Into the Heart of Borneo: A Riverboat Adventure to Meet Orangutans and Other Jungle Wonders
- Dan Romano
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
By Dan Romano
Borneo: A Unique Island of Biodiversity
If you ever want to meet the king of swingers, the jungle VIP, and some of its cousins, consider a trip to Borneo, the third-largest island in the world located in Southeast Asia. This island is very unique as it is shared by three countries: Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. The island is known for its rich biodiversity, tropical rainforests, and unique wildlife, including orangutans.
A Journey Into the Heart of the Jungle
When we landed in the city of Pangkalan Bun Indonesia, our guide was waiting, and we were off to the jungle in about an hour. Our trip would take us through Tanjung Puting National Park near Pangkalan Bun, one of only two places where orangutans still live in the wild. A two-night trip might be all you need to see a lot, and it is a fantastic place to get away from work for a while and relax in nature.
A comfortable way to see what the jungle of Borneo has to offer is by klotok, a small riverboat designed to take people on the narrow rivers that meander through the jungle. Klotoks are small and rustic with basic amenities, and ours had accommodations for two. We floated down the silty brown Sekonyer River with lush green banks full of sago palm trees and lots of other vegetation. During our lazy ride we sat in oversized beanbags on the bow and watched orangutans, other monkeys, and birds in the trees along the banks. Each night we stopped at a rickety dock along the river to spend the night.
Camp Leakey: The Orangutan Sanctuary
The Tanjung Puting National Park is best known for Camp Leakey, which was founded in 1971 by Dr. Biruté Galdikas for the conservation, protection, understanding of orangutans, and their rainforest habitat in Borneo. The camp cares for and rehabilitates former captive or displaced orangutans for release into the wild. Deforestation is a significant environmental issue on Borneo that is primarily driven by the expansion of palm oil plantations. Borneo is the world’s largest producer of palm oil, resulting in the most deforestation. Logging and mining for minerals, whether legal or illegal, also contribute to deforestation. Today more and more orangutans and other animals continue to be displaced on the island.
There are many orangutans throughout the park that are either no longer or never were part of Camp Leakey's rehabilitation program. Every day, at three locations, rangers empty a few burlap bags of mangoes, and the orangutans gather for a free lunch! Some are already in the surrounding trees and swing down when they see the ranger. After the ranger calls out with a few shouts that echo through the jungle, distant trees begin to sway, and the sound of breaking branches can be heard as more orangutans make their way over!
Now, if you are wondering if these orangutans are wild or captive, they are wild. However, over time, they have grown accustomed to the park rangers providing free lunch. It seems some of the orangutans that once were cared for at the camp remained near the camp after release. These orangutans made families and now bring them along to feed, and the cycle continues. We saw more along the riverbanks that do not visit the stations, and considering there are over 80,000 orangutans on the island of Borneo, few seem to be close to the camp or come for the free lunch.
The Pecking Order of Orangutans
Within a group of orangutans, there is a definite pecking order when the lunch bell rings, and the first orangutans to arrive are always on edge. The juveniles and mothers with babies cautiously eat as fast as they can, knowing the flanged male will arrive soon. Once they sense he is near, some dispersed into the trees and others kept at least an arm’s length away, most of the time. There were instances when an orangutan got too close to the flanged male and paid the price. The flanged male grabbed it, pinning it down, but eventually just let go. He could have injured the smaller orangutan or worse, and primarily seemed like a show of force, a message of intimidation to all of them.
The flanged male can steal the show because when he struts in, every other animal takes notice. However, another highlight was all the protective mothers with a baby clinging onto them tightly. Every infant looked petrified to see the flanged male and was completely dependent on their mother.
It truly was a sight too as the mothers cautiously delivered food to their offspring, protecting themselves and their baby while foraging mangoes for both to eat.
Other Wildlife Encounters Along the River
A leisurely ride on the klotok, up the Sekonyer River offers much more than just encounters with orangutans. There are two other species of primates endemic to Borneo, which are the proboscis monkeys and the red leaf monkeys.
The proboscis monkey gets its name from its long protruding nose that only a mother could love. They are abundant in the trees along the riverbanks and are quite acrobatic. If lucky, you might see them jumping from tree to tree, sometimes across the river.
The red leaf monkey gets its name from its fur color and that their diet consists mainly of leaves. They seemed timid and were more comfortable at a distance, deeper in the forest, away from any of the other monkeys.
Another type of monkey that lives all over the world and frequents the riverbank is the long-tailed macaque. They were the only other monkeys to feed at Camp Leakey with the orangutans. They nervously scampered around picking up whatever scraps they could find while staying clear of the flanged male orangutans.
Exploring The Jungle After Dark
Is a night hike in the jungle your idea of fun? As night descended, we set out to see what was sleeping and waking. The impenetrable darkness was only lit up by our head lamps to find many birds sleeping in the trees, snakes, tarantulas, interesting insects, and more that we could not see.
The Best Time to Visit: Wet or Dry Season?
I would like to leave you with my take on the age-old question of the best time to go. There is no right or wrong answer, but more about what you prefer and if you want to take the risk. Most online sites will say May to September is the best time because it is the dry season. Keep in mind this area has two seasons, wet and dry. While the dry season has less chance of rain, let us put the wet season in perspective.
It does not rain 24/7, and we did not experience any rain that prevented us from doing anything during this three-day November trip. It sprinkled a couple of times, which was insignificant, and it rained one evening after our day was over, and relaxing on the boat was all we wanted to do. The overcast also made the temperature more tolerable.
The wet season often brings up the issue of mosquitoes. During the day and dry nights there was none to speak of. The evening after it rained, the bugs came out; however, the boat staff had effective tactics to keep them at bay and we used a combination of permethrin on our clothing and bug spray. I came away completely unscathed from bug bites while my wife had a few. When considering other bugs you might encounter, remember this is the jungle!
While the dry season has less risk of rain, there are more tourists than any other time. Our guide indicated that the dry season is very crowded with upwards of twenty-five boats along the river and hundreds of people. The phrase that has been coined about the dry season is the ‘orangutan market’ due to so many people.
During our trip, there were about four to six klotoks with two to four tourists each and the rain was not an issue. This is not meant to substitute a weather forecast, but is about what you prefer, mild weather with crowds or the chance of rain with no crowds. Hopefully, this perspective gives you something to consider and if you have a flexible vacation schedule, the ‘rainy season’ can expand your travel options and give you a chance to appreciate the quiet serenity of the wild side of Indonesia.
How You Can Help Protect Orangutans and Their Habitat
Everyday people can play an important role in preventing deforestation and protecting orangutan habitats by making conscious choices as consumers. Palm oil is extremely versatile and is an ingredient in many products we use every day, including processed foods, cosmetics, personal hygiene, household cleaners, animal feed, and many industrial applications. Supporting sustainable palm oil production is one of the most effective ways to help, as palm oil plantations are a major driver of deforestation in Borneo. Look for products certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which ensures that the palm oil used is harvested responsibly. Additionally, reducing the use of single-use plastics, supporting wildlife conservation organizations, and spreading awareness about the impact of deforestation can also make a difference. By making informed decisions and advocating for environmental protection, we can all contribute to the preservation of these incredible creatures and their natural habitat for generations to come.
Tour and Guide Resources
To know more about orangutans and their habitat, visit: https://orangutan.org/rainforest/tanjung-puting-national-park/
Need a guide? Check out Jungle Papa with Orangutan Trekking Tours. In my opinion, there cannot be a more seasoned guide than Bain, the owner, operator, and guide of all our trips. He is a very accomplished photographer and has been active in the community working as a park ranger for about ten years before moving on to guiding tourists. For more information about their offerings, visit: https://www.orangutantrekkingtours.com
To learn more about Camp Leakey and their preservation efforts, visit: https://authentic-indonesia.com/activities/camp-leakey/
Travel Resources
Aircraft and Personnel Automated Clearance System
Theater Travel Requirements, Travel Tracker/Individual Antiterrorism Plan (TT/IATP) https://www.pacom.mil/Resources/Travel-Requirements/
US Department of State: Bureau of Consular Affairs
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