Overview

Day 1: Pangkalan Bun – Kumai Port – Tanjung Harapan
Upon arrival at Pangkalan Bun Airport on the island of Borneo, also known as Kalimantan in Indonesia, your guide will be there to greet you. From the airport, you'll take a 15-20 minute drive to the port of Kumai, where your exciting adventure begins! At the port, you'll board our traditional wooden boat, known as a Klotok. Your guide will confirm with the crew that everything is ready before setting off on the famous Sekonyer River cruise.

If your flight arrives before 11:30 AM, you'll have the opportunity to visit the Tanjung Harapan rehabilitation center, where, at 3 PM, the national park rangers feed the orangutans. This is a fantastic chance to see them up close. Tanjung Harapan, which translates to "Cape of Hope," is surrounded by wetlands, and due to its proximity to the water, mosquitoes can be prevalent in the afternoon—so be sure to apply mosquito repellent.

During your visit, you can also participate in a reforestation project by volunteering to plant a tree, contributing to conservation efforts. Afterward, you'll continue your journey upstream, relaxing on the boat while keeping an eye out for wildlife along the Sekonyer River. It's common to spot groups of proboscis monkeys and other monkeys leaping through the trees, as well as crocodiles and lizards in the river’s shallows. As the evening approaches, prepare to watch a beautiful sunset from the boat, which will be anchored for the night.

In the evening, you may choose to take a walk into the jungle to search for nocturnal creatures, such as snakes, tarantulas, or, if you're lucky, bioluminescent mushrooms or tarsiers.

Day 2: Pondok Tangguy – Camp Leakey
After a delicious breakfast, you’ll head to the Pondok Tanggui Camp in time for the 9 AM feeding session. As you watch the treetops, you'll begin to see movement and soon spot the silhouettes of orangutans making their way to the feeding platform. Pondok Tanggui was once a release camp for young, rehabilitated orangutans, and food is provided daily to prevent them from leaving the area in search of food, which could put them at risk outside the National Park, where they might fall into traps or encounter palm oil plantations. Once the orangutans finish feeding and begin to disperse, you’ll return to the Klotok and continue your journey upstream. Along the way, you’ll notice the river’s changing color and have the chance to spot crocodiles, large lizards, gibbons, and proboscis monkeys.

Next, you’ll arrive at Camp Leakey, an iconic orangutan research and rehabilitation center established in 1971 by UCLA student Biruté Galdikas. The camp is named after her mentor, paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey. Since its founding, over 200 orangutans have been rehabilitated and successfully reintroduced to the wild. However, since 1995, the Indonesian government has prohibited the introduction of additional orangutans, allowing those at Camp Leakey to gradually adapt to life in the wild. Today, the camp continues to be used for research into orangutan behavior and feeding patterns.

With your guide, you'll explore the surrounding jungle in search of wild orangutans and other wildlife. At 2 PM, you’ll have the opportunity to observe the orangutans’ feeding session. You can also visit the small museum created by Dr. Biruté Galdikas, though please note that it is currently closed for maintenance. After observing the orangutans, and if weather conditions permit, you’ll enjoy a short trek through the jungle on your way back to the boat, looking for wild orangutans and other creatures. Along the way, you’ll learn from our local guides, some of whom were born in the jungle, about how to spot animals and plants, as well as hear their stories of life in the jungle. The Borneo jungle has sustained generations of settlers, providing food, water, and medicine. Just a reminder: never put anything in your mouth without consulting your guide first.

In the afternoon, weather permitting, the boat will dock near a gathering of fireflies. Here, you can enjoy the magical display of their glowing luminescence.

Note: The Birute Galdikas Museum at Camp Leaky is currently closed for maintenance purposes. Regrettably, visits to this site will not be possible until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and will keep you updated on the reopening of the museum.

Day 3: Kumai Port – Pangkalan Bun
In the early morning, you'll savor the final moments of the jungle’s sounds before heading to the port for your transfer to the airport.