Borneo

Day Trips

Land at Iskandar Airport in Pangkalan Bun and meet your local guide by mid-morning. Transfer through lush landscapes to your riverside lodge along the Sekonyer River. Take in panoramic views and settle into your traditional stilt accommodation.

After lunch, embark on a boat trip into Tanjung Puting National Park and glide past mangrove forests alive with bird calls. Your guide will spotlight proboscis monkeys along the riverbanks and colorful kingfishers flitting among branches. Disembark at a clearing for an introduction to the park's rich ecology before returning to the lodge.

Return just before sunset for a Sundowner on the deck while listening to cicadas begin their night chorus. Savor a hearty dinner of ikan bakar and local vegetables wrapped in banana leaves. End the night with a guided night trek to spot nocturnal wildlife and bioluminescent fungi.

Board a traditional klotok boat after breakfast and head deeper into the jungle waterways. Glide past towering dipterocarp trees draped in vines and spot flocks of vibrant kingfishers. Pause mid-morning to stretch legs at a riverside clearing and breathe in the jungle air.

Arrive at Camp Leakey for an up-close viewing of rehabilitated orangutans at the feeding platform. Observe mothers swinging through the canopy and juveniles playfully tussling in the treetops. Learn about the rehabilitation program’s conservation efforts from your passionate guide.

Drift back to camp as the sky transforms into shades of orange and purple. Enjoy a dinner feast served on the boat, featuring freshly caught river fish and aromatic spices. Later, lean over the deck to watch fireflies flicker along the riverbank.

Start before dawn for a boat ride to Pondok Tanggui’s feeding station and witness orangutans greet the day. Listen to calls echo through the canopy as semi-wild apes descend to enjoy their banana breakfast. Photographers will relish the soft golden light filtering through the rainforest.

Hike a short jungle trail guided by local experts to search for gibbons, macaques, and exotic hornbills. Stop at hidden waterfalls to cool off with a refreshing swim under mossy rock formations. Share a riverside picnic while swapping stories about the critters you’ve spotted.

Return to the boat for a leisurely cruise back downstream, watching the forest silhouette against the sunset. Dine on board under a canopy of stars with the distant sound of nocturnal insects. Drift off to the gentle lapping of river water against the hull.

After breakfast, cruise back to the main river dock and transfer to a nearby Dayak village. Wander through bamboo pathways lined with stilted wooden homes. Meet villagers and learn about their traditional agricultural practices.

Join local women in a weaving workshop to create intricate ikat patterns on a backstrap loom. Taste freshly harvested fruits and sip on sagu palm wine during a rustic lunch at the community hall. Learn basic phrases in the local Dayak dialect to deepen your cultural exchange.

Share dinner with your host family featuring smoked fish, rice, and forest-foraged greens. Listen to elders recount creation myths and folk tales around a crackling fire. Sleep in a communal longhouse to fully immerse yourself in village life.

Catch an early flight from Pangkalan Bun to Balikpapan then transfer via a short hop to Berau Airport. Admire the shifting landscapes below as you fly east across Kalimantan’s lush expanse. Land in the coastal town of Tanjung Redeb and prepare for sea travel.

Embark on a speedboat ride to the Derawan Islands, skimming over turquoise waters dotted with starfish. Arrive at your beachfront resort and settle into a bungalow overlooking the coral reef. Spend the afternoon snorkeling just off the sand to spot clownfish and sea cucumbers.

Gather for a beachfront seafood barbecue as the sun sets in a blaze of red and gold. Listen to live acoustic music and dip into the warm sea one more time under lantern light. Retire early to the soothing sound of waves lapping the shore.

Board a glass-bottom boat at sunrise and head out to turtle feeding grounds near Derawan Island. Slip on your mask and fins to swim alongside graceful green turtles grazing on seagrass beds. Spot rays gliding along the sandy bottom in the crystal-clear shallows.

Sail to Kakaban Island for an otherworldly swim in the unique jellyfish lake, free of stinging tentacles. Drifting among thousands of harmless jellyfish, marvel at their delicate forms moving in unison. Enjoy lunch on a wooden platform overlooking emerald forested hills.

Return to your resort and freshen up for dinner at a local warung serving spicy sambal and fresh seafood. Chat with fellow travelers about the day’s underwater encounters. Fall asleep to the distant hoot of nocturnal birds.

Set off early by boat to Maratua Island, famed for diving at Barracuda Point. Drop into the deep blue to mingle with reef sharks and schools of barracuda weaving through bommies. Surface for mid-morning coffee on deck while recounting marine highlights.

Continue to Sangalaki Island for a chance to snorkel with majestic manta rays feeding in the plankton-rich currents. Cruise to nearby coral gardens flourishing with soft corals and anemones. Pause for a beachside picnic under swaying coconut palms.

Return to Derawan as the sun dips below the horizon and toast to a day of marine wonders. Feast on grilled calamari and sip chilled coconut water under a canopy of stars. Drift to sleep to the gentle rhythm of the ocean.

Fly from Derawan or Berau to Samarinda and journey to the Mahakam River port, surrounded by jungle fringes. Board a traditional riverboat and set off upriver past floating Dayak settlements. Spot hornbills and kingfishers perched on overhanging branches.

Watch the riverbanks transform from thick rainforest to scenes of waterborne life where children play in homemade rafts. Stop at a fishing camp to learn local techniques used to catch freshwater fish. Relish a riverside lunch cooked over an open fire.

As dusk falls, see fireflies twinkle like festive lights along the riverside mangroves. Dine on board while your skipper regales you with tales of local legends. Fall asleep to the gentle sway of the boat beneath a starlit sky.

Dock at a Dayak longhouse still inhabited by multiple families in traditional attire. Help prepare palm-based rice cakes and aromatic herbal teas with the community. Explore hand-carved balau wood posts and learn the symbolism behind each motif.

Participate in a blowpipe demonstration and try your hand at carving miniature wood sculptures. Wander the surrounding village gardens growing chili, turmeric, and other spices. Share a communal lunch of jungle-raised chicken and freshly foraged ferns.

Gather around a central hearth for a ceremonial dance led by elders chanting ancestral songs. Taste tuak, a rice wine fermented in bamboo, as part of the festivities. Spend your last night lulled by drum rhythms echoing through the longhouse corridors.

Rise early for a final birdwatching session by canoe in the misty river channels. Sip hot tea as the sun peeks over the treetops and kingfishers dart across glassy water. Return to port for breakfast at a riverfront café.

Journey back to Samarinda city for last-minute souvenir shopping at Pasar Segiri’s bustling market. Sample kue lapis and other traditional snacks while haggling with friendly vendors. Enjoy a farewell lunch featuring local specialties like Soto Banjar.

Transfer to APT Pranoto International Airport for your evening flight home. Reflect on ten days of jungle wildlife, underwater wonders, and cultural immersion. Depart Borneo with a camera full of memories and a heart full of adventure.