Orangutan and Dragon Komodo

14 Days from

$4,950 USD

> Land and Cruise Tour

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Dates

02 - 17 August 2025

Available

Highlights
  • Wonderful rich and varied birding!

  • Lots of very special and unique birds and wildlife, including astounding mammals, from Orangutans to Proboscis Monkeys

  • Excellent reserves and birding areas at Mount Kinabalu, lowland rainforests, and along marvelous rivers

EXPEDITION OVERVIEW

Our Orangutans and Dragons tour will take you to see two of the most amazing animals on the planet, both only found on the islands in Indonesia. This unique adventure is unlike anything being offered and provides you with two once-in-a-time destinations in one.

Firstly, we will take you to Tanjung Puting National Park in Central Kalimantan. Tanjung Puting National Park is a unique place. It is not only home to the orangutan, but also the rare proboscis monkey and the false gavial crocodile. During your time in the park you will be living aboard our river boat also known as a klotok. The klotok is well equipped with basic amenities, at night you will sleep on deck or in the downstairs cabin on a comfortable mattresses with a mosquito net. Our crew will cook delicious meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The klotoks come fully equipped with safety features including life vests and a first aid kit. When not walking through the jungle, you can relax on deck watching the wildlife, read a book or just laze the day away.

And then it's onto the Komodo Islands. Your 4 day Komodo Islands tour is a great way to see this unique part of Indonesia. The Komodo National Park will be your home for 3 days and 3 nights as you stay on your "live aboard" boat. You will see the amazing ecosystems, reach remote villages and visit Rinca Island. The 1,817-square-kilometer Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the treasures of Indonesia. On this journey, you will see the amazing komodo dragon firsthand, whilst experiencing the wild natural beauty of their habitat. You will see some of Indonesia's most unspoiled and remote islands, visit beautiful pristine beaches and visit charming local villages. The area also boasts some of the best snorkeling on the planet. Here you will swim among reefs, sharing the azure waters with an abundance of local marine life, including manta rays and sea turtles.

Included
  • Ground transportation

  • All meals and accommodation

  • Cruise boat

  • EET guide plus a local guide with 4 - 8 participants

  • All park, conservation and entrance fees

  • Gratuities to local guides and drivers

    Excluded

  • Flights to and from start/end location

  • Travel Insurance

  • Items of a personal nature

  • Alcoholic beverages

What to Expect

You are embarking on an adventure to places and amongst people whose lives are very different from your own. Many aspects of life in Indonesia will seem unusual. Remember that these are often the same aspects that make an area an exotic and attractive destination. While boat expeditions are considered easy, no trek is easy, even those rated easy or moderate. In addition to the personal physical challenges you may face, travel conditions can present unexpected obstacles, such as rough and bumpy roads and changeable weather. To prepare for this pack a flexible and relaxed attitude. Bring a spirit of adventure and inquiry, a healthy sense of humour and a willingness to encounter the unexpected and you will find your trip to Indonesia the adventure of a lifetime!

Food

We usually have early breakfasts and some before-breakfast birding since it is best to begin birding at daybreak. Some lunches will be picnic style to maximize our time in the field. In the evenings, we eat at the hotel or lodge where we are staying and review the list of birds and other wildlife that we have encountered, as well as discuss the following day’s activities.

Accommodation

During the tour we stay in moderate to excellent accommodation.

Walking

Walking conditions will be generally easy to moderate. Time permitting, there may be an optional steeper walk to higher altitudes on the Mount Kinabalu trail for the friendly warbler. Trails anywhere may be muddy depending on how recently it has rained.

Boat trips

We will take boat trips along the Kinabatangan River.

Climate

Be prepared for hot, humid and sunny weather at low altitudes, with showers in the afternoon. It is recommended to take a light rain-jacket or poncho, although we try to avoid birding in any rain worse than a light drizzle.

Bring mosquito repellent or mosquito-proof clothing because bugs can be a problem, especially at low elevations in moist humid conditions. Leeches can be a nuisance, but can usually be deterred with insect repellant. You will need to bring a hat and sunblock, especially on the boat trips on the Kinabatangan River.

ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrive at Destination Port (Jakarta)
You will be met at the airport and provided with your hotel transfer to your overnight accommodation.

Day 2: Jakarta - Pangkalan Bun - Tanjung Puting National Park
This morning you will fly from Jakarta to the Central Borneo town of Pangkalan Bun. On arrival, you will be met at the airport by our local OO team and be taken to the port of Kumai, where you will board our klotok (river boat) and start your journey up the Sekonyer River into the National Park. Later that day you will visit feeding station #1 and see your first orangutans. Afterwards, you will get back aboard our klotok and travel along the river looking for probosics monkeys. Overnight on the klotok. You will be provided with a mattress, pillow and mosquito net. (B,L,D)

Day 3: Pondok Tanggui - Camp Leakey - Crocodile Lake
An early start today sees you back on the klotoks and headed to Pondok Tanggui (feeding station #2) for morning feeding. After this, you will travel up the Sekonyer River to Camp Leakey, the oldest camp set up for orphaned orangutans. On arrival at Camp Leakey, you will have lunch aboard the klotok before starting the short trek in the surrounding area to visit the information centre. You are likely to see orangutans (or have them see you) near the boat, after enjoying afternoon feeding time and being given a tour of the surrounding forest area, it's back to the boat and cruising down the Camp Leakey River to Crocodile Lake where you will spend the night. You will most likely see other wildlife of Borneo such as gibbons and proboscis monkeys. Overnight on the klotok. (B,L,D)

Day 4 : Crocodile Lake - Pondok Tanggui - Pesalat - Tanjung Harapan
Today you will travel up river to Pesalat Plantation where you will plant some trees to help regenerate the forest. After lunch, you will take a tour of the local village, and in the afternoon you will slowly travel down river, stopping along the way to watch the proboscis monkeys on the riverbanks. As dusk falls, we will travel back to Kumai harbour and enjoy dinner along the river as we go. Overnight in Pangkalan Bun at Grand Kecubung hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 5: Pangkalan Bun - Bali
This morning you check out of the hotel and head to the airport for your morning flight to Bali via Semarang. On arrival, you will be taken to your hotel for check-in. (B)

Day 6: Bali to Labuan Bajo - Gado - Rinca Village - Kaaba - Overnigh on boat Kambing Island (L,D)
This morning you will fly into Labuan Bajo and be met at the airport by one of the representatives and will be transferred to the harbour to board your private liveaboard boat for the next 3 days/2 nights. After a safety briefing on board the boat, you will make your way out into the Komodo National Park, with your first stop being Gado - with its’ wonderful mangroves and some amazing snorkelling in a spot with giant table corals and much more. After lunch, you will boat to Rinca Village and visit the people living on this island sharing their habitat with the all-mighty Komodo Dragon. There you will get an idea of what island life is like for them. This will be followed by a sunset boat ride to a small mangrove island (Kaaba), inhabited by bats. This is a great sight enjoyed from the top deck of the support boat with thousands of bats flying into the night sky for their evening meal. Overnight in a cabin on your liveaboard boat in the park at Kambing Island. (B,L,D)

Day 7 - Kambing Island - Padar Island - Komodo Island - Pink Beach
Early morning you will rise and we will boat towards Padar Island, where you will be able to take a trek up the hill to see the famous view of the surrounding islands. Once you are back on the support boat you will make your way to Komodo Harbour from where we will engage on our walk to look for the infamous Komodo Dragon. You will trek for about an hour with a trained Ranger who will explain the ecosystem, the Dragon's habits, and the life of other inhabitants on the island such as the Macaque, Buffalo, Deer, Tree snakes, etc. Once back on the boat we make our boat to the famous Pink Beach and its coral garden for a refreshing afternoon snorkel. Overnight in a cabin on your liveaboard boat in the park. (B,L,D)

Day 8 - Pink Beach - Manta Point - Taka Makassar/ Pungu Island/Bedadhari - Labuan Bajo (B,L)
On your last day in the Komodo National Park, you will make your way to Manta Point, where you will spend some time with Manta Rays and hopefully get to swim with these majestic creatures. From there, depending on the tight, we will boat towards one of the other reefs for some more snorkelling before you start to make your way back to Labuan Bajo harbour and transfer to your hotel for your last overnight stay. Overnight at Puri Sari Hotel in in Labuan Bajo.

Day 9: Komodo Islands - Bali - Tour Ends
Today your tour ends and you be transferred to the airport and fly to Bali for your (evening) connecting flight home or onwards travels. (B)