Orangutan River Retreat
This journey is designed as a three-day, two-night experience, allowing you to slow down and immerse yourself in the rivers, rainforest, and wildlife of Tanjung Puting.
However, at Orangutan River Retreat, we believe that no two journeys should be exactly the same. We are happy to tailor the experience around your preferences, whether you are travelling solo, with a partner, as a family, or with your own private group.
From the pace of your journey and the experiences you would like to include, to the way you wish to spend your time on the river, we can work with you to create a journey that feels truly personal.
After all, the most memorable journeys are not always the ones that follow a set itinerary. They are the ones shaped around the people travelling them.
Wake Up in the Wild
A Journey Through the Heart of Tanjung Puting
There are places you visit, and there are places that slowly become part of you.
This journey begins where the road ends and the river takes over. For three days and two nights, your traditional klotok becomes your home as you travel deep into the rainforest of Tanjung Puting National Park.
The river sets the pace.
Mornings begin with the sounds of the forest. Days unfold between quiet river journeys, rainforest trails, and encounters with orangutans moving through the trees. Along the way, you may see proboscis monkeys watching from the riverbanks, kingfishers darting across the water, and the forest slowly changing as the light moves through the canopy.
This is not simply a journey to see orangutans.
It is an invitation to slow down, to spend time in the rainforest, and to experience Borneo from the river that has connected its forests and communities for generations.
Itinerary
DAY 1
Where the River Begins
Route: Pangkalan Bun – Kumai – Tanjung Harapan – Sekonyer River
Your journey begins at Iskandar Airport, where your guide will welcome you and accompany you towards Kumai.
Here, the road gives way to the river.
Your traditional klotok awaits, ready to carry you into the heart of Tanjung Puting National Park. As the boat leaves Kumai behind and enters the Sekonyer River, the rhythm of the journey begins to change.
The river becomes quieter.
The forest begins to close around you.
Along the riverbanks, keep watch for the first signs of wildlife. Proboscis monkeys may appear high in the trees, while kingfishers and other forest birds move quickly between the branches.
Later, arrive at Tanjung Harapan. A short walk through the rainforest leads to the orangutan feeding area, where you may have the opportunity to observe these extraordinary animals in their natural forest environment.
There is something special about seeing an orangutan here—not in a zoo or enclosure, but moving freely through the rainforest that has been their home for generations.
Afterwards, return to the klotok and continue deeper along the river.
As evening arrives, the forest begins to change. The sounds of the day gradually give way to the calls of nocturnal life.
Dinner is served on board, followed by your first night surrounded by the rainforest.
Overnight: Klotok
DAY 2
A Day in the Orangutan Forest
Route: Sekonyer River – Pondok Tanggui – Camp Leakey – Sekonyer River
Wake to the sounds of the rainforest.
Breakfast is served on board as the klotok continues its journey towards Pondok Tanggui. The morning river journey is part of the experience itself. Take your time. Watch the forest along the riverbanks. Listen to the sounds around you.
At Pondok Tanggui, you may have the opportunity to observe orangutans as they arrive at the feeding area.
Afterwards, return to the klotok for lunch as the journey continues towards Camp Leakey.
Camp Leakey has played an important role in the history of orangutan research and conservation in Tanjung Puting. Here, you will leave the river and follow a rainforest trail towards the camp and its information centre.
The forest surrounding Camp Leakey offers a completely different experience from the river. The trail leads beneath towering trees and through dense rainforest, where every sound and movement may reveal another part of Borneo's wildlife.
There may also be an opportunity to observe orangutans during the afternoon feeding session.
But the experience is not only about what you see.
It is about being present in the forest.
About walking beneath trees that have stood here for generations.
About waiting quietly.
And about understanding that wildlife encounters in Borneo are never guaranteed—which is precisely what makes them so meaningful when they happen.
After the trek, return to your klotok and allow the afternoon to unfold slowly.
Relax on deck as the river carries you downstream. Watch the changing light across the forest and enjoy the quiet rhythm of life on the river.
Dinner is served on board.
Later, as darkness settles over the rainforest, the sounds of Borneo continue around you.
Overnight: Klotok
DAY 3
The River Carries You Home
Route: Sekonyer Village – Kumai – Departure
Your final morning begins with breakfast on board.
Depending on your departure schedule, there may be time to visit Sekonyer Village, a riverside community whose life has long been connected to the river and the surrounding rainforest.
This is an opportunity to experience a different side of Borneo.
Beyond the rainforest and orangutans, there are the people who live alongside this landscape. The river is not simply a route through the national park. It is part of everyday life, connecting communities, homes, livelihoods, and generations.
Afterwards, continue your journey back towards Kumai.
As the klotok leaves the forest behind, you may find yourself looking back at the river differently.
Perhaps you will remember the orangutans.
Perhaps the quiet mornings.
The proboscis monkeys along the riverbank.
The sound of the rainforest at night.
Or simply the feeling of being somewhere where time moves at a different pace.
As part of our commitment to the rainforest, each guest has the opportunity to take part in our One Tree, One Person initiative.
By planting a tree, you leave something behind—not simply as a visitor, but as someone who has contributed to the future of the forest.
A small action.
A living legacy.
A reminder that every journey can leave something positive behind.
Your journey ends in Kumai, with a transfer to Iskandar Airport or your next accommodation.
But the river, the rainforest, and the memories of Tanjung Puting will continue with you long after you leave.
