5-Day Orangutan Wildlife Jungle Trail from Pangkalan Bun

Five days on a river boat and jungle trail, tracking orangutans through Kalimantan's rainforest

A 5-day liveaboard tour from Pangkalan Bun through Tanjung Puting National Park, traveling by klotok boat and trekking rainforest trails to watch rehabilitated and wild orangutans at Camp Leakey and Pondok Tanggui. The tour includes accommodation on the boat, meals, a local guide and forestry rangers, national park fees, and round-trip transfer from Pangkalan Bun. Maximum group size is six travelers.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Sekonyer River and Wildlife Viewing

• Enjoy Sekonyer Riverside vegetation
• Visit Tanjung Harapan Feeding Camp
• Watch macaques and proboscis monkeys
• Sunset on the boat

Day 2: Boat Trip to Camp Leakey

• Breakfast on board
• Boat to Pondok Tanggui rehabilitation center
• Travel to Camp Leakey orangutan site
• Trek rainforest with guide and rangers
• Lunch on the boat
• Visit feeding station for orangutans
• Return and overnight on boat

Day 3: Tanjung Puting Jungle Trekking

• Breakfast
• Trek 9 km in lowland forest
• Build tent on platform
• Enjoy evening forest

Day 4: Arut River and Village Visit

• Breakfast
• Visit Pesalat Replantation Conservation Site
• Visit Tanjung Harapan village
• Explore small river by boat
• Firefly light dinner
• Transfer to Arut River Homestay

Day 5: Arut River and City Tour

• Breakfast
• Boat tour on Arut Riverside
• Stop at Traditional Market
• Visit Kingdom Palace (Istana Kuning)
• Lunch at Arut House
• Transfer to Pangkalan Bun airport
• Tour ends

The experience

You arrive in Pangkalan Bun and get picked up for transfer to the Sekonyer River, where a klotok boat becomes your base for the next four nights. The first evening you watch the riverside from the boat (macaques and proboscis monkeys move through the trees at dusk), and sleep aboard. Breakfast and lunch happen on the water. Dinner is wherever the boat is anchored.

Day two is the core of the trip: a two-hour boat ride upriver to Camp Leakey, the oldest orangutan rehabilitation centre in Indonesia, with stops at Pondok Tanggui along the way. Your guide and a forestry ranger lead you into the rainforest on foot, where older orangutans that have been reintroduced to the wild sometimes appear. You also see gibbons, macaques and birds. At the feeding station, you watch rehabilitated orangutans receive supplemental food. The boat carries you back downriver to sleep aboard again.

Day three takes you on a 9-kilometre trek into low-land Kalimantan forest, where giant old trees dominate the canopy. You build a camp on a platform and spend the evening in the jungle. Day four moves to the Arut River: you visit a replantation conservation site, explore a small river by small boat to watch fireflies at night, and stay overnight at a Dayak homestay. The final morning is a city tour of Pangkalan Bun by small boat (stopping at the traditional market and the Sultan's Palace) before transfer to the airport.

What’s included

• Private round-trip transfer from Pangkalan Bun.
• liveaboard accommodation on a klotok boat for four nights plus one night at a Dayak homestay.
• all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) as per the itinerary.
• a local guide fluent in English or Spanish and forestry rangers.
• national park entry fees.
• snacks.
• and air-conditioned minivan transport to and from the airport.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

AgesAdult (4 and older) · Under 4: can't be included in the booking

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 12 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by lookorangutan

Is this one for you?Your guide speaks English or Spanish, so the commentary and safety briefings are clear throughout the trek and boat journey. Groups stay under six travelers, which keeps the pace manageable on jungle trails and means more time with orangutans at the feeding stations without crowding.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What is Camp Leakey and why does the tour spend a full day there?

Camp Leakey is Indonesia's first orangutan rehabilitation centre, where ex-captive orangutans are prepared for life in the wild. You trek the rainforest with a guide and ranger, watch the feeding station where rehabilitated orangutans receive food, and have a chance to see wild orangutans, gibbons and other forest animals in their habitat.

Do I sleep on the boat every night?

You sleep on the klotok boat for four nights: the first, second, and third nights. On night four you stay at a Dayak homestay on the Arut River before returning to Pangkalan Bun on the final day.

What meals are included during the 5 days?

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided each day according to the itinerary. Most meals are served on the boat. The final morning includes breakfast before your city tour and airport transfer.

How much of the tour is spent trekking versus traveling by boat?

Day two includes a rainforest trek with your guide and ranger at Camp Leakey. Day three is a 9-kilometre jungle trek where you build camp. The rest of the time you travel by klotok boat upriver and downriver, or by small boat exploring creeks and the Arut River.

What wildlife might I see on this tour?

Orangutans are the focus: both at the feeding stations and potentially in the wild during rainforest treks. You also commonly see proboscis monkeys, macaques, gibbons and forest birds. Fireflies appear on the Arut River at night.

Is this tour physically demanding?

The tour includes a 9-kilometre jungle trek on day three and rainforest walking on day two with a guide and ranger. It is suitable for all fitness levels, though the trek and heat require a reasonable level of mobility. The tour is not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health or spinal injuries.