Tanjung Puting National Park in Kalimantan, Indonesia, is one of the greatest locations in Borneo to watch orangutans.
Hundreds of Borneo’s animal species, including some rare and local ones, may be found in the jungle near Tanjung Puting. While traveling along the Sekonyer river in a “Klotok” houseboat, you can witness all of this.
It was fantastic for us to spend three days and two nights at Tanjung Puting on a liveaboard boat. Although it’s not among the most affordable destinations in Indonesia, the entire experience is incredibly distinctive and memorable.
This travel guide will cover all you need to know before you go, including how to get to Tanjung Puting to visit the orangutans and which boat tour operator to choose!
Tanjung Puting National Park: How to Get There
Located in Indonesia’s Central Kalimantan region on Borneo Island, Tanjung Puting appears to be on the southernmost tip of the island when viewed on a map.
There are daily direct flights from Jakarta, Surabaya, and Semarang to Pangkalan Bun (PKN), the closest town and airport. You will need to make a stopover at one of those airports on your way to Pangkalan Bun if you are traveling from Bali to Tanjung Puting. Skyscanner allows you to shop for flights.
It takes 15 minutes to drive from Pangkalan Bun to Kumai’s harbor, and depending on when you arrive, you may typically head straight there to begin your tour of Tanjung Puting National Park.
The majority of tour operators will transport you to the harbor, where your boat will be waiting, after providing a complimentary pickup from the town or the airport. It’s less than an hour’s boat ride from there to the Sekonyer River’s entrance and the national park!
Expectations for a River Boat Cruise
An all-inclusive liveaboard boat known as a “Klotok,” which typically includes a crew of at least four people—a boat captain, a deckhand, a tour guide, and a cook—is used to reach Tanjung Puting via the Sekonyer River.
You won’t have to worry about waves, rapids, seasickness, or anything else during your trip into the park because the river flows quite gently.
In addition to taking in the incredible views from the boat, you will stop multiple times to get off and go observe animals in the jungle, which involves a little flat, quick trekking.
Typically, the Klotok boats can accommodate up to eight people in total, with the crew living on the lower level and the guests on the upper level.
Although the facilities aboard our boat are somewhat modest overall, the bed and bathroom were reasonably comfortable and had a flush toilet and shower.
Consider it similar to glamping. Although it’s not luxurious, it’s plenty cozy.
On the boat, meals are served daily. The food we had was excellent and included tempeh, omelets, toast, pancakes, fish, chicken, rice, noodles, soup, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. Everything we consumed was tasty and fresh.
While most Klotok boats are without air conditioning, some do, and it’s not really necessary. Even though you could feel hot and sweaty during the day, it’s easy to chill off with a cold shower before bed because the temperature drops at night.
We were able to occasionally utilize the plugs to charge our phones and other devices because electricity is provided by a generator at night. However, it’s still a good idea to pack a large power bank.
You also don’t have to worry about getting wet because the boats have nice rain covers. On our first night in the park, we had a terrible storm with a lot of rain, but the boat was safe and dry.
Tanjung Puting tours usually run two or three days, but if you have the time and money, you may stay longer. If you’re in a rush, you can also visit on a speedboat for one day.
Day 1: Harapan Tanjung
Tanjung Harapan is the first location you will stop and explore in the national park after roughly two hours of riding along the river in a Klotok boat.
This is now merely a feeding station where they assist the animals in receiving extra food (mostly fruit) so they can flourish and remain healthy. Previously, it was a rehabilitation facility for rescued and orphaned orangutans.
Since the feeding time begins around 3 PM, it was still early when we arrived in Tanjung Harapan. We spent the extra time exploring the area around the camp and saw our first orangutan, a female adult climbing in the trees.
The park personnel call the orangutans out of the woods when feeding time arrives and places a pile of fruit on a wooden platform. Sometimes you have to wait a little while for them to appear, but once they do, you may watch them eat from behind a fence about 30 meters away.
At Tanjung Harapan, we spotted about a dozen orangutans, including a large adult male, a few youngsters, and a newborn. We were also fortunate to see several wild proboscis monkeys, also known as long nose monkeys, across the river, gazing at us from the tops of the trees, after we returned to the boat!
Day 1: Trekking at Night
In order to observe the animals, plants, and insects in the jungle close to Tanjung Harapan, you typically have the choice to do night trekking at the end of your first day in Tanjung Puting.
We observed a tarantula, pit viper, tree frogs, kingfishers, tokays, glow-in-the-dark mushrooms, and many other fascinating creatures within an hour of simple and level hiking.
Most trips offer an optional night walk, but if you have energy left over at the end of the day, I strongly suggest doing it!
Day 2: Tanggui Pondok
In order to reach the next camp, Pondok Tanggui, we drove the boat up the river for another 1.5 hours on our second day in Tanjung Puting, which began at 7 AM.
We noticed additional species in the trees along the route, such as black-and-red broadbills, crested serpent eagles, and proboscis monkeys.
We arrived at the camp shortly before 9 AM, when meal time began. We observed considerably more orangutans this time, including a large, attractive male who arrived at the conclusion of feeding time.
The best animal sightings occasionally occur after the tourists have begun to depart, so it was a nice reminder to stay and wait a little after the feeding time ends.
Day 2: Leakey Camp
The boat journey to Camp Leakey, our next destination, took around two hours after we left Pondok Tanggui and returned to the river. There, feeding begins at 2:00 PM.
Chemicals from the plants lead the river to turn black at this point, and the water’s surface resembles a mirror reflecting the swamp. It appears both lovely and eerie.
In addition to a number of macaques like those found in Bali, we also spotted additional proboscis monkeys. Additionally, we saw a crocodile swimming around and a monitor lizard, but they vanished before we could snap any pictures.
We observed another dozen orangutans in Camp Leakey, but the most memorable part of the visit was witnessing multiple mothers with their young.
Since the jungle isn’t as dark and dense as it was at the other two sites, this one appears to have the finest lighting and photo opportunities.
We returned to the boat and began the return trip to Kumai and Pangkalan Bun after snapping hundreds of pictures of orangutans, pausing a few times to see additional creatures along the riverbanks.
We saw multiple families of proboscis monkeys, including a mother and her young, as well as numerous blue kingfisher birds.
We spent our second night close to the Sekonyer River’s entrance, where many fireflies were glowing in the palm palms, after driving the majority of the way back to town. It had the appearance of blinking Christmas trees.
Day: 3 Return to Pangkalan Bun
After enjoying a sunrise on the river on day three, we had breakfast and then made the about one-hour journey back to the Kumai port, where we could also stop by a typical Dayak longhouse close to Pangkalan Bun.
Our journey came to an end at this point. The vacation to Tanjung Puting was fantastic and full of memories! There is nothing about our visit that we would change.
Conclusion
Tanjung Puting National Park offers an unforgettable experience for any nature lover. The opportunity to witness wild orangutans in their natural habitat is truly awe-inspiring. With its diverse ecosystem and stunning scenery, this park is a must-visit for anyone seeking an authentic wildlife adventure.
Remember, when visiting Tanjung Puting, it’s essential to be respectful of the environment and the animals. By following guidelines and choosing responsible tour operators, you can contribute to the conservation of this precious ecosystem.
So, pack your bags, embrace the adventure, and get ready for a truly unforgettable experience in Tanjung Puting National Park.
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