Leave your lodging in the morning to begin your Mt. Kerinci climb. On the way to the trail head, don’t forget to turn around and see the incredible view of the beautiful Kayu Aro tea plantation, rice fields, the Rawa Bento wetlands, and Mt. Tujuh off in the distance.
Once in the forest, be on the lookout for Yellow-handed Mitered Langurs (our endemic, orange leaf monkeys), lizards, and birds. You’ll hear the enchanting song of Siamang gibbons, and if you’re really lucky, you might even spot a family of them. Make camp after about 8 hours of hiking, and prepare yourself for a chilly night and early morning.

The steaming crater of Mt. Kerinci volcano, the highest volcano in Indonesia and all of Southeast Asia at 3,805m.
Before dawn, scramble an additional two hours up the scree and rubble until you reach the crater. Bask in the view above the clouds as the sun rises, flooding the valley below with light. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to see lava bubbling far below in the bottom of the crater, and on a clear day you can see all the way to the Indian ocean to your west.
Congratulations, you’re now the tallest person on Sumatra!
Eventually, make your way back down the mountain, emerging from the jungle after about six hours, in the mid- to late afternoon. After a climb up Mt. Kerinci, expect a few days of sore legs to follow :)

A Boulenger’s Tree Agama (Dendragama boulengeri) on Mt. Kerinci. These lizards can change color from green to yellowish to chocolate brown.
To savor the hike (and make it a little easier), spend an extra night on the slopes of the volcano either going up or coming down.
Slow and steady wins the race (and usually results in more wildlife spotting).