Holiday Ayo - Sembilang National Park has beautiful scenery and is a perfect spot for a vacation. Sembilang National Park is dominated by water – there is a huge river with settlements on the river banks.

Covering 2,051 km2 along the east coast of Sumatra, this national park is dominated by swamps and peat forests. The park is considered to have the most complex shorebird community in the world, with 213 species recorded. It provides habitat for 53 mammal species, including the endangered Sumatran Tiger, Sumatran Elephant, Malayan Tapir, Siamang, as well as the vulnerable Sunda Clouded Leopard, Marbled Cat, and Sun Bear.

Sembilang National Park is famous for its mangroves, where several students do research. In fact, several foreign tourists come here to study how to breed mangrove plants. The peak time for tourists is the end of the year.

In November and December thousands of migratory birds stop over in Sembilang National Park, so the expedition to watch migratory birds was held in November. At this time thousands of migratory birds were visible from a distance busily sunbathing on the riverbank.

They feed, socialize, and rest in this area. In the place where the birds stand the mud is so soft that humans would sink if they tried to walk on it. So it was a challenge for the expedition participants to get good pictures of migratory birds.

And the rivers of the park are inhabited by over 140 species of fish and 38 species of crab. Within the park is the largest breeding colony of milky storks in the world.

It is not easy to get to Sembilang National Park – from the center of Palembang city we need to ride for five hours to Tanjung Api-Api port. From the port, tourists need to continue the journey by speed boat which cost around USD 20 per person. But the journey is worth it for the beautiful scenery.

You can explore this area by speedboat or barge, or canoe if you wish to explore the swampy area.


If you are interested to visit Sembilang National Park, you should prepare the necessary supplies and also bring a camera to capture the beautiful scenery and the birds.