From your arrival in Kalimantan, our guide will escort you to the riverboat for a relaxing cruise through the tropical rainforest. The tourists refer to our boat as "The African Queen" from the Humphrey Bogart movie.
Our destination is a heartwarming visit to the orangutan rehabilitation center to experience a release back into their natural habitat. Many of the orangutan will return to the center at Camp Leakey station for a visit with the rangers and to interact with the new coming orangutans. Occasionally we encounter wild orangutans while trekking around the camp research center area.
In the afternoon, the boat meanders down the quite river where you can take pictures of the monkeys, birds and other wildlife playing in the trees along the riverbank.
We suggest you stay on the boat for the whole period. This provides a better opportunity of sighting the crocodile, birds, monkeys and other wildlife at dusk or at their night time resting place in the trees at the riverside. This spacious boat provides accommodates for 5 - 6 people, either on the roof or inside, and separated from the guides and the boat crew. Clean mattresses, pillows, mosquito net and a simple toilet are available on board.
In the morning you will wake to the morning dew and a concert of tropical rain forest creatures. Healthy breakfast and dinner is prepared by our expert cooks.
Optional accommodations are available at the Rimba Lodge, which resides near the river opposite the national park. The lodge provides hot water and air conditioned rooms for those who find the heat and humidity of the rainforest difficult for sleeping. An additional fee is required.
Duration : 5 days / 4 nights
Start / end : Pangkalan Bun / Pangkalan Bun
The boat is a traditional wooden Klotok about 6 x 2 meters with a roof which forms the upper deck where you can view the rain forest as it glides by. The riverboat team includes the boatman, a cook and expert guide. Lunch is served on the way to Tanjung Harapan, a rehabilitation center for orphaned orangutans, 2 hours away from Kumai. Here the playful and friendly baby orangutans are taught the first stages of fending for themselves in the jungle. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon as we slowly explore the meandering river by boat observing the monkeys along the riverside. Overnight on the boat.
After breakfast, travel up river for about 2 hours and then up a side creek to Camp Leakey where the older orangutans are reintroduced into the rain forest. En route stop at Pondok Tanguy, the rehabilitation center for orphaned orangutans. At Camp Leakey you will have an opportunity to trek into the rain forest with your guide and the forestry rangers. View the variety of funna and flora, and perhaps sighting wild orangutans, gibbons, macaques, and birds. Lunch provided on the boat. Afternoon we visit the feeding station where the rehabilitated orangutans are given additional foods. Dinner and overnight on the boat.
Following breakfast on the boat, we sail down to Pesalat area. This area is the home for the re-introduced Orangutan. Departing the riverboat, we begin soft trekking along the ranger trail, observing the rich diversity of flora and fauna in Tanjung Puting National Park. The Orangutan usually live deep in the park, Gibbon and the long tailed macaques can be found near the river bank as well as various water creatures. A picnic style lunch is enjoyed under the shade of the forest trees, then back to the boat, overnight.
In the morning we take a 2.5 hour cruise to Camp Leakey, an excellent time for observing the riverbanks of the tropical rainforest for animal sightings. Birds, maccaques, and other animals are usually seen high up on the trees. Arriving at the jetty, we begin our 4 to 5 hours trek to Danau Buaya, the wetland in a remote area of the park. The site we are visiting is the egg laying area for the fresh water crocodilles and a wonderful location for birdwatching and if luck is with us a chance to the wild orangutans. Some of the trails are wet, muddy, and quite difficult. Back to the boat arriving late in the afternoon, overnight.
Cruise back to Kumai, then drive to Pangkalan Bun airport. Fly back to Jakarta.
End or our service.
Price on Request
P.O. Box 3439 • Jl. I Gusti Ngurah Rai, 300 B • Tuban • Denpasar • Bali 80034 • Indonesia