Camp Leakey Orangutan Tour, Indonesian Borneo
Get up close and personal with amazing characters in settings rarely explored by tourists. You'll see orangutans, but multitudes of other unique Borneon wildlife too. Just a hop, skip and jump from Australia, Camp Leakey is the original orangutan conservation area in Indonesian Borneo.
Float up the river into the Tanjung Puting National Park on a traditional Indonesian river boat (klotok), eat beautiful local cuisine cooked from scratch and laugh and learn from experienced local guides. This is the perfect way to enjoy the best of what this beautiful area has to offer. A very special tour for the whole family.
Trip Overview
Tour Information
Start Point: Jakarta
Duration: 4-6 days or we can tailor to suit you.
Age: All ages with easy terrain. Very family-friendly.
Group size: A private tour for you and your family
Accommodation: River boat (klotok) or Rimba Lodge
Transport: River boat (klotok)
Available: Year-round
Deluxe and premium options available
Trip Details
Sample Itinerary
Day 0: Arrive in Jakarta
As soon as you set down in Jakarta, we will have hotel staff meet you and transfer you to your hotel where you can rest and relax for the evening.
Day 1: Jakarta to Tanjung Puting National Park
After a short flight from Jakarta, you’ll be met at Pangkalan Bun airport and driven the 20 minutes to the village Kumai where you will meet your crew and alight your Klotok. Your tour guide, along with boatman and chef will take you slowly up the river into the National Park while you have lunch. Along the way, you’ll see Probiscus monkeys, wild orangutan (fingers crossed!), silver leaf monkeys, long tail macaque, crocodiles and many exotic birds. If time permits you’ll visit the first feeding station in the afternoon for, hopefully your first orangutan sighting! Your chef will serve you dinner on the boat. If you choose to sleep on the boat, the crew will set up your beds and you’ll retire for the evening, otherwise you will be dropped off at Rimba Eco Lodge for the night. (D)
Day 2: Pondok Tanggui and Camp Leakey
After breakfast you’ll start the short river trip to Pondok Tanggui, an orangutan feeding station. You’ll make the short walk (approx 20 mintues) to the feeding station for orangutan feeding time. If you prefer, your guide can take you for a longer walk through the jungle before feeding time. After feeding time, you’ll walk back to the boat and have lunch as you make the trip up the river to Camp Leakey. Camp Leakey has been rescuing and reintroducing orangutan to the wild since 1971. You may meet very friendly characters at Camp Leakey and you’ll spend time at the afternoon feeding. If you prefer, you can opt to go on another walk through the jungle searching for wildlife such as wild orangutan and other monkeys, birds and reptiles. Lunch will be served in the forest then you’ll walk back to the station to witness feeding time. You’ll have dinner on the boat again tonight and you can choose to take a night walk to look for nocturnal animals, sleeping birds and glowing mushrooms before retiring for the evening. (B, L, D)
Day 3: Pondok Tanggui and Tanjung Harapan
Leave early and head back down river to Pondok Tanggui for morning feeding. You’ll have the option of visiting the the local Sekonyer village before visiting Tanjung Harapan station for afternoon feeding. Tonight again on the boat or at Rimba Lodge, with the option of another night walk if you would like to. (B, L, D)
Day 4: Camp Leakey and/or Pesalat Reforestation Area
Today, depending on the season and your experience so far, you will be able to decide where you would like to go with your guide. There is the option of visiting the Pesalat reforestation area, the morning feeding at Pondok Tanggui or heading back down the river if you wish to visit Camp Leakey again this afternoon. After stopping for a swim in the river, your guide will find a quiet place to moor the boat before dinner amongst the fireflies. (B, L, D)
Day 5: Tanjung Puting National Park to Pangkalanbun to Jakarta
This morning you’ll make your way down the river back to Kumai. Once you leave your crew, your guide will take you to the local market or traditional long house so you can get a feel for local life. Finally they will take you to the Airport for your flight back to Jakarta. If you want to continue on with your travels, we can organise another night in Jakarta or one of the trip extensions below. (B)
About the area
Tanjung Puting National Park
Located in the peninsula on the south coast of the world's third largest tropical rain forest of Borneo, in the Indonesian province of Central Kalimantan, the park started as a game reserve for the protection of orangutans in 1936. It is the only protected area in South East Asia with a vast range of wetlands, lowland, mature tropical heath and swamp forests which support an amazing variety of wildlife. You will not only see orangutans, but also proboscis monkeys (a large monkey found only in Borneo), long tail macaque, birds such as horn bills, kingfishers, myna, oriental darter, various species of gibbon, red leaf monkey, Malayan sun bear, wild lige and estuarine crocodile
Camp Leakey
Camp Leakey was established in 1971 to support research activities in Tanjung Puting Wildlife Reserve. The camp and surrounding area now functions as an orangutan rehabilitation centre. For more information, visit the Orangutan Foundation International website.
Our local guides are the best in the business. They have lived and worked in and around Tanjung Puting National Park and are knowledgable in all aspects of the area: wildlife, culture, traditional medicine and the politics of conservation. Most of all, they are passionate about showing you their home and will do their utmost to make it the best holiday of you've ever been on.
Accommodation
Klotok
A klotok is a traditional Indonesian boat. Depending on the size of the boat, you can share with two to eight people. You will be served breakfast and dinner on the boat and sleep on the deck, protected by mosquito nets. Your guide and the boat crew will sleep below.
Rimba Eco Lodge
Rimba Eco Lodge is perched on the edge of the Sekonyer River, surrounded by forest, accessed only by boat. Five pavilions contain 3 rooms and have their own covered verandah and boardwalk to the river’s edge, restaurant, reception and lounge and office. The Lodge is just a few minutes by boat from the orangutan feeding station at Tanjung Harapan and is mid-way upstream to Camp Leakey. A resident troop of macaques are often seen around the lodge and proboscis monkeys visible across the river.
Tour Costs
We quote every tour individually based on your needs and wants. The price varies depending on the level of tour (premium or deluxe), type of accommodation and number of people in the group. The price will be confirmed once itinerary is finalised. The cost of our tours include and exclude the following:
The tour cost will include
- Accommodation in Jakarta on Day 0
- Domestic airfares Jakarta-Pangkalanbun return
- Local English-speaking guide, captain and crew
- Accommodation on board klotok or at Romba Eco Lodge
- Meals as listed in itinerary (BF, L, D)
- National park, ranger and boat mooring fees
- Airport transfers
- Donation to orangutan conservation at Camp Leakey
The deluxe tour also includes
- Travel with our guide who has experience second to none. He has expert knowledge of the rainforest flora and fauna and the local people. He grew up in the area and has worked he whole like in Tanjung Puting National Park, spending 10 years working at Camp Leakey and tracking wild orangutan in the rainforest. He is a passionate advocate for the orangutan, working with a number of foundations for their conservation. He is also an internationally published wildlife photographer (so you know your photos of the trip will be fabulous!)
- 5-star local chef to cook for you
- Fabulous boat and crew to look after you
- Luxury hotels in Jakarta before and after the Camp Leakey tour (if required)
The tour cost will exclude
- Airport departure taxes if required
- Visa on arrival (USD$35)
- International airfares
- Travel insurance
- Additional meals and purchases if required
Trip Extensions
Not ready to leave just yet?
Optional add on to stay at Pulau Macan Tiger Island Resort for some rest and relaxation, Derawan Dive Lodge for diving or transfer over to Malaysian Borneo for some more adventure. Get in touch with us to chat about how we can plan your perfect tour.
Fitness and safety
Easy for everyone
This tour is completely customisable depending on your fitness levels and capabilities. The terrain is mostly flat and easy. If you can walk along flat ground for 20 minutes you will be able to do this trip. If you would like to do more, we can organise additional walks through the jungle for you, making it a much more active tour.
Packing
We even tell you what to pack!
Borneo’s climate is tropical, with temperatures ranging between a humid 22 to 34 degrees during the day. Depending on the time of year, it will likely rain during the day, particularly between November and February in monsoon season so you need to be prepared and always carry something dry to change into. We will provide you with an example of a suitable packing list based on suggestions from our guides and previous travellers.
