Quote:
Original posted by wcaptain at 8/09/2014 10:24 
Not sure whether the photos were taken in indonesian national parks. I was told that park fee in indonesia are very expensive and hiring a guide is compulsory. So, the park fee plus guide fee per day per person could cost more than HK$500. Is that right? THX
From my experience in Indonesia this summer, this varies according to the park you are visiting. I visited two National Parks - Gunung Gede Pangrango on Java and Way Kambas on Sumatra. Gunung Gede charged Rp150,000 (about HK$100) per day, and there was no need to hire a guide. Way Kambas charged Rp150,000 for entry, and you also needed to hire a guide costing Rp300,000 per trip (trips were up to half a day, but usually less). As I understood, this difference was because Way Kambas has dangerous animals that are not present on Java (we saw a bear, and there are also tigers and elephants).
The entrance fees for foreigners are much higher than those for native Indonesians. I know there has been some discussion about this on some web forums. Personally I didn't have a problem with the fees, and I considered Gunung Gede to be good value for money. Most foreign visitors to these parks have spent a lot of money to get there in the first place, and the fees are not high relative to the travel cost. The cost would certainly be worthwhile if the money is contributing towards protecting the threatened wildlife of these parks and maintaining facilities for visitors.
The guiding fee was more of an issue for me, because I was travelling alone and could not share the cost. I didn't mind paying for the guide, and understood the reason. I did think, though, that the fee was very high for 1-2 hours in the field, mostly birding at a hurried pace along the road. There were also additional fees for boat trips, transport through the park, etc., and the entrance fee would (apparently) be charged twice if you left at lunchtime. Way Kambas seemed too expensive to me, and I only stayed one day.
