Tesso Nilo National Park in Indragiri Hulu District, Riau

A beautiful complex of lowland forest resides in several districts in Riau Province, which is called Tesso Nilo National Park. It belongs to Kampar, Kuantan Senggigi, Indragiri Hulu, and Pelalawan District. Featuring exotic Sumatran animals like tigers and elephants, the site has been chosen as one of the best tourist spots in Riau Province. The local government takes advantage of the forest to preserve endangered animals and attract tourists. That means visitors can explore it while witnessing those creatures directly. It also becomes a good site to introduce wild animals to the family members.

The Nuance
The size of the national park is about 38,576 hectares and it has undergone an expansion back then. Tesso Nilo National Park was inaugurated in 2004 and becomes a recommended tourist spot in Riau and nearby regions. Sometimes, several local dancers also perform on the site. The thing is they only perform based on the schedule, so tourists can’t enjoy the dance anytime. When it comes to facilities, there are some keepers or guards nearby do visitors can talk to them related to the map, information, or anything. These people can even talk English well.

Exploring Tesso Nilo National Park
Many types of activities can be done on the site. As mentioned before, tourists can even enjoy a traditional dance performed by local dancers. In this case, tourists should have learned the information related to the event first. Usually, the dance is performed by local girls wearing a festive costume. During the performance, tourists are allowed to take pictures with their camera. Later, they can even talk to the dancers and take a picture together with them. As for the tips, they need to hire a local guide who can speak the Indonesian Language well.

The next fun activity in Tesso Nilo National Park is to watch the elephant. There is a special program where the management performs nature education to visitors. That means tourists are able to learn more the life of the elephant, including the breastfeeding moment. It is a unique experience for sure. Moreover, there is the chance to ride the tamed elephant. Visitors also have the chance to bathe those enormous animals! It is safe because the animal tamers are also presence during those activities.

What’s next? The fact is that Tesso Nilo National Park is a lowland tropical rain forest. Perhaps it is the only one in Sumatra Island. No wonder, the local government puts lots of attention to it and try to retain its existence. Apart from the animals, the site becomes the home of tons of species of flora including durian, Dipterocarpus, Shorea, Fagraea, etc. Overall, it is the best place for those who love nature and want to get closer to animals and plants.

Nearby Attractions

• Pelalawan City
• Bukit Tiga Puluh National Park
• Denalo Waterfall
• Mandalan Waterfall

How to Get There
The distance between Kerumutan Sub-District and Indra Hulu District is 138 km. That means it takes about 3-4 hours to get to Tesso Nilo. As for the best route, tourists can take Lintas Timur Street.

Where to Stay

• Angela Inn
• Prambanan Inn
• Miki Mutiara Hotel