Project Description
From Bengkulu City, drive up to Curup the night before or early the day of your hike. You’ll need to get an early start to maximize your time exploring the craters at the summit.
Hit the trail around 9am, taking your time up the challenging path and stopping to enjoy the flowers. Keep your eye out for Amorphophallus titanum saplings along the path. Arrive at the summit around noon and take in the breathtaking scenery. As time and weather permits, explore the multiple craters and overlooks of the volcano. Hike back down via a different route, looking for wild raspberries along the trail.
Head back to Bengkulu City at around 4:00 pm. Alternatively, stay a night more in the cool mountain weather of Curup (and get some fresh strawberries while you’re at it).
Optionally, spend the night camping on Bukit Kaba instead of a dayhike. Drive up from Bengkulu City on day 1 and camp at a secondary summit next to Kawa Mati. Enjoy a cup of coffee (or tea) and watch the sunset after a warm dinner. Wake up the next morning and, after a delicious breakfast, explore the craters and various vistas. Break camp and hike back down the mountain.
After arriving back at the trailhead, get cleaned up then drive to a local eatery for a traditional rice lunch. Drive back down to Bengkulu City arriving in the afternoon.
Difficulty: Easy.
Activities: Wildlife Spotting, Night Safari, Bird Watching, Walking, Camping (optional)
Elevation: 1000m-1400m
Terrain: Rainforest, Mountains
Nearest Village: Sungaipenuh, Kerinci regency, Jambi province, Indonesia
- If you’re camping, a waterproof jacket in case it rains, and to keep you warm in the chilly evenings and mornings.
- Your own water bottle, to cut down on single-use plastics.
- We provide all necessary torches/flashlights.
If you are prone to motion-sickness, the drive up to the top of the mountain might cause some discomfort. Be sure to notify the driver, so they know to take it easy.
Unfortunately, since the road is extremely prone to landslides, the trip won’t be able to run if there’s a threat of rain. Animals aren’t generally out and about during the rain, so it would be a disappointing time anyway.
Due to the high elevation (between 1000m-1400m) evenings and mornings can be quite chilly, so make sure you have a jacket, and long sleeves and pants.
Like all of our trips, you travel at your own risk. Keep in mind that you are visiting a wild and extremely remote area of rural Sumatra, far from quality medical care. It’s your responsibility to make sure you are covered with valid travel and medical insurance.
There are now daily flights to Kerinci from the city of Jambi! You can read more about them here.
Sungaipenuh is the best place to base yourself on a trip to Bukit Tapan, as its the closest town to the area, and has a variety of accommodations. Many travelers come overland via the city of Padang in West Sumatra to the town of Sungai Penuh. Expect the drive to Sungai Penuh to take around nine hours, although it can vary by an hour or two depending on the road conditions and the driver, and if you are taking public or private transport. Padang has direct flights to/from the hubs of Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Medan, and Batam. If you are in Bukittinggi, it’s possible to drive directly to Sungai Penuh, roughly a ten hour drive.
The city of Jambi is also a possible launching point. The drive from Jambi to Sungai Penuh takes roughly nine hours as well. The road from Jambi is less winding than the road from Padang, so it’s a bit more comfortable. As mentioned, Wings Air has daily flights to Kerinci. Susi Air also has thrice-weekly flights directly to the town of Sungai Penuh in central Kerinci, although the flights aren’t as reliable as the Wings Air flights, and are difficult to book.
You can read more about transport to/from Kerinci, and what travel looks like within the valley here.
When booking with us, we’ll be happy to assist you with all accommodation and transport arrangements.
As always, we use only local guides and porters from nearby communities, who are paid a fair, ethical wage above the standard local price.
