The best way to enjoy the company of Bornean Orangutan and visit Tanjung Puting National Park, is no doubts hiring a Klotok, a wooden traditional boat retrofitted to satisfy tourist's needs.
The accommodation is not luxurious, but really practical and at direct contact with the nature around. There is a bottom deck where the crew is working and sleeping, and a top deck where the tourists are spending their time. Here meals and snacks are served on the dining area, where there is free tea and coffee available all day long, and at night the top deck is transforming on the sleeping quarter with a king size mattress and a mosquito net.
Interior view of our klotokInterior view of our klotok
There are no cabins and the boats are open on the sides to allow visibility towards the forest, but in case of heavy rain they can be completely closed with removable tarps. The best place to stay is probably the front "terrace", where to enjoy the show of Mother Nature passing by. A basic toilet on the back (ours was western style) is shared with the crew members and there is an Indonesian style shower with a bucket and river water.
Oti enjoying the fron terrace of the Kingfisher boat.
Klotok Hire to Tanjung Puting National Park to See the Orangutans
Klotok Hire and How to Find a Tanjung Puting Guide to See the Orangutans
Our Klotok Boat with Guide Jefri at the Bow (Tanjung Puting National Park, Kalimantan, Indonesia)
Our Klotok Boat with Guide Jefri at the Bow (Tanjung Puting National Park, Kalimantan, Indonesia)
Want to hire a klotok boat to Tanjung Puting to see the orangutans (and other wildlife) and travel the Sekonyer River?
The following information is meant those planning an independent trip to Tanjung Puting National Park in the forthcoming high season—and for those who want to enjoy some photographs of the area. I will save the amazing journey and the orangutans, of course, for a later post.
This is a how-to guide, an attempt to make independent bookings to Tanjung Puting more accessible and provide alternatives to the standard tour companies. This post tell you how to connect with some amazing local guides and how much it costs to hire a Tanjung Puting klotok boat to see the orangutans and other Tanjung Puting wildlife. There are also some ecolodge accommodation, one run by a conservation NGO and the other, a sustainable ecolodge. I also listed some volunteer opportunities, in case you have more time. This journey was part of my mostly solo, female, budget travel to Indonesia (albeit a friend joined me for this segment).+
This is the web site for Siti’s Tanjung Puting orangutan tours, Tanjung Puting klotok boat tours on the Sekonyer River in Kalimantan (Borneo), Indonesia, and Pangkalan Bun/Kumai-area eco tours and cultural heritage tours. I specialize in customized tours of Tanjung Puting National Park and the Kumai area.
Explore the backroads of Borneo and get off the beaten path with Kalimantan/Borneo’s only Woman-Owned Tour Company!
Tanjung Puting National Park and a klotok boat tour to see the orangutans is usually the highlight of most visitor’s trip to Kalimantan (Borneo)—but there is even more to Kumai and Pangkalan Bun, Kalimantan, Borneo! Stay a little longer, take another Tanjung Puting eco tour, get to know the local culture, enjoy the hospitality of a village homestay, take a cooking class, explore the turtle sanctuary, and savor unspoiled, pristine beaches. Kumai is home to several ethnic groups, Malay, Dayak, and Madurese (originally from East Java), and it is a fascinating place to visit, with lots of cultural diversity.
I am happy to arrange other activities and local tours for you, in addition to a Tanjung Puting orangutan tour and Tanjung Puting National Park wildlife viewing. Please let me know your dates and what you are interested in, and we can take it from there!
Thank you for visiting. I look forward to seeing you in Kalimantan (Borneo), Indonesia!