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VIVA – Besides mountains and beaches, Indonesia is also rich with forests that spread in various regions. Some of them are still considered scary by the local people. It is because of the many mysterious stories in the forest that have been told from generation to generation.
One of the Indonesian islands that has many scary and mysterious forests is Sumatera. This island looks full of green areas. This green color indicates that most areas of Indonesia are overgrown with plants or forests. Here are some famous Sumatran forests that are scary and have a mystery:
1. Mount Leuser Forest
Hutan Wisata Taman Nasional Gunung Leuser (TNGL) di Tangkahan, Langkat
- Antara/ Septianda Perdana
Mount Leuser forest is located on Sumatera. This forest has many mysterious things. One of them, there is a giant ape on the forest side south of the mountain. In addition to the giant ape, there are many stories that say that strange creatures often appear on Mount Leuser. This strange creature is called an isolated tribe.
The story about an animal named Pulusan Mount is also quite popular. Pulusan has the scientific name, Mustela Lutreolina. Besides the bunian people, Leuser mount is also known by a mysterious dwarf tribe called the Mante Tribe or the Bante Tribe.
2. Bukit Barisan Forest
Bukit Barisan Forest
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In West Sumatra there is the Bukit Barisan Forest which is known to be haunted by the surrounding community. This is because the forest was caused by the Bunian people. It is a creature known to mislead humans.
If anyone dares to enter the forest, they will most likely not be able to get out of it. But, if the person can survive, it means that person has an ability beyond reason.
There is another story, the forest area that has supernatural creatures called goblins is not a few visitors or road users who are deliberately misled by these creatures to enter the forest.
3. Ghimbo Potai Forest
The tradition of Ghimbo Potai Forest is located in the village of Rumbio, Kampar district, Riau province. This forest has an area of approximately 570 hectares, with various species of flora and fauna that live there.
There are some mystery stories that are still a mystery behind the beauty of this forest. Starting from the existence of a tomb with a length of 7 meters that can move from place to place. There is also a magical village in it, and the mystery of the discovery of a child that hasn’t been found until now.
This Ghimbo Potai forest remains a form of local wisdom from indigenous peoples in order to preserve the many benefits contained in it, one of which is a source of clean water that comes from the air.
This forest can be directly used by the community as drinking water and also some species of plants that grow in. It can also be used as traditional medicine.
4. Banyu Asin Forest
In Banyu asin forest, there is a prohibition monument which is actually a tourist place in the province of South Sumatera. The people are commonly known as the Prohibition Forest Monument.
It’s called the Prohibition Forest Monument because this location holds a number of stories. It is said that anyone who enters this forbidden forest area will be in a trance and unconscious. Maybe because of the clan’s legacy decades ago, that's why the forest is categorized as scary.
5. Rimba Keratung Forest
Rimba Keratung Forest
- Instagram @mongabay.id
Rimba Keratung has an area of 23 hectares, which is the remaining prohibited forest area in Serdang Village, Toboali District, South Bangka Regency, Bangka Belitung Islands Province.
Even though it’s known to be haunted, a number of residents outside Serdang Village have tried to penetrate or cut down trees in the Keratung Forest. There was a perpetrator who got sick after cutting down an agarwood tree.
In this area flows the Keratung River which never dries even though the dry season is long. River water is not only used for rice fields, but also a source of clean water and a source of fish.
