Home of the dragons
No list of Indonesia’s wild wonders would be complete without Komodo National Park. Famed for its prehistoric residents – the Komodo dragons – this UNESCO site is the place to head to for close encounters. That’s not all. Trek rugged hillsides on Rinca or Padar Island, sink your toes into the famous pink-sand beach, or dive into coral-rich waters teeming with manta rays and turtles.
Wild and free
A paradise for wildlife lovers, Tanjung Puting is world-famous for its orangutan conservation. This iconic park is a stronghold for orangutan conservation, and seeing these gentle giants swinging freely at Camp Leakey is something straight out of a nature doc. Hop aboard a traditional klotok boat and drift through the emerald heart of Borneo. Keep your eyes peeled for proboscis monkeys, hornbills, crocodiles, and the occasional flash of a clouded leopard. It’s an unforgettable river safari into one of Indonesia’s most important jungles.
Last stand of the Javan Rhino
Ujung Kulon is a hidden gem, and one of the few places on Earth where the critically endangered Javan rhino still survives a lush. Hike through rainforest trails, snorkel around coral-ringed Peucang Island, or simply unplug on beaches that seem untouched by time. Quiet, wild, and teeming with life, Ujung Kulon feels like a portal to the past.
Where tigers and orangutans roam
Gunung Leuser is jungle in its most primal form. Part of a Unesco World Heritage site, this dense rainforest is one of the last places on the planet where tigers, elephants, orangutans, and rhinos share the same ecosystem. Trekking here – especially from Bukit Lawang – is an all-senses experience: leeches, leaping gibbons, and the constant thrum of nature. Come prepared to sweat, wonder, and fall deeply in love with the jungle.
From glaciers to jungles
Spanning snow-capped peaks, alpine meadows, and tropical wetlands, Lorentz National Park is one of the world’s most biologically and geographically diverse places. Towering over it all is Carstensz Pyramid, Indonesia’s highest peak and the only glacier-covered summit in Southeast Asia. But the park’s true wealth lies in its untouched ecosystems and rich cultural heritage; it’s home to over 50 indigenous tribes. This is a park for the truly adventurous, where the unknown still reigns.
