The district (Kabupaten) of Kerinci, located within the Province of Jambi, consists of a flat valley surrounded by the mountains of the Kerinci Seblat National Park. The district has a total area of 4,200 km2 of which roughly 60% is covered by the National Park. The climate is pleasantly mild although it receives considerable rain (3,500 mm per year) especially during the rainy season, which reaches its peak between October and December. The driest months are June to August. Sungai Penuh is the capital of the district, which consists of eleven sub districts.
Danau Kerinci is located 16 km south of Sungai Penuh. The lake
(783 m) covers a total area of 4,200 ha and is up to 110 m deep.
Although it is a beautifully located lake, there are basically no
facilities for tourists available.
Danau Gunung Tujuh (51 km north of S.P., 1,996 m, 1,000 ha). This is
the highest crater lake in Southeast Asia. It takes about 4 hours to
climb the lake from the village of Pelompek, 8 km beyond Kersik
Tua.
Danau Belibis (2,050m, 3 ha) can be reached from Kersik Tuo or from
Gunung Labu village (ca. 2 hrs walk). Danau Lingkat (1,100m, 12 ha,)
can be reached from the village of Lempur Mudik (Subdistrict Gunung
Raya). Some rafts are provided for those who want to fish or discover
this beautiful lake.
There is a small natural hot pool with a diameter of ca. 15 m in which local tourists boil eggs and bananas. It is also a popular place for those who wish to disappear without leaving any trace. About once a year, so people told me, someone jumps into the pool. After a few hours a thin layer of oil is all that is left. In these cases the popular bath houses will be closed for two weeks to allow the water to become clean again. Outside these times it is a nice spot to visit although it's a bit run down, not very clean and a bit noisy with loud pop music from the nearby mosque.
Located at the road to Krawang about 5kms from Sungai Penuh. It is similar to the hotsprings of Sumurup but it is cleaner. There are also a few small bath huts to rent.
As with the southern Sumatran regions of Pasemah and Lampung, Kerinci too has a number of megalithic remains. Famoous are the Batu Berukir and the Batu Lesung in the village of Muak, Sub-District Gunung Raya, 23 km from Sungai Penuh.
Yayansan Yanki, Jl. R.E. Martadinata 150, provides services for visitors. There
you can rent an English speaking guide for about Rp. 150,000 per day. They also
provide package tours including 2-day hikes to the summit of Mount Kerinci.
The price depends on the amount of people joining.
The Kerinci people have developed their own style of Batik. Batik cloths can be bought at Sanggar Karang Setio at Lurah Rio Jayo in the town center. Handicraft made of rattan can be bought in Sungai Tutung, 4 kms from town. Handicraft made of pandanus and other leaves is available at Rawang, 3 kms from town.