Borneo Orangutan Tour in Tanjung Puting
Do you want to see wild orangutans in Borneo’s untamed wilderness? We take you to Tanjung Puting National Park by wooden houseboat (“Klotok”). Come and join us in our mission to support local businesses and protect the rainforest.
We’re experienced Tanjung Puting Guides… And fun:-)
We are so proud of our backyard, that we go far and beyond to make sure our guests leave us with beautiful memories.
We're experienced guides, born and raised around Tanjung Puting National Park. Whether you want to see orangutans or just want to enjoy the outdoors, or whether you are a family or a professional photographer: You'll find yourself in great company with us.



Orangutan tours
cruise in a wooden houseboat through the Sekonyer river in the lush jungle of Tanjung Puting National Park.
3D2N tour includes all the highlights of Tanjung Puting National Park.
4D3N tour allows for more time in the jungle.
5D4N tour is for the hike lovers and includes an all-day off-beaten-path trek deep into the jungle.
6D5N tour is for the true adventurists who visit the "secret" feeding station Sungai Buluh Besar.




Dayak tours
Orangutan tour Stay in traditional longhouse Jungle trek Welcome ceremony Meals & mineral water ecotourism
In case you have more time, you can go for one of our Dayak tours that combines the orangutan tour with a stay at the Dayak jungle tribe!



For almost two years, overseas tourism was obliterated thanks to the global lockdowns. Our guides, cooks and staff looked for jobs in other sectors but there was barely work. Instead they sold possessions, burned their little savings, and lived from donations. Our Torajan guide Budi even lived in a primary forest for a while - and hunted for his food - to avoid the virus. Read more about How Covid-19 Devastated Indonesians in Tourism.
Whenever you visit Indonesia, please take notice that your tips will have more meaning than they have ever had. It is not only a symbolic sign of appreciation, it will make a real and big difference to the lifes of your guides and their families.
Your visit to Indonesia brings anyhow a lot of joy to our lifes again. Not just because of the financial perspectives, but mostly because we can finally do what we love most: Show you our jungles and cultures and create lifetime memories together.
Our Wooden Houseboats ("Klotok") are among the most comfortable ones around
As the boat is half the fun, all our houseboats are amongst the most comfortable wooden Klotoks around: They all have simple Western showers (no Mandi) with fresh water tank (no river water), and simple Western toilets (no squat toilet).
The boat is exclusively yours, which means you don't share the boat with anyone else. You will be sleeping on mattresses in mosquito nets. The boats have a simple lounge area in the front and a dining table in the back for the traditional meals by the superb cooks that we are praised for.
You will have access to bottled mineral water throughout the day. Because plastic pollution is a big local issue - on a regular Borneo orangutan tour with 2 people a total of 25 plastic bottles are consumed on average - we use large mineral water barrels. Tip: Bring your own water bottle.





Why you shouldn't use A/C Boats if you want more luxury. Not only is an A/C not needed in Tanjung Puting because of the constant fresh breeze on the cruise and the comfortable temperatures at nights. A/C boats have an unnecessarily big environmental footprint and they make a lot of noise, create bigger waves (disturbing the wildlife in the river), and lock you behind windows, which all have an adverse impact on your jungle cruise experience. Also, they're very expensive...
For more luxury, take a regular boat and stay overnight at the Rimba ecolodge. The Rimba ecolodge is located on the edge of the national park and is only accessible by boat. The rooms have AC, WiFi, and hot water. This is a much more luxury and eco-friendly alternative than AC boats. Moreover, it's cheaper... We can book the eco-lodge for you against local tariffs, and transfer you to/from the lodge every day during the tour for free.
How to Prepare for your Tanjung Puting Tour?
Go through the FAQ below, read the Ultimate Guide to Tanjung Puting Orangutans, or just drop us an email with your question.
You can visit Tanjung Puting throughout the year. The temperature is rather constant and while it is often raining in Kalimantan, historically the most dry period has been July-September and the most wet period has been January and February. However, in recent years the rainfall has been unpredictable, so the above should not be delt with too strictly.
Partly for the above reason, the most popular period to visit Tanjung Puting among travelers is July and August. However, we want to emphasize that besides the weather advantages of this period, there are several downside of doing your tour during July - September:
- It is very crowded, which obviously spoils for some the experience.
- It is relatively expensive.
- Although it is called a 3D2N tour, all boats (for any operator) will leave the national park on the last day already in the morning.
- Under the event of a force majeure (such as a break-down of the boat engine) it becomes difficult for any tour operator to hire another boat (which can easily be done for months outside July-September). We will then hire a quite expensive speedboat and let clients stay overnight in the Rimba Lodge. Despite the high cost of this scenario (which we take on us), it also not a satisfactory experience for clients, which makes it a lose/lose situation.
Considering the crowds and the value for money, in our opinion the best time to visit Tanjung Puting is in the shoulder months October - December and March - June.
Most travelers however do not have much flexibility and are restricted to the high season period. As long as you manage your expecations that it will be crowded and that you return early on the last day, you will still have a wonderful experience!
Start. In order to see the feeding at Tanjung Harapan - which starts at 3pm - we need to leave Pangkalan Bun latest at 11:30 am.
In case you stay overnight in Pangkalan Bun (recommended), the tour usually starts after your breakfast but no later than 11:30 am in order to arrive at the first feeding station before 3pm. Our guide will align the exact pick-up time with you ahead of the tour.
In case you arrive in Pangkalan Bun on the same day that your tour starts, we pick you up at the airport and start the tour immediately. Any arrival time in the morning is fine. We can also accommodate (but not advice) an arrival after noon, but then you obviously will have less time in the park.
End. The tour ends after breakfast on the last day. We will leave Tanjung Puting national park around 9 am, and you will be dropped at your hotel or at the airport latest around 11 am. In case you have an early flight to catch, no worries, we will make sure that you will arrive at the airport on time. In case you have a later flight, we will always try to stretch the tour but cannot guarantee this.
3D2N. We advice to take the 3D2N tour if you want to see as much as possible in as little time as possible. It is fantastic value for money as you get to see all feeding stations in Tanjung Puting. Unfortunately, you will not have any time for a short trek, or a night trek.
4D3N. The 4D3N tour we advice to anyone who would like to take the time in Tanjung Puting and is especially interested to combine visiting the feeding stations with short jungle treks, a night trek, and visiting a reforestration site as well as the Sekonyer village.
5D4N. The 5D4N tour we advice to anyone that is more adventurous, is into a long jungle trek, together with rangers in a very remote and untouched jungle. At the end of the jungle trek, we return to our boat by a canoe through a small river in the dense jungle. There are no other activities in Tanjung Puting that will take you further away from the crowd than this trek, but be prepared to get a little bit dirty.
We advise to at least book a hotel before the start of your tour. Not only because this allows you to start your tour rested, or spend more time in Tanjung Puting but also because of the risk of delayed flights.
Because the tour ends early on the last day, there is no need to stay overnight at the end of the tour, except if you would like to rest and enjoy a hot shower before flying to your next destination.
Don't worry if you don't have the possibility to stay before or after the tour in Pangkalan Bun (we are used to this anyways!), but then please make sure that your flight arrives in the morning.
Recommended hotels in the top, middle and budget segment are the Grand Kecubung Hotel , Arsela Hotel and Hotel Bahagia , respectively.
This is one of the things we try to stand out with!
Our goal is to spoil our guests with mouthwatering, delicious meals. Every meal should be another bombshell of creativity, because we realize that nothing is as good as having a delicious meal in the heart of the jungle after an exciting trek.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner are served in the top deck on the dining area, while the fingerfood, snacks and drinks are served throughout the day, typically in the lounge area where you sit. You’ll have access all day to tea and coffee.
Do you have any dietary wishes? No worries, we have that all the time. Just let know about it and we'll take care of it!
The boat is a traditional Klotok wooden river boat.
We use only very comfortable Klotoks, with Western toilets and a shower, as opposed to an Indonesian toilet or a basket of water to shower in.
There is a top deck exclusively for you, with a dining table in the back, a lounge area in the front and mattrasses under a mosquito net that will be prepared for you in the evening. The crew is in the bottom deck.
For individuals and couples the classical Klotok dimension of 12m (long) x 2m (wide) is used. For group sizes from 3 to 6 people, the very comfortable boats with the dimensions 17m x 3m boats are used.
That is highly unlikely.
The river is quite still, and small waves are only occasionally created by passing boats.
We have never had sea sick clients on our boats. But in case you are concerned about it, we advice you to book the big boats as these are even more steady than the smaller ones. Please notice that this comes with a surcharge; send us an email for more information.
With the 4D3N and 5D4N tours we offer night treks! Usually, we do this around Pondok Ambung.
In case you do a 3D2N tour, a night trek is not part of our itinerary because of the little time. However, please do express your wish for a night trek so that we can try to accommodate this, but cannot guarantee. Please discuss this wish also upon your arrival in Pangkalan Bun directly with your guide to discuss the possibilities on the spot.
The main reason people visit Tanjung Puting is because of the Orangutans, the park is also home to the bizarre looking proboscis monkey with its “Jimmy Durante” nose as well as seven other primate species. Clouded leopards, civets, and Malaysian sun bears cavort in the park, as do mouse deer, barking deer, sambar deer, and the wild cattle known as banteng.
There are over 230 species of birds, including hornbills, deep forest birds, and many wetland species. Tanjung Puting is well known for its “bird lakes,” seasonal rookeries for a half a dozen species of endangered waterbirds, including the only known Bornean nesting grounds for white egrets.
There are two species of crocodiles (you may spot one while cruising!), dozens of snakes and frogs, numerous threatened species, including the fortune-bringing and highly endangered “dragon” fish also known as the Arwana (bony-tongue).Among the most flamboyant of these animals are the many species of colorful birds, butterflies, and moths found in the Park.
Tipping is common in Indonesia, and the staff will be extremely happy and flattered if you decide to do so, but it is of course voluntary and not expected.
There is no rule for how much to tip, as it really depends on how satisfied you are with the service and on your budget. Some clients really insist to get an indication, so we will give the rule of thumb that for every day you may consider tipping your guide 100.000 IDR and 50.000 IDR to your cook, captain and boat helper.
Please consider this very indicative, and deviate from it as you wish or depending on your budget. In the end, any amount is really appreciated.
Among the best places in the world to see orangutans, are Gunung Leuser National Park (Sumatra) and Tanjung Puting National Park (Kalimantan). We offer tours in both places with certified, local guides.
Both are quite well accessible by air from Jakarta. Which of the two is better, depends on your personal interests and on your budget.
Generally speaking, orangutan tours in Bukit Lawang are suitable for adventurous travelers that like relatively long treks, are in shape, would like to combine it with other activities (volcanoe treks, relaxing at Lake Toba, visiting villages, etc.) and/or have a lower budget. The transportation is by foot and the accommodation is typically in basic jungle camps.
In contrast, the orangutan tours in Tanjung Puting are by boat as you cruise through the river, and the occassional treks are very easy and short, and the accommodation is typically on the boat. Although this cruise is still relatively cheap for Western standards, it is 2 to 3 times more expensive than the jungle treks in Bukit Lawang. Also, there are fewer activities around Tanjung Puting National Park, than around Gunung Leuser National Park.
For more information about the jungle treks in Bukit Lawang as well as the tour packages we offer there, click here
Here are a few additional tips that you may enhance your tour experience:
1. Although Indonesia is famous for its coffee, in our experience, tourists do not like the standard coffee served at homes or in the boat, which is basically hot water with filter coffee, but then unfiltered. So if you drink coffee, we recommend to bring your own instant coffee (or French Press).
2. You may want to consider to bring your own alcoholic drink to optimally enjoy the beautiful and romantic setting from the Klotok. If you are lucky, you can store these in the fridge of the staff, but chances are that you can only drink it warm. Alcoholic beverage is not sold in Pangkalan Bun and therefore needs to be bought before arriving here.
3. In case you have time, you will appreciate staying overnight in Pangkalan Bun before (and/or after your) tour. You'll start your tour all rested, finish your tour with a hot shower, stay longer in Tanjung Puting National Park, and don't need to stress about flight delays. The best hotel in town is the Grand Kecubung Hotel .
4. Although there are plug sockets aboard, we do not recommend to use these to charge expensive gadgets (smartphones, tablets, etc.) because the power engine of the boat does not supply a constant voltage (this holds for ALL boats). Please consider to bring an external battery charger, which can be bought at any outdoor store.
5. If you have a hammock, bring it! The ultimate chill experience is to lay down in your hammock in the klotok as you cruise through the lush jungle!
Our Indonesia tours
Responsible Tourism
Conservation
We support conservation initiatives and wildlife rehabilitation programs. We are currently fundraising for the orangutan rehabilitation centre of International Animal Rescue near Ketapang in Kalimantan.
Local Welfare
Environmental preservation can only succeed if that is in the local's interest. Local Guides is built on community engagement with all our tours, and we organise fundraising campaigns for those in special need.
Education
Our tours are all about experiencing the local culture and environment. Via our environmental blog we share social and environmental issues. Read how Covid-19 pushed locals into poverty.
Environmental Blog



HELP DENA GET TO COLLEGE
Our current donation program is for Dena, who has just finished secondary school and dreams of continuing his education and become a police officer.
Deda lives in Sumatra in the small village Bukit Lawang. Because of the modest local salaries, his family is not able to pay the significant college enrollment fee of ± € 8000.
Would you like to help Dena? With the booking form below, you also get the option to make a donation. The entire amount will be spent on the cause.













To address the substantially increased uncertainties for travellers since COVID 19, we offer 100% refund for any cancellation until 1 week from tour start.
For cancellations within a week from tour start:
- No refund of the deposit.
- 100% refund of the balance*, exc bank fees.
We booked a 4D/3N tour quite late into our planning as we had to move our plans following the earthquakes in Indonesia. Both the staff at Local-Guides and our assigned guide Nur were incredibly helpful before the trip began and provided lots of information to us. We stayed a night in Pangkalanbun before we set ...
Tanjung Puting
What an amazing time I had! I booked 3 nights and just had the most amazing time. So peaceful and feeling at one with nature. My guide Darmin was fantastic and everything you’d want from a guide. (I am actually a tour guide myself!!!) I felt so lucky to see so many orangutans. The feeding ...
Tanjung Puting
This tour was absolutely fantastic, we couldn’t have asked for a better experience to see orangutans in the wild. Our guide, Nur, went above and beyond to make sure that all our needs/wants were taken care of, and was enthusiastic to explain all about the wildlife and conservation challenges they face. The 5 days/4 nights ...
Tanjung Puting
This tour was an amazing surprise. Everything was well organised. We booked with the help of local guides and had Nur has guide. The klokok is really nice and peaceful. You sleep in the jungle with these amazing sounds of the animals and the nature. In october there were not so many people so it ...
Tanjung Puting
We had very high expectations of our Tanjung Puting tour, and it still exceeded our expectations! While cruising along the river sekonyer using klotok, we saw many bekantan and birds. The first feeding place there were some orangutans in tanjung harapan station, and then we set out again down the river and staying near the ...
Tanjung Puting
This tour was more than we expected ! Beyond imagination…and it is not only about seeing orangutans and other animals. Delicious food, comfortable setting included shower and toilet (!) , fantastic service and endless serenity … I don’t what I like more seeing those beautiful creatures or just be taken away by boat cruise on ...
Tanjung Puting
The tour was wonderful and well organised by our guide Nur. The residence is a boat known as a klotok. It’s basic sleeping and washing, which is fit for purpose, and makes you feel a lot closer to the jungle. We loved every minute. The food and drinks on board are excellent. The walks though ...
Tanjung Puting
Wir hatten im voraus die Tour über die Webseite von Local Guides gebucht und unsere Erwartungen wurden mehr als übertroffen. Es war einmalig! Wir wurden von unserem Hotel pünktlich abgeholt und zum Boot gebracht. Alles war sehr gut organisiert. Unser Guide Joe Bowo – ein ehemaliger Ranger des Tanjung Puting National Park (siehe auch den ...
Tanjung Puting
I contacted Sal well before my holiday started, and since the beginning he has been nothing but great, thoughtful and creative to find the best solution for my trip that me and my family wanted. The 3 days tour on a boat in the Borneo jungle have turned out to be the best memories of ...
Tanjung Puting
We had a 2N/3D houseboattour and this was the absolute highlight of our holiday in Indonesia! The pick up from the airport was as perfectly organised as the rest of our trip from our friendly manager Nur. The whole crew and our guide Johannes solicitous accomponied us, that we felt absolutely relaxed on that trip. ...
Tanjung Puting
We booked a 4D/3N tour quite late into our planning as we had to move our plans following the earthquakes in Indonesia. Both the staff at Local-Guides and our assigned guide Nur were incredibly helpful before the trip began and provided lots of information to us. We stayed a night in Pangkalanbun before we set ...
Tanjung Puting
We had a 2N/3D houseboattour and this was the absolute highlight of our holiday in Indonesia! The pick up from the airport was as perfectly organised as the rest of our trip from our friendly manager Nur. The whole crew and our guide Johannes solicitous accomponied us, that we felt absolutely relaxed on that trip. ...
Tanjung Puting
Our family (two adults and two teenagers) did a 3D2N tour in January 2018. We were delighted with our experience. Our individual needs and interests (one keen birdwatcher, allergy to peanuts) were accommodated seamlessly. Our guide Faisal provided additional resources about the birds of the rainforest and was constantly diligent in spotting and helping to ...
Tanjung Puting
This tour was more than we expected ! Beyond imagination…and it is not only about seeing orangutans and other animals. Delicious food, comfortable setting included shower and toilet (!) , fantastic service and endless serenity … I don’t what I like more seeing those beautiful creatures or just be taken away by boat cruise on ...
Tanjung Puting
Boeken ging heel gemakkelijk. Aanbetaling per paypal. Rest contant er plekke (begin dus tijdig met het pinnen van de max. hoeveelheden die je mag). Communicatie was prima. Alle vragen werden snel en duidelijk beantwoord. Bij aankomst wordt je opgehaald door iemand van Local Guides en bij vertrek ook weer weggebracht (handig!). De boot (One Piece) ...
Tanjung Puting
This tour was an amazing surprise. Everything was well organised. We booked with the help of local guides and had Nur has guide. The klokok is really nice and peaceful. You sleep in the jungle with these amazing sounds of the animals and the nature. In october there were not so many people so it ...
Tanjung Puting
We had very high expectations of our Tanjung Puting tour, and it still exceeded our expectations! While cruising along the river sekonyer using klotok, we saw many bekantan and birds. The first feeding place there were some orangutans in tanjung harapan station, and then we set out again down the river and staying near the ...
Tanjung Puting
This tour was absolutely fantastic, we couldn’t have asked for a better experience to see orangutans in the wild. Our guide, Nur, went above and beyond to make sure that all our needs/wants were taken care of, and was enthusiastic to explain all about the wildlife and conservation challenges they face. The 5 days/4 nights ...
Tanjung Puting
I contacted Sal well before my holiday started, and since the beginning he has been nothing but great, thoughtful and creative to find the best solution for my trip that me and my family wanted. The 3 days tour on a boat in the Borneo jungle have turned out to be the best memories of ...
Tanjung Puting
The tour was wonderful and well organised by our guide Nur. The residence is a boat known as a klotok. It’s basic sleeping and washing, which is fit for purpose, and makes you feel a lot closer to the jungle. We loved every minute. The food and drinks on board are excellent. The walks though ...
Tanjung Puting
Instant Booking Form
Look up the rates and availabilities of any Tanjung Puting tour, and instantly confirm your booking request. The required deposit for the confirmation process is in EUR to keep costs low. The outstanding balance is only to be paid upon arrival in IDR.