Primate Watching

Seeing this Species

 

Javan Slow Loris is a nocturnal primate, i.e. it is active in the night. Just like a cat, slow lorises' eyes reflect a bright orange eye shine. Finding this animal requires spotlighting and very keen eyesight in the dark. When you do find a loris, please do not keep flashing the torchlight at them! Their eyes will be damaged.   

 

There are five non-human primates that can only be found in Java: Javan Slow Loris, Javan Langur, West Javan Langur, East Javan Langur, and Javan Gibbon. Mount Halimun can be considered as one of the best places to see four of them!

 

Mount Halimun National Park, Java, Indonesia 

Sundanese for "The Mountains of the Mist", Gunung Halimun National Park preserves Java's largest remaining rainforest, ranging from 500m to nearly 2,000m above sea level.

 

From the capital Jakarta, it takes approximately 6 hours to reach the national park. There's plenty to see once you exit the busy traffic of the city, going through narrow strips of vibrant towns and winding stone-clad roads, and into the mist-shrouded mountains. We went with two local bird-watching good friends and shared a rental car (with a driver, see Local contacts below) which was relatively inexpensive. You may also go with bus or train towards Bogor, and then minibus (locally known as angkot) to Cigudeg. Lastly, hail a motorcycle taxi (ojek) to the national park entrance. The charm of Mount Halimun lies in its remoteness, which also means that the roads are rough and getting there on your own may not be easy.       

 

There are two entrances: Cikaniki and Citalahab. We went to the Cikaniki research station, which also provides accommodation (with kitchen, so you may cook here!). In fact, the 3.8km footpath that connects Cikaniki and Citalahab is a wonderful spot for primate watching. The park director and rangers are extremely friendly and provide free maps.

 

A few fees to note:

Entrance ticket (20,000 rupiah, which is ~USD$1.70)

Use of your camera (50,000 rupiah) and video camera (150,000 rupiah)

Per room per night (4 beds) at Cikaniki research station (~200,000 rupiah)

 

 

Probability of success: ◆ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

 

Overlapping species: Long-tailed Macaque, West Javan Langur, Javan Langur, Javan Gibbon

 

Other sites:

Gunung Gede Nature Reserve, Java, Indonesia

I have yet to visit this nature reserve.

More information can be found at their official site.

 

Overlapping species: Long-tailed Macaque, West Javan Langur, Javan Langur, Javan Gibbon