EVERYTHING STARTS WITH AN IDEA
Always curious how the Jungle Book story might have looked like in the reality? Go get your backpack and discover it by yourself!
Our jaw-dropping expedition to Central Kalimantan is a real adventure – in every sense of the word. We’ll take you on a multi-day adventure traveling upriver in a luxury riverboat followed by a ramble through epic rainforest exploration. With a stopover to see the efforts of an orangutan rehabilitation center, a visit to a traditional Dayak village, and a chance to live amongst them for 2 days, a plane trip deep into the pristine jungles of Borneo Island! This is an amazing chance to see and experience all that this amazing island has to offer in comfort.
With this adventure, you’ll experience living on luxury riverboat, on which desk you will explore the mighty jungle of Kalimantan, the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. Stay for a while among strangers, living in their traditional, rustic Long Houses. Explore some traditional settlements, see how people live and work in these isolated communities, then forget the world as you know it. This is only a little part of the adventure which awaits just for you! Off we go!
What will you experience
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Wake up in impenetrable jungle concealing Dayaks – the former head-hunting tribes with long earlobes
- Sit around a campfire with the village elders and delve into their thrilling stories about the old times
- Meet the deep-seated cultural heritage of Dayaks
- Learn about animism, ancestral bone houses, the tradition of tattoo making and funeral customs
- Taking part in everyday life of Dayaks
- See the dedicated work of volunteers and experienced biologists re-adopting abandoned or previously captured orangutans
- Travel by a small missionary water plane to the deepest and most remote parts of the Central Kalimantan National Park
- Enjoy a complete quiet in the midst of the jungle
Who is this trip for
- Adventurous souls & adrenaline junkies
- People who aren’t affraid of getting wet n’dirty
- Those who are OK with a “bush toilet” and “river bathroom”
- Drama-free adventure hunters
- Active and open-minded travelers
- People at any age with average physical fitness & health
- Culture lovers who dream of discovering faraway tribes
- Photographers who want to capture the soul of the tribe
- People who love nature and prefer outdoor activities
- Those who can bear simple traveling conditions
- Those for whom authentic experiences are more important than a comfy couch.
What to prepare
Always be prepared! The scout’s motto is simple, but true. An expedition is something a bit more special than normal travel so make sure you have:
proper jungle trekking boots, quick-drying, long jungle trekking pants, quick-drying, long sleeve trekking shirt, light waterproof jacket, light sleeping bag, light air mattress, training gloves, flipflops or sandals, trekking hat, comfortable, waterproof backpack (60L), personal, waterproof backpack (10L), dry-packs, mosquito repellent, own first aid kit, “Malarone” or other anti-malaria pills, torch and spare batteries, personal knife or multitool, vitamin supplements, power bars.
What do we offer
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Duration:
10 days / 9 nights
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Best time to travel: IV – XI
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Weather: hot & humid with frequent rainfall
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Difficulty (1-10): 6
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Comfort (1-10): 3
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Be ready for: spending days in a small motorized riverboat, few hours a day of jungle trekking, sleeping in basic conditions (tents, local huts), simple food (meals prepared by the expedition chef), getting wet n’ dirty
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Departure location: Jakarta, Jawa
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Price range: on request
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The number of participants in the group: 6-10
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Availability of the tour: on request
FACTS TO KNOW ABOUT BORNEO & KALIMANTAN
Kalimantan is used as a geographic term for the entire island by Indonesians, but in fact, Kalimantan is “just” the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. In other words, Borneo and Kalimantan both mean the same thing, Kalimantan is just used amongst Indonesians, and Borneo is termed used worldwide.
The Island of Borneo is the third-largest island in the world, after Greenland and New Guinea. The non-Indonesian parts of Borneo are Brunei and East Malaysia. Borneo with its massive population of 16 million, of whom 300,000 are in Brunei, 4 million in Sarawak and Sabah, and 12 million in Indonesia. Indonesian Kalimantan is divided into 5 provinces: Central, East, North, South, and West Kalimantan. Altogether they comprise 73% of Borneo’s area!
Indonesian Kalimantan is far less visited than Malaysian Borneo, wilder, and with less tourism infrastructure. Kalimantan is slowly developing a reputation that draws adventurous travelers like moths to a flame.
kalimantan in numbers
Capital city
Palangkaraya
Total area
539.238 km²
Population
16.379.977 mln
Population density
30 /km2
day-by-day itinerary
DAY 1
JAKARTA – PALANGKARAYA IN CENTRAL KALIMANTAN
Selamat Datang; welcome to Indonesia! Upon your arrival at the international airport of Jakarta, you’ll meet with the rest of the Expedition Team. Together you’ll check-in for another flight to Palangkaraya (yes, we know it’s hard to pronounce) in Borneo island. Here the adventure starts.
After arriving at the airport of Palangkaraya, meet your local guide and be driven to the town’s harbor. First up is your accommodation in a private cabin aboard a luxury riverboat where the week’s cruise will take you through the 3rd biggest rainforest in the world!
The first day of the cruise will bring you to the floating houses of the provincial capital and continue upriver along the jungle coastal line, passing villages and orangutan islands. End the day by returning to the boat for dinner and enjoy a quiet one in the midst of the jungle. This is only the beginning.
Accommodation: riverboat
Meal plan: lunch, dinner.
DAY 2
LOCAL VILLAGES
Until midday, relax on the sundeck while the riverboat makes its way up the Rungan River, passing the orangutan release island of Kaja, to the Kanarakan village. Wander through the village with a local host to get a glimpse of how the locals live and work in these isolated communities.
Later on, partake in some more canoeing on the lakes or just enjoy some downtime on the boat’s deck. Dinner will be served on board for tonight and the boat will be anchored near the village so you can always come back and spend more time with the villagers.
Accommodation: riverboat
Meal plan: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
DAY 3
ORANGUTANS
The boat makes its way downriver, again passing the orangutan island until reaching Pallas Island.
The small canoe will transport you to BOS Orangutan Foundation Center in Nyaru Menteng. Here you can see the dedicated work of volunteers and experienced biologists re-adopting abandoned or previously captured orangutans to their original natural environments.
In the afternoon a transfer by canoe will take you to Tumbang Tahai, and later onwards to Tangkiling Hill, where the village’s “patahu” (the spirit house) on the sacred Batu Banama Rock can be seen. Witness the sunset atop the hill with a stunning view of the vast, flat flood plains below, definitely a major postcard picture-taking opportunity. This night’s activity ends with mooring along the river and dinner served on deck.
Accommodation: riverboat
Meal plan: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
DAY 4
DAYAK TRIBE
Today you can relax until noontime when the boat arrives to Bukit Rawi.
After lunch is served, the local guide will take you for a tour through this historic town where you have a chance to learn about animism, Dayak’s ancestral bone houses, the tradition of tattoo making and funeral customs. Today’s tour will end in the evening and return to the boat for dinner.
Accommodation: riverboat
Meal plan: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
DAY 5
LONG HOUSES OF DAYAK
The journey continues upriver now until reaching Kampung Lauk. Here lunch will be served in a restaurant specializing in seafood and grilled fish.
Later, the drive will bring you to the authentic Dayak village of Tumbang Manggu where you will be accommodated in the original Long House shared with your Dayak hosts. Now please, watch your manners – Dayaks use to be fearsome headhunters and invincible warriors. Take some time to sit around a campfire with the village elders and delve into their thrilling stories about the old times. After dinner with your hosts, you will spend a special night in the Long House deep in the jungle.
Accommodation: traditional Long Houses made by Dayak tribe
Meal plan: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
DAY 6
EVERY DAY LIFE, RITUALS & ANCIENT TRADITIONS
Once breakfast is finished, take an outing by canoe and see the Dayaks during their everyday activities. Join the villagers working on a rubber tree plantation, collecting jungle fruits or hunting with famous blowing pipes and poisonous darts. We’ll arrange a picnic on the riverside to help boost your energy after jungle trekking.
Later today we’ll show you the “dark side” of living among the Dayaks: you will see the “Sandungs” or “Bone Houses” dedicated to the spirits of dead and you will learn about the Dayak’s death rituals. In the evening, accept our invitation for a special dinner where, as guest of honor, traditional dances and songs will entertain you. We strongly suggest that you not drink too much arak and keep the entire village awake all night!
Accommodation: traditional Long Houses made by Dayak tribe
Meal plan: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
DAY 7
HEART OF DARKNESS & BORNEO JUNGLE
Today you will travel to the heart of the Borneo Jungle. You’ll drive to a village downstream from Tumbang Jutuh where a small missionary water plane will bring you to the deepest and most remote parts of the Central Kalimantan National Park. Have your camera ready – there will be plenty of breathtaking pictures to take.
You will see spectacular waterfalls, massive spires of rocks and the endless green vegetation of this million year old rain forest. Finally you’ll land on the river next to the tiny village of Tumbang Naan where you’re going to spend the next two nights. This is simply the end of the world as you know it. Switch off your western oriented mind, enjoy what you see and learn how different life can be.
Accommodation: local cottages
Meal plan: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
DAY 8
SOFT-TREKKING THROUGH THE RAINFOREST OF BORNEO
The kids in the village won’t let you sleep after sunrise, so don’t even try. For them this will also be a rare opportunity as they don’t see strangers too often so they will be watching you closely. After breakfast, you’ll go for a canoe ride downstream to do some light trekking through the pristine rain forest. Keep your eye out for spectacular orchids and wild animals!
The rest of the day will be free to observe village’s everyday life. At night there will be time for some traditional singing and shering with you the old myths.
Accommodation: local cottages
Meal plan: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
DAY 9
TIME TO GO BACK
Time to say goodbye to your village hosts, and travel back to Palangkaraya by the small plane. From here we take you straight to a local 4* hotel accomodation.
For the first time in days you’ll be able to have a regular shower and dinner, followed by a sleep in a proper bed. A small but enjoyable return to the simple things in life and…. oh yes, now you can check your emails again.
Accommodation: good quality local 4* hotel
Meal plan: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
DAY 10
SEE YOU DOWN THE ROAD
After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport to catch your return flight to Jakarta. From there it is up to you to return home or carry on to your next destination. Either way you will be filled with shock and awe as you return to the bustling modern world. Thanks for this jaw-dropping adventure!
NOTE: we’ll be happy to extend your stay in Bali for an extra cost, so think of staying for a bit longer in Indonesia, making sure you enjoy Bali’s laid-back atmosphere, beach and fantastic food! According to your wish, we can extend the tour by more days in Java or/and Bali.
DISCLAIMER: be advised that the itinerary above may be subject to modifications due to weather conditions, delays or changes of scheduled flights. We may adjust the itinerary in the best interest of our Explorers, either before or during the adventure.
Accommodation: –
Meal plan: breakfast or breakfast box.
Happy Customers
“We’re Seth and Ethan Waxman, we just immersed from the jungle of West Papua, Irian Jaya. Trip organized by Far Horizon, one that take “Father and Son” trip for 2 weeks to an extremely interesting and remote place. The company and Adam have been absolutely terrific, we can’t recommend them more highly. It was unlike anything we’ve done before. Far Horizon has planned the trip of lifetime.”
