Mount Palung National Park

Located on the border between Ketapang and North Kayon in the province of West Kalimantan, Mount Palung National Park is one of the largest national parks in Indonesia. Officially open to the public in 1990, Mount Palung National Park covers a total area of approximately 90,000 hectares containing many animal species including birds, mammals, as well as many rare floras. The main attraction of the national park is the undisputed ruler of the Borneo rainforests: the orangutan(Pongo satyrus). These rare and unique primates find their playground safely protected behind the thick trees in the jungles of Mount Palung .

An encounter with these gentle and friendly giants on their own turf will provide an insight into how orangutans live their daily life in the wild. An estimated 2,000 orangutans inhabit the area, roaming the land from the heart of the jungle all the way to the peat lands on its outer rim.

Other peculiar faces of this jungle are the uniquely long-nosed proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus). Along with the orangutans, the proboscis monkeys are among many of the endemic species inhabiting Mount Palung National Park.

Other animals that also dwell in the jungle of Mount Palung are the land squirrels (Lariscus hosei), forest deer (Muntiacus muntjak pleiharicus), honey bears (Helarctos malayanus euryspilus), beruk apes(Macaca nemestrina), klampiau (Hylobates muelleri), lemurs (Nyticebus coucang borneanus), rangkong badak (Buceros rhinoceros borneoensis), kancil (Tragulus napu borneanus), forest chicken (Gallus gallus), enggang gading (Rhinoplax vigil), Siamese Crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis), Ivory turtles (Orlitia borneensis), penyu tempayan (Caretta caretta), and the rare canary squirrels.

Similar to other forests in West Kalimantan, Mount Palung National Park is decorated with various species of flora including: jelutung (Dyera costulata), ramin (Gonystylus bancanus), damar (Agathis borneensis), pulai(Alstonia scholaris), rengas (Gluta renghas),Ulin woods(Eusideroxylon zwageri), Bruguiera sp., Lumnitzera sp., Rhizophora sp., Sonneratia sp,the strangler ara, and many herbal plants. The special flowers found in this national park are the exotic black orchids (Coelogyne pandurata). These tropical beauties can easily be found near the Matan River especially in the months of February to April when many are in full bloom.

As a National Park, the significance of Mount Palung Park is not only limited to the country, but also to the rest of the world as its diverse flora and fauna act as one of the earth’s richest bio-diverse ecosystems. There are at least 7 types of vegetations found within the Mount Palung National Park, they include mangrove forests, swamp forests, alluvial forests, tropical lowland, tropical highland forests, and sub- alpine forests.

Being a place of such importance, Mount Palung National Park is dubbed by many as Kalimantan’s “Eden” as it features such a wide variety of colorful flora and fauna. From the exotic Black Orchid to the gentle orangutans, Mount Palung National Park is unmistakably the main gate into Borneo’s tropical wilderness.

For more Information, rules and regulations, and reservation, you can contact:

Balai Taman Nasional Gunung Palung
Address: Jl Wahid Hasyim 41A Ketapang, West Kalimantan, Indonesia
Telephone:+62-534-33539
Fax: +62-534-33539
Contact Person:
Franky Zamzani