Tangkoko Forest Trek

Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve covers the forested slopes of Mount Tangkoko and Mount Dua Saudara at the northern tip of Sulawesi. It is one of the most reliable places in Asia to see the spectral tarsier, a palm-sized primate with enormous eyes, as well as troops of crested black macaques, bear cuscus, red-knobbed hornbills and several kingfishers. Every visit starts at the ranger post in Batuputih village, where you pay the entrance fee and are assigned a compulsory local guide. Walks follow narrow, sometimes muddy trails through the forest; guides track the macaques by sound and know the fig trees where tarsier families sleep during the day. Wear closed shoes, bring insect repellent and water, and never use flash on the tarsiers. From the cruise pier it is about an hour's drive each way, so plan at least five hours in total. Tarsiers are most active at dusk, which rarely fits a port day, but a daytime walk usually still finds them at their roost.