There are many days when it is simply not possible to see much across Jakarta for the dank grey pall that hangs over it. There are others, however, when the skies clear and if you look southwards you can see the volcanic peaks of West Java rearing up in the foreshortened distance. Early European navigators to this region called them the Blue Mountains, and for good reason as they appear a deep blue against the sky.

Out beyond Bogor, where the Bandung road wends over the ridges of the Puncak pass, there stand the two soaring peaks of Mount Gede and Mount Pangrango. Coming together to form a saddle, these twin volcanoes host one of the last great mountain forest areas of Java in the Gede-Pangrango National Park, which covers 15,000 hectares or so.The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and part of its Man and the Biosphere Programme, a distinction it shares with Ujung Kulon.Siamesed, in the first light of dawn they are a magnificent sight reaching up to around 3,000 metres, a perfect enticement to escape the ruck and reel of Jakarta traffic and congestion

In the forest that begins behind the Cibodas Botanical Gardens, sister to the world-famous Bogor Botanical Gardens, there are rare mammals such as the endangered Java gibbons, a victim of the unholy household pet trade, Java leaf monkeys, blue leopards, flying lemurs and, most fascinatingly of all perhaps, “occasionally heard but very seldom seen” Asian hunting dogs. More common species such as the Malay stink badger—watch out for its malodorous effusions!—and deer are there too.

Gede-Pangrango is a birdwatchers’ paradise, as the birders’ logbook at Freddy’s Guest House in the parkside village of Rarahan testifies; some birders seem especially lucky in spotting dozens of species during their stay. The emblematic Java hawk-eagle, which is also endangered by the lugubrious commerce in domestic pets, is the kingpin and if you are prepared for the unexpected, so to speak, you might just get a view of one at close quarters. Former Jakarta resident and expert birder Tim Allwood from the UK will tell you so on www.surfbirds.com (type in Gede-Pangrango on the Google search engine), a truly excellent website.

In the lower reaches of the forest, which you enter through a gate beside the Cibodas golf course, you may see the gloriously iridescent Indigo flycatcher or the lovely Sunda blue robin. Exotica such as checker-throated woodpeckers also appear. Mixed flocks of small birds are quite common and if you are stealthy and attentive you may ‘up’ your species tick list considerably. Night-time birding is also possible; watch out for collared scops owl and brown wood owl among others.

How to make the best of a trip here? Well, do not go at the weekends when the gardens and the park more closely resemble Jakarta and Bandung—they are awash with visitors, few of them eco-sensitive (that’s my observation-JB), During the week they are far quieter. For birding Tim Allwood recommends sitting quietly by the so-called Blue Lake, actually an algae-affected pond, about twenty minutes or so up the trail. Here you will encounter some very interesting mixed flocks moving through, or you may as I did get a view of an eagle soaring over the clearing.

Take solid walking shoes and an umbrella even if you are only going as far as the waterfalls at Cibeureum about an hour or so up the trail. Hardier types may wish an attempt on the summit six or seven hours away from the park gate (separate issue) in which case they will require proper overnight camping equipment.

These lower reaches of sub-montane forest have numbers of the magnificent die-straight rasamala tree, a species once widely valued for its resin but heavily logged in most locations. To find these and other notable flora a copy of the excellent Cibodas guidebook by the botanist Keith Harris (available at the National Park post inside the entrance) is invaluable as it follows the numbered stones that mark the trail.

There is something here for everyone, be they a birdwatcher, a botanist or all-round nature lover. Beware, however, of the litter blight, which has worsened in recent years. Although it is periodically cleaned up by the park wardens, it re-appears quite quickly.

Getting There
If you are using public transport from Jakarta take an AC#10 bus from Jalan Thamrin/Sudirman to Universitas Kristen Indonesia (UKI—”Ookie”) at Cawang. Alight here and catch a Bogor-bound bus (Rp 2,000). At the T-junction in Bogor which marks the end of the toll road alight and walk uphill on the left-hand side to the line of white bemos where you ask for Cibodas. They will let you off in the village of Pacet, where you take a Kebon Raya Cibodas (Cibodas Botanical Gardens)-bound colt (Rp 1,000) up-hill…ask for Freddy’s B&B (Rp 50,000).

Staying There
Freddy’s, as above. Run by a very friendly Sundanese couple. Birders’ logbook. Want expert birding advice, just ask for any of Freddy’s sons.

Further downhill is the Balinese-run Bali Guest House (Rp 70,000), which has a decent little restaurant next to it affording fine views over the mountain.

JB