Information on Way Kambas NP required
In 2020 we had a trip planned and booked to Java and Sumatra for the end of August-start of September time period, with one of the highlights being staying at Satwa Ecolodge in Way Kambas, as we had hired Hari as our guide for 4 days. Covid-19 put paid to that trip, so we postponed in to 2021, then to 2022.
Satwa Ecolodge advised us that Way Kambas was still not open in 2022, so, reluctantly, we postponed yet again to Aug/Sep 2023.
Satwa Ecolodge have confirmed that all Indonesian National Parks are open with the exception of Way Kambas, which is apparently “restructuring their management system, including the tour policy inside the park”. We have just been advised that the latest information is that Way Kambas will be ready to open sometime in August/September.
This vagueness doesn’t inspire much confidence in Way Kambas actually being open when we arrive there and we are reluctant to book international flights on the basis of this information.
We are, therefore, having to consider postponing again to Aug/Sep 2024 and planning an alternative trip somewhere in Aug/Sep 2023.
Before we give give up on Way Kambas for this year, does anyone have any information at all that they can provide with regard to Way Kambas being open/closed or when it is due to open?
Cheers,
Steve
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5 Comments
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SteveFirth
I have still got a booking with Satwa Lodge, which is a base for Way Kambas, for August 2024, though
they have not provided any information for about 3 months, when they were hoping for it to open in Aug/Sep 2023.I’ve sent an email to my contact for Satwa Lodge (he is based in Bali) and have asked again if he has any
information at all about any re-opening of Way Kambas Park.We were in the Kerinci area of Sumatra in August and all the guides we asked knew that Way Kambas was closed and my intuition from all that I heard is that the closure may well have had political/financial motives. It may be that the politicians believe that they/the community do not receive enough money from the Park and want to “re-negotiate” terms using the closure as their bargaining tool. This could well be complete rubbish of course!
Anyway, if I hear anything I will let you know.
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SteveFirth
I have now heard from my contcat at Satwa Lodge about the situation at Way Kambas National Park, which is as follows:
“We have been informed that the Way Kambas National Park in Satwa will re-open on 20 Dec 2023 for the first time since the pandemic.”
I hope that it does actually re-open on this date!Cheers,
Steve
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SteveFirth
Satwa Lodge have confirmed that Way Kambas National Park did re-open on the 20th December 2023 and is still open. We now hope to that our 2020 postponed trip will actually materialise in August this year. Hari has been booked as our guide for 4 days. The cost of the river boat trips has risen by a factor of about 2.5 since from 2020 and may take them out of our price range.
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PandaSmith
I have no information but I comment to try to bring this question back up to the front of the cue. I would like to know the answer too! I did read something that said “open by the end of the year”….but it is Indonesia afterall….