Wonderful View from Summit and Rim Senaru
More than 20 villages encircle Mt. Rinjani, offering numerous ascent routes, with the primary access points being Senaru to the north and Sembalun Lawang to the east.
Gunung Rinjani National Park is situated within the significant transitional zone (Wallace Line) where Southeast Asia’s flora and fauna undergo a dramatic shift to that typical of Australia. The park boasts a diverse array of plant and animal life, though spotting them can be challenging due to the rugged terrain and dense rainforest canopy.
Occasionally spotted in the early morning is the rare black Ebony leaf monkey, known locally as lutung. The long-tailed gray macaque, or kera, is prevalent in Lombok, and older males are often seen along the crater rim. Rusa deer, which dwell in the forest, are sometimes seen along the Rinjani trekking trail.
The smaller barking deer, or kijang, has an alarm call that resembles a dog’s bark. Look for areas of disturbed soil where the wild pig, or babi hutan, has been rooting. The forest also harbors the leopard cat, or bodok alas, the palm civet, or ujat, and the porcupine, or landak.
The park’s forests are home to a variety of vibrant birds. Notably, the crested cockatoo, an icon of the park, is not found west of Lombok. The survival of many forest inhabitants, including animals, insects, birds, civets, and monkeys, is largely dependent on the wild fig tree, or beringin, which provides both food and shelter.
The pine-like casuarina species, Cemara, characterize the grassy higher elevations. Orchids, or anggrek, and the edelweiss, or bunga abadi, which blooms above the treeline, are also prominent in these grasslands. The edelweiss is a celebrated emblem of the park and one of the most well-known sub-alpine plants.