Overview

Day 1: Pangkalan Bun – Kumai Port – Tanjung Harapan
Arrive at Pangkalan Bun Airport on the island of Borneo, also known as Kalimantan in Indonesia. Upon arrival, your guide will be waiting to greet you. You’ll then be transferred by car to the port of Kumai, about a 15-20 minute drive, where your adventure begins! Board our traditional wooden boat, known as a Klotok, and your guide will confirm with the crew that everything is ready before setting off on a cruise up the famous Sekonyer River. If your flight arrives early (before 11:30 AM), you'll have time to visit the Tanjung Harapan Rehabilitation Center, where the rangers feed the orangutans at 3:00 PM. This gives you the opportunity to have your first close encounter with these incredible creatures. Tanjung Harapan, meaning “Cape of Hope,” is a camp surrounded by wetlands, so be sure to apply plenty of mosquito repellent, especially in the afternoon. You’ll also have the chance to take part in a reforestation project, where you can plant a tree and take pride in contributing to conservation efforts. After visiting the ranger station, you’ll continue your journey upstream, relaxing on the boat and keeping an eye out for wildlife along the riverbanks. It’s common to spot groups of proboscis monkeys and macaques in the treetops, jumping from branch to branch, or even crocodiles and lizards sunning themselves in the shallow waters. As the sun sets, the boat will anchor on the riverbank for the night. In the evening, you can take a short walk into the jungle to search for nocturnal creatures like snakes, tarantulas, and, if you're lucky, luminescent mushrooms or tarsiers.

Day 2: Pondok Tangguy – Camp Leakey
After a delicious breakfast, you’ll head to Pondok Tanggui Camp in time for the 9 AM orangutan feeding. As you watch, the treetop branches will begin to move, and soon you’ll spot the orangutans arriving at the feeding platform. Pondok Tanggui served as a release camp for young orangutans who were rehabilitated, and food is provided daily to prevent them from venturing outside the national park, where they risk falling into traps set by settlers or getting caught in palm oil plantations. Once the orangutans finish feeding and leave the platform, you’ll return to the Klotok and continue cruising further up the river. As you sail, you’ll notice the river’s color changing and may spot crocodiles, large lizards, gibbons, and proboscis monkeys along the way.

Next, you’ll arrive at Camp Leakey, the famous orangutan research and rehabilitation center, established in 1971 by UCLA student Biruté Galdikas. The camp is named after Biruté’s mentor, paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey. Over 200 orangutans have been rehabilitated and successfully reintroduced into the wild through this center. Since 1995, the Indonesian government has halted the introduction of new orangutans, allowing the current residents to gradually adapt to freedom. Today, the camp continues to serve as a center for studying orangutan behavior and feeding patterns. With your guide, you’ll explore the jungle in search of wild orangutans and other wildlife. At 2:00 PM, you’ll witness the orangutan feeding session. You’ll also have the opportunity to visit the small museum created by Dr. Biruté Galdikas to learn more about her pioneering work.

After observing the orangutans, and if the weather allows, you’ll take a short jungle trek on your way back to the boat to look for more wild orangutans and animals. Along the way, our local guides—many of whom were born in the jungle—will share their knowledge of the wildlife, plants, and their experiences living in the rainforest. The Borneo jungle has been a life-sustaining home for its settlers for generations, providing food, water, medicine, and more. Just remember, never put anything in your mouth without your guide’s advice. In the afternoon, if it’s clear, the boat will anchor near a firefly congregation, where you can enjoy a mesmerizing light display as they glow in the night.

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 – Dayak Village
After breakfast, you’ll set sail for Kumai, where you’ll disembark and transfer to a car for your journey to a Dayak village. Along the way, you’ll pass through indigenous villages, see river workers, and observe locals earning their livelihoods by the river. Be prepared to navigate through some rapids with caution. You’ll make a stop for lunch before continuing on to the Dayak village. Upon arrival, your guide will take you to a traditional Long House, which is typical of the Dayak tribes in Borneo. These long houses are large communal dwellings where entire villages live together.

As you arrive, you’ll be welcomed by the warmth and hospitality of the villagers. They take great pride in hosting visitors from far away, and it’s common for them to celebrate your arrival with traditional dances and a local drink. After exploring the village, you’ll join the entire community for a communal dinner. Following the meal, the sound of a bell will signal the start of the festivities, and the village will gather to enjoy dances and celebrate the Hornbill Festival, known locally as Pesta Menarik Horn Bill. You will rest at Basic Guest House in the Village.

Note: The guest house will be based on the basic house of local people, where you can experience their lives and get closer to their culture, with very standard facilities, a shared bathroom, and a shared house with other guests.

Day 4: Dayak Village – Pangkalan Bun
In the morning, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the village and interact with the locals, learning about their daily life and even lending a hand with their tasks. This is also a great time to observe their craftsmanship, such as creating masks, carpets, and statues, which they often sell in the city. After packing up, you’ll begin your journey back to Pangkalan Bun. Along the way, you can stop to visit the Kotawaringin Palace and take some photos. Lunch will be served on the route, and you’ll arrive in Pangkalan Bun in the afternoon. You’ll then transfer to your hotel, where the rest of the afternoon is free for you to relax and unwind. You will rest at Arsela Hotel.

Day 5: Hotel – Pangkalan Bun Airport
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport. This will mark the end of our services.