Indonesia Expedition: Orangutans of Kalimantan

Selamat datang! Welcome to Jakarta, Indonesia. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm today. If you happen to arrive early, check out some of Jakarta's interesting museums such as the Wayang Museum (full of traditional puppets), Balai Seni Rupa Museum (fine arts and ceramics) or the National Museum. If you don’t have a lot of time today, do not fear! You’ll have time at the end of your expedition to explore the city some more. After your important meeting, why not gather a few of your travel pals for a local meal – your group leader will know of some great spots to go.

Time to begin your Kalimantan adventure! In the morning, transfer to the airport for a flight bound for Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. Upon arrival, visit to the Balanga Museum, where you’ll find fascinating Indonesian artifacts that provide insight into Kalimantan's indigenous cultures. Enjoy a local lunch nearby before taking a drive to your longhouse stay tonight. Longhouses are the traditional dwellings of people in this area, and your accommodation is located right in the centre of Tumbang Malahoi village. On arrival, there will be a Tumpang Tawar (blessing ceremony) to welcome you into the village and the longhouse. After dinner, join in on the fun with a family dance in the longhouse’s hallways.

After a simple local breakfast, take a walk around to learn about how the people of this village live. The majority of the villagers here work as carpenters, gold miners or fishermen. Later, explore the nearby jungle with some of the locals. After lunch in the jungle, return to the longhouse to say your farewells before heading back to Palangka Raya. Sit back and relax with a chilled-out afternoon at the hotel with your travel crew.

After breakfast, embark on a Sei Gohong river tour by canoe, making your way to Kaja Island, where you will witness the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation’s (BOSF) pre-release program in action. Kaja Island is the final step of the BOSF program before the orangutans return to the wild. In addition to observing these magnificent creatures, the island is home to a diverse range of other wildlife and birds. In the afternoon, continue to Sampit. This port city is famous for its fresh seafood, so be sure to ask your leader for some tips on where to pick up local specialties for dinner this evening.

Depart early from Sampit to Tanjung Puting, and arrive at Kumai Port by midday. Here is where you'll board a traditional klotok river boat. These boats are named after the sound the engines make: ‘klo-tok’. On your way to the eco-lodge – your accommodation in the national park – keep an eye out for the elusive proboscis monkeys, endemic to the island of Borneo. On arrival, check into your accommodation right in the heart of the jungle and enjoy a welcome lunch. Later visit the Tanjung Harapan feeding station at the park headquarters, where large alpha male can often be spotted. Dinner is included at the ecolodge, where your leader will fill you in on the program for the next few days.

Head off for an early morning aboard your klotok and cruise upriver in search of the local wildlife. Your first stop is the renowned Camp Leakey – possibly the most famous place for orangutan research in the world. At Leakey, visit the education centre to learn a little bit more about the region, and keep an eye out for agile gibbons and wild pigs. You’ll visit the feeding centre for an up close look at the orangutans – a truly special experience. Afterwards, cruise down the river in search of proboscis monkeys and wild orangutans socialising along the riverbank, then return to your ecolodge accommodation for dinner.

After breakfast, leave for the feeding station of Pondok Tanggui, 1 hour upstream for morning feeding time. Look out for giant squirrels, pigs, and many butterflies on the walk in. As at most of the stations, you are likely to spot another large alpha male here too. After viewing the orangutans, spend some time exploring the area before getting back on the boat. Lunch today will be on board before travelling to the Tanjung Harapan feeding Station for the afternoon feeding. Visit the nearby Tanjung Harapan village across the river and then return back to your ecolodge for the evening.

This morning, say goodbye to Tanjung Puting National Park, and board your klotok once more to the port city of Kumai. Stop for lunch in the city, a good chance to reflect on your special time in the national park, then drive on to airport and take a flight back to Jakarta. Upon arrival in Jakarta, check in to hotel and free time for you to explore Jakarta City by night, or have a group dinner together with your travel pals on this farewell night.

With no activities planned for today, your adventure comes to an end, and you are free to leave the accommodation at any time.