By bus the village of Kerisik Tua is at the northern end of the kerinci valley, 49 km before Sungai penuh on the inland road from padang. Anak Gunung, Gunung Kerinci and Safa Marwa bus companies operate night services from Padang to sungai Penuh, via Kerisik Tua, leaving the bus station on Jl Pemuda between 5.00 and 7.00 pm, and arriving at kerisik Tua at 2.00 or 3.00 am. It is advisable to book tickets ($3.5) in the morning from the company offices in the bus station. Safa Marwa also operates a tourist minibus which departs at 10 am, but you have to book a ticket ($8) at least two days in advance. It is not possible to buy return tickets in Kerisik Tua, so you must either travel to Sungai Penuh or arrange a return pick-up with the driver. Better still, return via Muaro Sako. Your hotel in Padang can easily arrange a taxi for the 5-6 hr journey to kerisik Tua; excpect to pay $95.
Traveling overland from north or south Sumatra, take a bus along the Trans-Sumatran Highway as far as Bangko, 1,119 km south of Medan or 829 km north of Bandar Lampung. At Bangko leave the Trans-Sumatran and take a bus westwards to Sungai Penuh, a tortous, nerve-shattering journey of c. 5 hrs, IDR 20,000 ($ 2.00). From Sungai Penuh it is a further 1.5 hrs to Keresik Tua, departures 9.00 am, 11.00 am and 5.00 pm by local bus: $1.50.
Accommodation/dining
Birders stay at homestay keluarga subandi in Kerisik Tua, located towards the south of the village, 50 m from the mosque and opposite the track through the te plantation to Mt Kerinci. Pak Subandi keeps a bird log and speaks some English. $3.00 a night per person, $1.50 per meal. There are two warung in the village. Pak Subandi will not be too put out if you arrive on a 2 am bus, but it would be polite to send him a telegram beforehand via the Eco-Rural address. There are no phones in Kerisik Tua.
General information
Permits to enter the park can be obtained at the PHPA post halfway between Kerisik Tua and the start of the Kerinci trail, or at Mt Tujuh. The main National Park office is SBKSDA office Jambi, Jl Arief Rahman Hakim No. 10, Jambi. Management: Kompleks Prkantoran Pemuda Kerinci, Jl Arga Selebar Daun, Sungai Penuh, Kerinci Seblat, Jambi.
A village cooperative called Eco-Rural (Eco-cultural Travel Cooperative, Jl Raya Sungai Penuh-Muara Labuh, Desa Kerisik Tua RT.V, Dusun III No. 19, Kayu Aro, Kerinci) organizes an excellent range of basic visitor services in the area. The cooperative has five homestays with a total of 20 rooms, provides guides ($10 per day), rents tents and sleeping bags ($2 per day), and will arrange transport around the area and back to Padang. All these services are arranged through your homestay owner. May-August is the best time to visit.
taken from Birding Indonesia. Periplus Publishing. Singapore