Gunung Leuser National Park

2010-01-18T09:03:00.000-08:00

Gunung Leuser National Park or TNGL is a landscape and "lungs" of the world that have been set by the Government of Indonesia as a national nature reserve since 1980 and established as a world heritage (Biosphere Reserves) by UNESCO in 2004. Government of Indonesia and Malaysia are also working together to set TNGL and Taman Negara National Park in Malaysia as "Sister Park". TNGL stand in an area of 792,675 hectares and 3404 meters high.

Gunung Leuser National Park located between the border of Aceh and North Sumatra. In Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, TNGL stand in Aceh Singkil District, South Aceh, South East Aceh, and Gayo Luwes. In North Sumatra it stand in Langkat.

Gunung Leuser forest is very dense, it has a unique coastal forest and tropical rain forests. In the inside there were several rivers, lakes, hot springs, valleys, and waterfalls. Natural ecosystems is very beautiful and diverse covering lowland (coastal) to the mountian. There are a variety of protected rare animals, such as a jungle cat, Sumatran tiger, hornbill, orangutans, gibbons, snakes, butterflies, birds, Sumatran elephants, Sumatran rhinos, goats forests, and sambar deer. In addition, there are plants, strangler (fig) and other rare plants, such as giant flowers "Rhizanthes zippelnii" is 1.5 meters in diameter, Raflesia flowers, and giant umbrella leaves.

There are six major location attractions in Gunung Leuser National Park, the Bukit Lawang Bohorok or known as the orangutan conservation area; Bukit Lawang famous as tours area and canoe tours on the lakes and rivers; Gunung Leuser is often used for tourist sites climbing and climbing adventure mountain; Alas River which is often used as a sports tourism sites arum rapids; Secondary often used as a campsite, and wildlife observation tours of cave; and GURAH, as a location to enjoy the natural scenery is very beautiful with a variety of unique and rare plants, as well as the observation of a protected endangered species.

Takengon Freshwater Sea Lake

2010-01-18T07:49:00.000-08:00

Located on the eastern city of Takengon, in the Gayo highlands (1250 feet above sea level), Lut Tawar District, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province. Takengon is the largest lake in the province of Aceh with an area of about 5472 ha, length about 17 km and 5.5 km wide.

The existence of Takengon Freshwater Sea Lake is the pride of the people of Aceh. It is attracted many domestic and foreign tourists to visit. The lake is a source of water is used not only by the people in Central Aceh District, but also by people in other districts.

Traditional stories revolved about the Gayo community depik fish, ornamental fish shaped like a slender white scales gleamed with the size of your thumb that live in Takengon. The story, derived from depik rice grain dumped into the lake. He will come to the surface at certain seasons, especially during the rainy season. Before the season arrived, depik mob hiding in the south of the lake, at the foot of Mount Bur Kelieten. Depik is a gift of God to the Gayo, despite constantly consumed, and inexhaustible.

Two hills that flanking this lake shows the beauty of the lake. The unification of the waters and terrain provide livelihoods for many communities, especially around the Gayo highlands. It is called Freshwater Sea Lake because it happens as fresh as the sea and the water is not salty. The water has a lot of flora and fauna, one of the most famous is the depik fish is a fish species that exist only in Lake Laut Tawar.

At this location visitors can see the people who grow crops and fishing. An activity that has become part of everyday life in communities around the lake. Commodities grown in the Gayo highlands, among others, is the Gayo coffee (arabica coffee) is very popular in Japan, potatoes, passion fruit, tomatoes, chilies, corn, and vegetables. The plantation commodities that famous enough are Gayo tangerines and avocados.