Hidden Paths of Borneo

Bite-sized trip

Itinerary:
Samboja Lestari
Duration:
4 days / 3 nights
Price:
from £ 1,399.- per person (excluding flights)

Embark on an adventure in search of wild orangutans released into the rainforest back in the 90's. Using your quirky eco-lodge as a base, you will spend the next few days exploring the protected area of Samboja Lestari and learning about local flora, fauna and Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation. You will hike through the jungle, climb up the canopy bridges and drift down the rivers in a small boat looking for various jungle dwellers, including sun bears, proboscis monkeys, macaques and more.

Day 1 – Arrival in Eastern Kalimantan

You will land in Balikpapan, a busy port and a financial centre of the Eastern Kalimantan Province on the coast of Borneo. Your driver will meet you at the airport and you will start your journey to Samboja Lestari, the rainforest project set up by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation. In about an hour you will reach your eco-lodge, surrounded by the lush green jungle. Made from natural and recycled materials, this quirky accommodation is the best base for orangutan spotting and you are likely to see them around the lodge before the dinner is served.

Day 2 – Hiking and wildlife spotting

Today is packed full of adventures. After breakfast you’ll hike around the lodge to spot orangutans and sun bears inhabiting the area. Your English-speaking guide will tell you all about the protected jungle of Samboja Lestari and the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation that set up the project in this deforested area. Hundreds of species of trees native to Borneo have been replanted here, providing home for the highly endangered orangutans.

After lunch, you will head into the jungle for some light trekking and canopy walking. The forest is teeming with wildlife so look out for macaques, hornbills and gibbons as you climb up the connecting suspension bridges. At the end of the climb you will be rewarded with sweeping views of the rainforest from 40 metres above the ground! In the late afternoon local fishermen will take you on a boat trip down the Black River, where endangered Proboscis monkeys can be seen. You will return to your lodge in time for dinner.

Day 3 – Jungle trekking and return to Balikpapan

The next morning you will continue your jungle adventures. Enjoy your final breakfast at the lodge and hop in a car for a short ride to the protected area of the rainforest, where the first orangutans were released by the BOS foundation back in the 90’s. For the the next few hours you’ll be trekking with your guide, exploring the dense rainforest and its rich flora and fauna. In the afternoon, you will be transferred back to Balikpapan where you will spend the night at a modern hotel.

Day 4 – Departure from Balikpapan

Sadly, your adventure in the untamed Kalimantan comes to an end today. After breakfast, your driver will pick you up from the hotel and transfer you to Balikpapan airport where you will catch your flight to the next exciting destination.