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How Big is Sumatra? authenticsumatra.org – Sumatra is the largest island within Indonesia, with an area of 473,481 km2 (294,207 miles). To put that into perspective, the United Kingdom is only 242,495 km2 (150,679 miles), so this one island of Indonesia is almost twice as big as that entire area. An estimate from 2021 stated that just over 59 million people call Sumatra home. Compare this again to the UK (at half the land area) with a population of 66 million-ish people and you’ll see that there’s quite a lot of room to move in Sumatra. Where is Sumatra? Located in wonderful, eclectic, exotic Indonesia, the top half of Sumatra’s east coast is just a stone’s throw from Singapore or the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur (around a one hour flight to each city). From the southern tip, you could practically swim across to Java – home ofIndonesia’s capital, Jakarta — although obviously, we don’t recommend trying it. The equator passes almost smack through the middle of Sumatra, and Pulau Weh (also known as Sabang) — the small island off the northern tip Sumatra in Aceh province — actually marks Kilometer Nol –the northernmost point of Indonesia. What is Sumatra Famous For? Tourists usually come in search of the natural wonders on offer: orangutans and other iconic wildlife, pristine jungles and steamy volcanoes. Unfortunately, Sumatra also has the unwanted honour of having the highest rate of forest loss in the WORLD, losing an estimated 40% of old-growth forest over the last 20 years. This island is also rich in natural treasures, it’s famous for its high-quality coffee, and a slew of agricultural products like rubber, tea, tobacco, palm oil (ugh) and more. There’s also petrol, gas, coal, gold, silver and other goodies to be had. What is the Best TIme to Visit Sumatra? Perched on the equator, Sumatra is a true tropical island — just a really, really big one! There are only two seasons: wet and dry. Officially, the wet season is from October to April, so naturally, dry season is from May to September. To get a little more accurate, in the north, you can typically expect the most rain between October to January, and in the south, November to February. The average temperature throughout the year is 28 degrees Celsius (82.4 F). Having said this, bear in mind that times are a-changing (thanks global warming!) Living as locals in Sumatra, we’ve noticed that the lines between the seasons are blurring. In the last few years, it’s been rather unpredictable. The good news is that it doesn’t really matter too much. Even in wet season, you will seldom see days where it rains all day. More often, you get an hour or two of torrential rain in the late afternoon and evening and can carry on as normal before that. The added bonus is that the wet season is usually accompanied by some truly spectacular thunderstorms for a bit of holiday excitement. Here’s a super secret tip for you: rainforests (and areas adjacent) see more rain! Shocking, we know. Be prepared for a bit more rain in these regions, although, again, you’ll usually be able to find plenty of non-rainy time to get out and about. One thing to note, dry season does make for a bit of an easier journey if you’re heading to places where the roads aren’t quite so good, which is pretty much everywhere outside of the big cities. In a nutshell, Sumatra is hot and humid most of the year. Sometimes there’ll be more rain bucketing down than you ever imagined possible, while at other times, the rivers will dry up to trickles, but you’ll seldom be cold, unless you are heading for higher-altitude areas.

Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra authenticsumatra.org – The 2.5 million hectare Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra site comprises three national parks: Gunung Leuser National Park, Kerinci Seblat National Park and Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. The site holds the greatest potential for long-term conservation of the distinctive and diverse biota of Sumatra, including many endangered species. The protected area is home to an estimated 10,000 plant species, including 17 endemic genera; more than 200 mammal species and some 580 bird species of which 465 are resident and 21 are endemic. Of the mammal species, 22 are Asian, not found elsewhere in the archipelago and 15 are confined to the Indonesian region, including the endemic Sumatran orang-utan. The site also provides biogeographic evidence of the evolution of the island. Outstanding Universal Value The Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (TRHS), Indonesia comprises three widely separated National Parks: Gunung Leuser (GLNP), Kerinci Seblat (KSNP) and Bukit Barisan Selatan (BBSNP), and covers a total area of 2,595,124hectares, constituting one of the biggest conservation areas in Southeast Asia. The site is located on Bukit Barisan range and holds the greatest potential for long-term conservation of the diverse biota of Sumatra, including many endangered species. The biodiversity of the property is exceptional in terms of both species numbers and uniqueness. There are an estimated 10,000 species of plants, including 17 endemic genera. Animal diversity in TRHS is also impressive, with 201 mammal species and some 580 species of birds, of which 465 are resident and 21 are endemics. Of the mammal species, 22 are endemic to the Sundaland hotspot and 15 are confined to the Indonesian region, including the endemic Sumatran orang-utan. Key mammal species also include the Sumatran tiger, rhino, elephant and Malayan sun-bear. The TRHS includes the highest volcano in Indonesia, Gunung Kerinci (3,805 m asl) along with many other physical features of exceptional natural beauty, including: Lake Gunung Tujuh the highest lake in Southeast Asia, numerous other volcanic and glacial high-altitude lakes, fumaroles, waterfalls, cave systems and steep rocky backdrops. Both Gunung Leuser National Park and Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park contain frontages to the Indian Ocean, making the altitudinal range of the TRHS extend from the highest mountains on Sumatra to sea level. All three protected areas in the TRHS exhibit wide altitudinal zonation of vegetation, from lowland rainforest to montane forest, extending to sub-alpine low forest, scrub and shrub thickets and covering an astounding diversity of ecosystems. Criterion (vii): The parks that comprise the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra are all located on the prominent main spine of the Bukit Barisan Mountains, known as the ‘Andes of Sumatra’. Outstanding scenic landscapes abound at all scales. The mountains of each site present prominent mountainous backdrops to the settled and developed lowlands of Sumatra. The combination of the spectacularly beautiful Lake Gunung Tujuh (the highest lake in southeast Asia), the magnificence of the giant Mount Kerinci volcano, numerous small volcanic, coastal and glacial lakes in natural forested settings, fumaroles belching smoke from forested mountains and numerous waterfalls and cave systems in lush rainforest settings, emphasise the outstanding beauty of the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra. Criterion (ix): The Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra represent the most important blocks of forest on the island of Sumatra for the conservation of the biodiversity of both lowland and mountain forests. This once vast island of tropical rainforest, in the space of only 50 years, has been reduced to isolated remnants including those centered on the three components of the property. The Leuser Ecosystem, including the Gunung Leuser National Park, is by far the largest and most significant forest remnant remaining in Sumatra. All three parks would undoubtedly have been important climatic refuge for species over evolutionary time and have now become critically important refuge for future evolutionary processes. Criterion (x): All three parks that comprise the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra are areas of very diverse habitat and exceptional biodiversity. Collectively, the three sites include more than 50% of the total plant diversity of Sumatra. At least 92 local endemic species have been identified in Gunung Leuser National Park. The property contains populations of both the world’s largest flower (Rafflesia arnoldi) and the tallest flower (Amorphophallustitanium). The relict lowland forests in the sites are very important for conservation of the plant and animal biodiversity of the rapidly disappearing lowland forests of Southeast Asia. Similarly, the montane forests, although less threatened, are very important for conservation of the distinctive montane vegetation of the property. Integrity The serial property straddles the equator and comprises three widely separated nationally protected areas along the Bukit Barisan Mountain Range, running from Aceh in the north-west to Bandar Lampung in the south-east and representing whole or part of the three most significant remnant “islands” of the once vast Sumatran forests. Biological and ecological processes are preserved within the property because it contains a sufficiently large number of ecosystems, forest types, ranges of altitudes and topographies. The exceptionally beautiful features of Sumatra such as Gunung Tujuh and Gunung Kerinci are contained within the site in their entirety. The unique shape and size of the property provide significant habitat for in-situ conservation of thousands of Sumatran species, in particular species that require larger home ranges like Sumatran tiger, Sumatran orang-utan, Sumatran elephant, Sumatran rhino and Sumatran ground cuckoo. The property is a living laboratory for science and contains some of the most distinguished research centres in Indonesia (Way Canguk, Ketambe and Suaq Belimbing) and hosts international high-level collaborations from world renowned institutions. Threats to the integrity of the property include road development plans as well as agricultural encroachment. The main fundamental threatening processes are directly linked to the access provided by roads and failure to effectively enforce existing laws. Road access facilitates illegal logging, encroachment and poaching which all pose significant threats to the integrity of the component parks of the property. Collaboration with stakeholders, including Rhino Protection Unit (RPU), WWF Elephant Patrol, FFI Tiger Protection and Conservation, Zoological Society of London –