IMAGES: GETTY“Follow the branch,” says Kelik, our guide.
“Follow it until you see something that’s
blue, lufy and singing.”
In the thick rainforest canopy above
the village of Jatimulyo, 20 miles above
Yogyakarta on the island of Java, even a
melliluous blue parcel of luf can be hard
to pick out. The rain has only just stopped
and sunlight bounces of the soaking,
shimmering leaves. My son Thomas (10)
nudges me and points. Finally, I see it: a
black-naped monarch. Looking as though it’s
been freshly dunked in a pot of cobalt-blue
paint, the bird wavers on twigs and branches
before luttering of into the hinterland.
We continue on our walk along forest
tracks, a route that contours close to
high crags on the slopes of Gunung Kelir
mountain. Vines dangle around us, their
upper origins lost in the canopy, while giant
ig trees stand sturdily. Indonesia’s forests
have been ravaged by palm oil plantations,
but a government moratorium on further
clearances of rainforest was (at the time
of writing) still being enforced. Villagers
have established a small, low-impact cofeeplantation, which provides an income that
enables them to preserve their remaining
rainforest from slash-and-burn clearing.
As we amble back to the village, the forest
rustles with life — sunbirds and lycatchers
hop along branches while small, unseen
mammals scuttle among the undergrowth.
We say goodbye to Kelik and head
downhill to the plains. Alamanda Villas,
where we’re staying, is a low-key collection of
traditional Indonesian bungalows, or joglos,
in a rice ield on the outskirts of Yogyakarta.
I ask Thomas what he made of the forest
walk. “I just loved the fact that you looked
one way and saw an amazing butterly,” he
replies. “Then you turn another way and
there’s a beautiful bird and another way I
saw a spider that would scare my sister.”
MARK ROWERAINFOREST
Trailinders has lights to Yogyakarta via Singapore
from £900 per person in high season. Alamanda Villas
has ive-person bungalows from £40 a night. A guided
day tour to Jatimulyo costs £25 for one adult and one
child. trailinders.com alamandayogyakarta.com
Best for: Six-plusSTAY HYDRATED
High humidity means children
— and parents — will need to
drink regularly. Enquire ahead
as to whether iltered and
drinkable water is available
or not, and consider bringing
your own water puriiers.BE PATIENT
Jungle life tends to be active
at dawn and again at dusk and
night, and guided hikes and
boat trips follow this pattern.
In between, there can be a lot
of hanging around, so bring
a pack of cards and plenty of
books. Some lodges have wi-i.DON’T GRAB
Children will be tempted by
all the tactile opportunities
that rainforests present, such
as swinging on dangling ig
branches or running their
ingers through thick, lush
foliage. All these are wonderful
ways to get stung or bitten.
A good deterrent is to show
them YouTube footage of TV
presenter Steve Backshall
getting stung by bullet ants.CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR
Many destinations, for
commercial reasons, play
down the risk of malaria, so
don’t automatically believe a
lodge or travel company that
says the disease isn’t present.
Take the same approach with
rabies and dengue fever and
speak to your doctor well in
advance of travel.THINK GREEN
Logging, mining, palm oil
and soy plantations are
rampant in rainforests,
so get your littles ones
interested in conservation
early by educating them
on the challenges jungles
currently face. Ask about the
environmental policies of your
tour operator or lodge, too,
as many either work closely
with, or are operated by,
environmental organisations.TAKE NOTE:
RULES OF THE JUNGLEFar from the bustling cities, the Indonesian island of Java’s lush
rainforest reveals wildlife at its most colourful and abundantTRAVELLER 10
172 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel08