by local people prior to climbing sialang and gathering honey may be possible. See below for more.

Silang 

Wild Honey Trees

DO

Riding on an elephant - as a part of a patrol by the Flying Squad is possible for 150,000 rupiah.

Boat Trip - Charter a boat for 300,000 rupiah to go up the Nilo River to just past where it joins with the Tesso River. The rangers and guide indicate that part of the jungle is the most intact in the park.

Honey Gathering Ceremony - You may be able to arrange to see a ceremony that local people do before sustainably harvesting honey from sialang (wild honey trees). The ceremony includes casting of shadows of the hands and head of prospective climbers. If the shadow of one's hand shows only four digits or if one's head is not connected to the rest of one's body, one is not allowed to climb the tree and harvest the honey.