June 2027 - 9 days
Register your interest for 2027 and we will contact you when confirmed details including finalised dates and prices are available.
Join an immersive journey through the rainforests of Indonesian Borneo, combining wildlife encounters, river expeditions and cultural experiences with a fascinating exploration of orangutan conservation and rainforest ecology. Cruise jungle waterways by traditional klotok boat, visit renowned orangutan rehabilitation centres and gain insight into efforts to protect these endangered great apes and their fragile rainforest habitat.
Travelling from Jakarta into the heart of Central Kalimantan, the tour visits traditional Dayak communities, remote jungle lodges and the waterways of Tanjung Puting National Park. Along the way, guests travel by traditional klotok boat through peat-swamp forests, visit renowned orangutan rehabilitation centres including Camp Leakey, and explore some of the most important habitats remaining for endangered orangutans.
Throughout the tour, you will be accompanied by both an experienced local tour leader and a dedicated conservation expert. Your tour leader will provide insight into the culture, history and landscapes of Indonesia and Borneo, while the conservation expert will deliver a series of engaging talks and informal discussions exploring orangutan behaviour, rainforest ecology, habitat restoration and the challenges facing conservation in Borneo today. Together, they will add both scientific depth and local perspective to your wildlife encounters and experiences in the field.
This tour is ideal for wildlife enthusiasts, and anyone interested in conservation, ecology and primate behaviour. Combining meaningful encounters with orangutans and local communities alongside expert interpretation, it offers an inspiring introduction to one of the world’s most remarkable rainforest environments.
In partnership with Intrepid Travel.
Day 1: Arrive in Jakarta
Arrive in Indonesia’s sprawling capital, Jakarta, where your journey into the rainforests of Borneo begins. A welcome meeting this evening provides an introduction to the expedition and an opportunity to meet your fellow travellers and accompanying conservation expert.
If arriving early, there is time to explore some of Jakarta’s museums, including the National Museum, whose collections reveal the extraordinary cultural and ecological diversity of the Indonesian archipelago. Your expert will introduce some of the themes that will shape the journey ahead, including biodiversity loss, tropical forest conservation and the ecological importance of Borneo’s peat-swamp forests.
Day 2: Palangka Raya and Tumbang Malahoi Longhouse
Fly this morning to Palangka Raya in Central Kalimantan, the Indonesian region of Borneo. On arrival, visit the Balanga Museum, where ethnographic collections and archaeological artefacts provide insight into the indigenous Dayak cultures of Borneo and their long relationship with the rainforest environment.
Continue by road to the village of Tumbang Malahoi, where you stay in a traditional longhouse. These communal wooden structures have housed generations of Dayak families and are uniquely adapted to life in the tropical forest environment.
Following a traditional Tumpang Tawar blessing ceremony, your conservation expert discusses the links between indigenous knowledge and modern conservation science, exploring how local communities contribute to protecting biodiversity in Borneo’s rapidly changing landscapes.
Day 3: Forest ecology and village life
After breakfast, explore the village and surrounding forest with local guides. Learn how communities here continue to depend on the rainforest for fishing, forestry and small-scale agriculture, while balancing increasing environmental pressures.
A guided walk into the jungle introduces some of Borneo’s extraordinary biodiversity, from tropical hardwood trees and medicinal plants to the insects, birds and primates that inhabit this ecosystem. Your expert explains the ecological importance of rainforest structure, nutrient cycling and peatland carbon storage — critical topics in understanding the global climate significance of Borneo’s forests.
Return later to Palangka Raya for an evening at leisure.
Day 4: Orangutan rehabilitation at Kaja Island
Travel by canoe along the Sei Gohong River to Kaja Island, home to a pre-release programme run by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF). Here, rehabilitated orangutans undergo the final stages of preparation before returning to the wild. This visit offers a fascinating insight into the science of orangutan rehabilitation. Learn how rescued animals are assessed, monitored and trained to redevelop the behaviours necessary for survival in the rainforest.
The wetlands surrounding Kaja Island also support rich birdlife and a variety of riverine species, making this an excellent introduction to Borneo’s peat-swamp ecosystems.
Continue later to the port town of Sampit.
Day 5: Into Tanjung Puting National Park
Journey to Kumai, gateway to Tanjung Puting National Park, before boarding a traditional klotok riverboat. Over the coming days, these slow-moving vessels provide an ideal platform for observing wildlife along the forested riverbanks.
Cruising upriver through dense rainforest, keep watch for proboscis monkeys, found only on Borneo, as well as kingfishers, hornbills and monitor lizards. Your conservation expert introduces the ecology of the national park and explains how river systems shape the distribution of wildlife throughout the region.
Arrive at your jungle ecolodge in time for lunch before visiting Tanjung Harapan feeding station, where semi-wild orangutans emerge from the forest canopy. Discussions this evening focus on the history of orangutan conservation in Borneo and the role of protected areas in safeguarding endangered species.
Day 6: Camp Leakey and orangutan research
Travel deeper into the national park by klotok to Camp Leakey, one of the world’s most important centres for orangutan research. Established in 1971, the camp became internationally known through pioneering long-term studies of wild orangutan behaviour and ecology.
Visit the research and education centre to learn about decades of scientific work examining orangutan intelligence, tool use, diet and social structures. Along the way, your guides help identify some of the park’s other wildlife, including gibbons, macaques and wild pigs.
At the feeding station, observe orangutans at close range while your expert explains the behavioural differences between rehabilitated and fully wild individuals, as well as the ethical complexities surrounding wildlife tourism and conservation.
Return to the lodge by river, scanning the forest edge for further wildlife encounters.
Day 7: Pondok Tanggui and rainforest biodiversity
This morning, continue upriver to Pondok Tanggui feeding station. The forest trails here offer opportunities to spot butterflies, giant squirrels, and a rich diversity of tropical plant life.
Your conservation expert discusses the extraordinary biodiversity of Borneo’s rainforests and the interconnected relationships between species, from seed dispersal by primates to the role of insects in maintaining forest health. There will also be opportunities to learn about ongoing threats to the region, including deforestation, habitat fragmentation and illegal wildlife trade.
Later, visit the riverside village near Tanjung Harapan, where discussions focus on the challenges of balancing conservation with economic development for communities living alongside protected rainforest.
Return to the ecolodge for a final evening in the national park.
Day 8: Return to Jakarta
This morning, leave Tanjung Puting National Park and travel back to Kumai before flying to Jakarta.
There is time this evening for a farewell dinner with your fellow travellers, reflecting on your experiences in Borneo and the remarkable conservation efforts helping protect one of the world’s most charismatic great apes.
Day 9: Depart Jakarta
Your tour concludes this morning in Jakarta.
