LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION
Itinerary: Beguiling Beasties
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Indonesia’s natural world is so vast and diverse that scientists seem to discover new species at the drop of a hat.
High on the list of must-sees are the enigmatic orang-utans, best viewed at Sumatra’s Bukit Lawang and Kalimantan’s Kutai National Park and Tanjung Puting National Park. This last conservation area is also populated by gibbons, macaques, proboscis monkeys, sun bears, clouded leopards and a whole host more. In East Kalimantan the wetlands of Danau Jempang are home to over 90 species of bird and the tiny Irrawaddy dolphin.
Papua is flavour of the zoologist month: a 2006 expedition into the remote Foja Mountains uncovered a teeming community of unknown frogs, birds and even a kangaroo. You can catch a glimpse of Australianesque fauna in Wasur National Park, or you can try your luck at spotting the rare cenderawasih (bird of paradise) in the islands around Pulau Biak.
In Nusa Tenggara the gargantuan Komodo dragon dwells in the depths of Komodo.
For butterflies bigger than your hand and exquisite birdlife, head to Sulawesi’s Lore Lindu National Park. The island is also home to Morowali Nature Reserve, which is equally rich in birdlife and other fauna.
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