Indonesia Expedition: Orangutans of Kalimantan
Indonesia Expedition: Orangutans of Kalimantan
Indonesia Expedition: Orangutans of Kalimantan
12 Days Starting and ending in Jakarta
Visiting: Jakarta, Jakarta – Tanjung Puting NP, Tanjung Puting NP, Tanjung Puting NP – Sampit, Sampit - Palangka Raya, Sebangau NP, Tumbang Malahoi Longhouse, Tumbang Malahoi Longhouse - Palangka Raya, Palangka Raya
Tour operator:
Tour code:
TISW
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 12
Age range:
15-99 years
Tour operated in:
EnglishInterests:
Tour Overview
Go in search of the gentle giants of the Borneo jungles – the elusive orangutan – on a 12-day wildlife expedition. Kalimantan, the Indonesian portion of Borneo, is teeming with jungles to explore, cultures to learn, and welcoming people to have a laugh with – and your wildlife expedition will be so much more than that. Staying in comfortable eco-lodging and a traditional longhouse in the heart of the jungle, go out in search of orangutans and learn about how the local communities’ conservation efforts have ensured that these creatures, along with other endemic wildlife, continue to thrive in this slice of jungle paradise. Share in the wonder of an untouched Borneo before others find out about it, with a unique opportunity to spot orangutans in their natural habitat.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Jakarta
Location: Jakarta
Accommodation: Hotel
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.
Optional Activities:
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Day 2: Jakarta – Tanjung Puting Np
Location: Jakarta – Tanjung Puting NP
Accommodation: Ecolodge
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Time to begin your Kalimantan adventure! In the morning, transfer to the airport for a flight bound for Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. Once arrived, take a taxi to the port 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.
Included Activities:
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Day 3: Tanjung Puting Np
Location: Tanjung Puting NP
Accommodation: Ecolodge
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
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.
Included Activities:
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Day 4: Tanjung Puting Np
Location: Tanjung Puting NP
Accommodation: Ecolodge
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, 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.
Included Activities:
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Day 5: Tanjung Puting Np – Sampit
Location: Tanjung Puting NP – Sampit
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch
After breakfast, it’s time to say goodbye to Tanjung Puting National Park, boarding your klotok once more and taking a leisurely boat ride 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 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.
Included Activities:
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Day 6: Sampit - Palangka Raya
Location: Sampit - Palangka Raya
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
Your journey continues as you drive on to the city of Palangka Raya, the capital of the Central Kalimantan Province. This low-key city is pretty new, having grown from a small Dayak village in 1957. On arrival, your leader will let you know the best spots to sample some local dishes for lunch.
There are a range of optional activities on offer this afternoon, including a trip to Tangkiling Hill – about a 30-minute drive away from the accommodation. Here, you can climb up the steps 200 metres to the top of one of the seven hills and get a 360-degree view of the city and its surroundings. On the way back, you might like to stop at the Dayak spiritual site of Batu Banama. Otherwise, there’s a range of walks to local villages or bikes for hire to explore further afield.
Optional Activities:
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Day 7: Sebangau Np
Location: Sebangau NP
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch
Time to head off for more adventures in the wild! Depart early this morning for Sebangau National Park, home to orangutans, proboscis monkeys, macaques, monitor lizards, hornbills, kingfishers, and clouded leopards. For many years, this area was impacted by illegal logging and wildfires, and though sightings are not a guarantee, the wild animals have begun to repopulate. Spend a few hours exploring by canoe and on foot with a local ranger. After lunch, enjoy some free time to relax or swim before returning to Palangka Raya and your hotel for the evening.
Included Activities:
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Day 8: Tumbang Malahoi Longhouse
Location: Tumbang Malahoi Longhouse
Accommodation: Longhouse
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
After breakfast, you’ll pay a 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.
Included Activities:
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Day 9: Tumbang Malahoi Longhouse - Palangka Raya
Location: Tumbang Malahoi Longhouse - Palangka Raya
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch
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.
Included Activities:
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Day 10: Palangka Raya
Location: Palangka Raya
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
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.
Included Activities:
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Day 11: Jakarta
Location: Jakarta
Meals Included: breaksfast
Transfer to the airport today for your flight back to Jakarta. After checking into the hotel, the rest of the day is free for you to spend as you wish, and with a range of things to see and do in Jakarta, such as visiting the Grand Mosque or the Catholic Cathedral – you’ll be kept occupied by this lively city.
Day 12: Jakarta
Location: Jakarta
Meals Included: breaksfast
With no activities planned for today, your adventure comes to an end, and you are free to leave the accommodation at any time.
What's Included
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Accommodation
Hotel (6 nights), Ecolodge (3 nights), Resort (1 night), Longhouse (1 night) -
Tanjung Puting NP - Tanjung Harapan orangutan feeding station
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Tanjung Puting NP - Klotok boat cruise
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Tanjung Puting NP - Camp Leakey
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Tanjung Puting NP - Orangutan Feeding Platform 2
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Tanjung Puting NP - Tanjung Harapan village visit
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Tanjung Puting NP - Pondok Tanggui orangutan feeding station
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Palangka Raya - Balanga Museum
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Sebangau NP - Wildlife ranger walk
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Tumbang Malahoi Village - Blessing ceremony
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Palangka Raya - Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation visit
Included Activities
- Tanjung Puting NP - Camp Leakey
- Tanjung Puting NP - Klotok boat cruise
- Tanjung Puting NP - Tree Planting at Friends of the National Parks Foundation
- Sebangau NP - Wildlife ranger walk
- Palangka Raya - Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation visit
- Tumbang Malahoi Village - Traditional dancing
- Tumbang Malahoi Village - Blessing ceremony
- Tumbang Malahoi Village - Village & jungle walk
Transport
- Plane , Taxi , Klotok boat , Canoe , Private vehicle
Accommodation
- Hotel (6 nights), Ecolodge (3 nights), Resort (1 night), Longhouse (1 night)
Important Information
- 1. Please provide your full name exactly as per passport at the time of booking for the flight ticket on this trip. Ticketing fees may apply for amendments to details within 45 days of departure, and in some cases you will be required to cover the cost of issuing a new ticket.
- 2. A Single Supplement is available on this trip excluding Days 2-4 (Ecolodge) where you will be in twin share accommodation and Day 8 (Longhouse) which is multishare.
- 3. To secure Tanjung Puting National Park permits and the flight ticket for this trip, a scanned copy of the personal details page of your passport needs to be sent to your booking agent no later than 45 days before departure. Ticketing fees may apply for amendments to details within 45 days of departure, and in some cases, you will be required to cover the cost of issuing a new ticket or permit.
Mode of Transport
- Plane , Taxi , Klotok boat , Canoe , Private vehicle
Check out our Q&As
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Is this trip right for you
This trip takes you to a part of Borneo not often visited by foreign travellers and is ideal for those who have been to Indonesia previously and are keen to explore more. Each day is an adventure, and we filled this trip full of diverse wildlife experiences of Borneo which are impossible to find on any other trip. Please note that there is no guarantee of seeing wildlife on specific days of this journey, as you will be visiting national parks with endemic and rare species. Your expert guides will provide the best opportunity to see wildlife along the way, but as to be respectful to your environment, you may have a day or two simply admiring the jungle around you.
Sometimes you’ve got to rough it to get amongst it. While most of the accommodation on this trip is tourist class, there will be some very basic accommodation during the overnight stay in the longhouse. All bedding and mattresses are provided, plus mosquito nets to sleep under.
Some of the best scenery is found deep in Borneo’s jungles, which can be quite steamy, muddy and, at times, slippery. In order to experience the splendour of the diverse landscapes and waters, the included activities on this trip often require a moderate level of fitness. We ask that you read the Essential Trip Information and itinerary carefully to ensure that you will be able to participate fully.
Temperatures and humidity can be high in Indonesia, especially when walking around the jungles of Borneo where there may be little respite. Be prepared by taking plenty of drink breaks and wearing appropriate skin protection.
This trip has some long travel days by private vehicle, including on bumpy local roads. It's not unusual for journeys to take longer than estimated and travel times to vary from one departure to the next. Extra space can be tight, and conditions may feel a little cramped. It’s all part of the adventure and a great way to get to know your fellow travellers. Please read the itinerary carefully for travel time estimates.
The longhouse stay is a wonderful opportunity to witness everyday rural life and includes a home-cooked dinner. Facilities are simple and multi-share but comfortable, with mattresses, bedding and mosquito nets all provided. Some travellers are nervous about the experience before they arrive, but we find most end up naming this as a highlight of their time and a rewarding, authentic experience. Other accommodation is in no frills, simple guesthouses and hotels, perfect for travellers on a budget. On occasion our accommodation may not have hot water, but you will probably be keen to cool down from the heat with a refreshing cold shower! -
What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room
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Intrepid Travel allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 56 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Intrepid Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform intrepid travel, 56 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Intrepid Travel requires a minimum deposit of 400 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of intrepid travel charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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