Borneo
Indonesia · Southeast Asia
The Indonesian side of Borneo, where river forests shelter orangutans and the history of their conservation began.
Why visit
Why visit Borneo
Borneo is shared by Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. This destination is the Indonesian part, Kalimantan, and in particular Central Kalimantan, where rivers are still the main roads into the forest.
Tanjung Puting National Park, 416,040 hectares along the Sekonyer River, is its best-known protected area. It was made a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1977 and a national park in 1982, and it is where orangutan research began at Camp Leakey in 1971.
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What to see
The experience here is the river and the forest. Slow wooden boats called klotoks run up the Sekonyer from the Kumai River, passing proboscis monkeys and macaques on the banks, to the feeding platforms and Camp Leakey. The park also shelters gibbons, sun bears, clouded leopards and many birds, though most are seen rarely if at all.
Before you go
Practical information
Getting around
Pangkalan Bun is the nearest major town and the usual gateway. From the Kumai River, boats travel up the Sekonyer; a speedboat reaches Camp Leakey in about an hour and a half, while a klotok takes much longer.
Practical notes
The currency is the Indonesian rupiah. Keep to park rules and a respectful distance from wildlife. Around 65 per cent of the park’s primary forest has been degraded by illegal logging and agricultural conversion, which is why the choice of guide and boat matters.
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