Tanjung Puting

Can’t recommend enough! Incredible 5D/4N tour

May 19, 2022 by Local-Guides

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 was a perfect amount of time to get in a ton of orangutan sightings and experience what became my favorite jungle in the world. It was a great balance of being on the boat and hiking in the jungle, with the additional benefits of cool night hikes for rare animal sightings. Being on the klotok was so relaxing, the food was amazing, and all the staff were all great at their jobs and made us feel well taken care of. It also allowed close up photos of all the wildlife, most of which didn’t mind the boats. We highly recommend this tour to any who want to experience the wonders of this national park. Thanks again to the amazing local guides! – Giovanni and Isabel

How Palm Oil Destroys Rainforests and Kills Orangutans

October 23, 2019 by Local-Guides

The global surge in demand for palm oil is the leading cause of deforestation in Sumatra and Borneo, threatening endangered plants and animals including orangutans. We want to enhance consumer awareness about how our daily habits are the root cause of this irreversible rainforest destruction and explain how a small change in our behaviour could protect the rainforest and save orangutans.

A brief introduction to Palm oil

Palm oil is a type of vegetable oil that comes from the palm fruit, which grows on the Elaeis guineensis or simply African oil palm. Palm oil trees grow naturally in tropical forests, and originate from west and south-west Africa.

FIGURE 1. Top 10 Palm Oil-Producing Countries, 2012 (Thousands of Tons of Oil Produced).

Palm oil trees were introduced by Dutch colonists to Indonesia and Malaysia in the late 19th century and have been planted extensively to satisfy global demand. Now, Indonesia and Malaysia together make up over 85% of global palm oil production.

Especially in Indonesia palm oil production has soared in recent years. It is a significantly more profitable commodity for farmers than traditional farming and has helped lift many people out of poverty. According to Indonesia’s Ministry of Industry, the palm oil industry employs 4.5 million people, and is the single biggest export product of the country.

Why is Palm Oil an issue at all?

Palm oil destroys rainforests and kills orangutans

Palm oil is a major driver of deforestation of some of the world’s most biodiverse forests, destroying the habitat of already endangered species like the orangutan, pygmy elephant and the Sumatran rhino. In Indonesia alone, a forest area the size of Belgium is lost every 2 years (let this sink in).

While the deforestation directly contributes to the population decline of orangutans, the good news is that orangutans are resilient and can adapt to some level to new environments such as palm oil plantations. However, deforestation severely deteriorates the orangutan population indirectly through the increased killings by farmers protecting their harvest and through the new infrastructure making it easier for poachers to get further into the rainforest.

A recent study from 38 international institutions found that nearly 150,000 orangutans were killed in the period 1999 – 2015 in Borneo. In the last 75 years, the population has dropped by 80% to an estimated population of 104,000 orangutans on the island. And according to the researchers it will further fall by at least 45,000 by 2050 due to habitat loss alone without fresh efforts to protect them.

Palm oil is a major source of CO2 emissions

In preparing rainforest land for palm oil plantation, the most valuable trees are cut down and removed first. What remains is burned. Tropical deforestation is currently responsible for about 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions according to the IPCC, and the plantations to produce it account for 10% of permanent global cropland .

Palm oil facilitates child labor and inflicts local conflicts

The USA ranks the palm oil industry as one of the worst for forced and child labour , where children “carry large loads of heavy fruit, weed fields, and spend hours every day bent over collecting fruit from the plantation floor” for little compensation. The Indonesian government claims that “thousands of communities are involved in conflicts with companies, the state and each other” consequent to the industry.

Palm Oil and Tanjung Puting National Park

While Central Kalimantan has one of the fastest rates of oil palm expansion in the world, an unaware visitor to for example Tanjung Puting National Park – where we offer Borneo orangutan tours – may not even notice this.

If you look closely, though, you will see that as you cruise through the Sekonyer river that the Tanjung Puting National Park is on one side where you will have all the activities, while the other side is private land with palm oil trees.

We have noticed that some of our clients in Tanjung Puting National Park tend to blame “palm oil farmers” for the harmful effects of this industry to the rainforest destruction and the killing of orangutans.

While we understand this sentiment, we also recognise that local farmers simply try to keep themselves and their families out of poverty. Moreover, harvesting palm oil on private land is not an environmental issue if that land was already used for agriculture.

But then whom to blame? Well, it’s a complex issue, but instead of pointing at farmers, we think it is better to increase scrutiny on the following players:

The big industries – such as BW Plantations in Kalimantan – that expand their activities through deforestation and stealing land from native communities.

The village of Tanjung Harapan on the Sekonyer river in Tanjung Puting has over 100 families who are actively opposing the palm oil plantation and its expansion and demand the rights of the Sekonyer community to be returned.
Your political representatives that have not yet advocated the mandatory labelling of palm oil in your daily products to enhance customer awareness
The consumer. Let’s face it… in the end the palm oil industry just has a demand to meet… While blaming ourselves is inconvenient, it also means that we hold the key to solve the issue.

Then Why Is Palm Oil Used?

Palm oil simply serves the global demand for vegetable oil, accounting for about half of all packaged products in the supermarket according to WWF.

Compared to other vegetable oils such as soy, rapeseed, coconut or corn, palm oil has a superior yield and it produces up to 3-8 times more oil per unit area! Its high melting point make it smooth and easy to spread and it is the cheapest vegetable oil to produce and refine.

FIGURE 2. A comparison of the land efficiency for different vegetable oils relative to palm oil.

Therefore replacing palm oil with other oil crops would just displace the damaging biodiversity losses, rather than end the ecological destruction associated with palm oil .

Which Products Contain Palm Oil?

Well, the better question is which products do NOT contain palm oil. Fifty percent of all packaged products in the super market contain palm oil according to the WWP.

It provides the foaming agent in virtually every shampoo, liquid soap or detergent. It is widely used in tooth paste, frozen meals, sauces, oat meal and cleaning products. The below illustration gives you an impression of how you consume palm oil on a daily basis.

FIGURE 3. A Day in Your Life with Palm Oil, based on a design by Philadelphia Zoo (edited for readibility).

Yet, most consumers are not aware of their immense palm oil consumption, and even if they want to be more conscious about it they struggle because palm oil is rarely clearly labeled in the ingredients list.

Ingredients list for palm oil

Many products that use palm oil aren’t clearly labeled. Palm oil and its derivatives can appear under many names. Here are some of the used synonyms for palm oil according to the WWF.

INGREDIENTS. Vegetable Oil, Vegetable Fat, Palm Kernel, Palm Kernel Oil, Palm Fruit Oil, Palmate, Palmitate, Palmolein, Glyceryl, Stearate, Stearic Acid, Elaeis Guineensis, Palmitic Acid, Palm Stearine, Palmitoyl Oxostearamide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Kernelate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Sodium Lauryl Lactylate/Sulphate, Hyrated Palm Glycerides, Etyl Palmitate, Octyl Palmitate, Palmityl Alcohol

CONTAINS. Palm oil

How Can You Fight Palm Oil

The most effective solutions come from the demand side as suppliers are going to keep clearing forests until consumers force them to stop. Consumer awareness is needed about the link between the purchased products and the environmental disaster they’re causing. Beyond these generalities, here are 4 concrete actions you can take:

1. Consume Less Palm Oil

The most effective measure is simply to reduce your palm oil consumption. Use fresh ingredients for your meals as opposed to frozen dishes or processed food and switch your hand soap, tooth paste, shampoo or brand of biscuits to a sustainable alternative.

With such small changes to your shopping habits, you reduce your palm oil consumption and influence directional changes for global corporations.

2. Look for the RSPO Label

Major palm oil producers, consumers and the WWF established the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which is a certificate for palm oil that is produced in a sustainable manner.

There are still some issues with the RSPO label. It does not rule out the clearing of the rain forest, climate protection is ignored, compliance with the criteria is not consistently reviewed, and violations are rarely punished. Greenpeace even considers the RSPO to be “little more than greenwash”.

Nevertheless, it is the strongest certification for sustainable palm oil. Moreover, the RSPO management recognises the criticism and tries to address them with the help of NGOs.

If you aren’t sure whether a company uses sustainable palm oil as an ingredient, use the rating tool of the WWF.

3. Donate

Fortunately, there are many bright conservation organisations, activists and communities fighting the palm oil industry and rehabilitating wildlife suffering from it. Think of International Animal Rescue, Rainforest Action Network, Friends for National Parks Foundation and Save our Borneo.

However bright they are, this is a fight between David and Goliath and they depend on kindhearted volunteers and sponsors. Make a difference by financially supporting them.

4. Promote Eco-Tourism

You may think “Isn’t the most sustainable way of travelling, not to travel at all”? Mass tourism has severely impacted Indonesia, with fresh water reserves cemented for hotels, beaches littered with debris from revellers, and wild animals captured and displayed for entertainment.

While not travelling has the least direct environmental damage, the indirect damage could be much worse as it forces local governments to find other income streams and further strengthens the palm oil industry.

Instead, we advice to travel sustainably. Ecotours incentivise locals to conserve the rainforest and not destruct it. Choose a tour operator that genuinely cares about the environment. Read more about the importance of ecotourism in this post .

It’s surely our responsibility to do everything within our power to create a planet that provides a home not just for us, but for all life on earth.
– David Attenborough –

A Final Word

We have written this article to enhance costumer awareness about the devastating effects of our daily lives on the beautiful rainforests and wildlife in Indonesia and Malaysia.

We realise that we only reach a very small audience and that our contribution is tiny. But if we all would make a tiny contribution, couldn’t the sum add up to something immense? Couldn’t we make the difference together?

We only reach a small audience. Please help us spread the awareness and share this article with your network.

Want to see orangutans in untouched rainforests? Explore the jungle with us in Sumatra or Borneo.

Ultimate Guide to Tanjung Puting Orangutans

August 21, 2019 by Local-Guides Leave a Comment

In A Nutshell. Tanjung Puting is among the best places on earth to see orangutans. In a beautiful setting in a wooden “Klotok” boat, you cruise through the lush jungle, make jungle treks, visit ranger stations, have dinner prepared by your private chef, and exciting overnights on the jungle river under the stars.

About Tanjung Puting National Park

One of the best destinations in the world to see orangutans is Tanjung Puting National Park. In a beautiful setting in a wooden boat, called “Klotok”, you cruise through the jungle for several days.

Orangutans at feeding platform in Tanjung Puting

Orangutan Klotok Tour in Tanjung Puting Borneo with Local Guides

The park has 3 regions with different levels of accessibility. The Nucleus Zone is the most inner part of the park where most animals are and the most unique plants grow. This area is only accessible for research activities.

The Buffer Zone is basically the transition area from the inner Nucleus Zone to the outer Utilization Zone, in which only selected paths are accessible for common visitors, for which supervision by a ranger from the National Park is mandatory. We provide long jungle treks with rangers in this part of the park with our 5D4N Orangutan Tour.

Reading Tip:
Day-to-day itineraries for all Borneo Orangutan Tours
(click on the tab “Orangutan Tours” above the image slider)

The Utilization Zone is the outer area of Tanjung Puting National Park that visitors can access. Although almost all visitors only see this part of the National Park in their multi-day visit, the Utilization Zone only covers a tiny part of the National Park. The most famous sites of this zone are described below.

The 3 Days/2 Nights Orangutan Tour is the shortest and most popular tour, during which you visit all three orangutan feeding stations.

Map of Tanjung Puting National Park by Local Guides

Tanjung Harapan has historically been a site of the Sekonyer Village, while today it is a ranger’s post and an orangutan rehabilitation center. The feeding takes place at 3pm, and therefore this site is visited already on the first day of the Orangutan Tour. As it takes 3-4 hours to get from Pangkalan Bun to Tanjung Harapan, visitors should arrive before 11:30 am at the airport in Pangkalan Bun in order to do visit this site.
Pondok Tanggui is a relatively new rehabilitation center for orangutans. This is also a popular place to start treks into the jungle. The feeding at Pondok Tanggui starts at 9am.
Camp Leaky is a world famous research facility set up in 1971 by Louis Leakey and is the single reason behind the successful preservation of orangutans in Tanjung Puting National Park. Louis Leakey was the teacher of a few young primatologists, amongst whom were Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey who went on to become known worldwide for their research on chimpanzees and gorillas, respectively. Another student, Birute Galdikas, is currently the president of the Orangutan Foundation International. The feeding at Camp Leaky starts at 2 pm.

Reading Tip:
7 Tips for an Extraordinary Borneo Orangutan Tour

There are several other sites of interest that you may visit with the 4D3N or 5D4N tours. Camp Pesalat is a reforestation site which has been of indispensable value to the park after the fires in 2015. You can plant your own tree here for a donation, while this is also a good starting/ending point of a longer jungle trek. The Sekonyer Village is the only local village around Tanjung Puting National Park. The Palm Oil Factory is sadly still one of the main economic driver of the local community, and you could take a look at how such factory works.

What are the best orangutan tours

There are 3 different orangutan tours with a tour length of 3, 4 and 5 days, respectively.

We advice to take the 3D2N orangutan 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 jungle treks beyond walking to the feeding stations.
The 4D3N orangutan tour is for travellers that wish to combine visiting the feeding stations with jungle treks, a night trek, or even want to visit a reforestation site or the Sekonyer village.
The 5D4N orangutan tour is for the outdoors and adventurous travellers that don’t mind getting a little bit dirty. Additional to the 4D3N itinerary, you will do one long jungle trek together with rangers in a very remote and untouched part of the jungle (the “Buffer Zone”). 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. With this tour, you will also have the option to visit a palm oil factory.
With the Orangutan & Dayak Tours you combine an orangutan tour with a one or two night stay at the Dayak village which is 5 hours driving from Pangkalan Bun. Overnight in a traditional longhouse or in a tent in the jungle near a waterfall.

Below is a description of the 3D2N Orangutan Tour. You will find the day-to-day itineraries of the 4D3N and 5D4N orangutan tours as well as the Dayak Tours on the Tanjung Puting Tour page (click on the corresponding tab above the image slider).

Itinerary for 3D2N Orangutan Tour in Tanjung Puting

DAY 1: Pangkalan Bun – Kumai – Tanjung Harapan (L D)

Transfer service from Pangkalan Bun Airport (or at your hotel) to Kumai, where you’ll board the Klotok boat and meet your staff.

We use traditional Klotok wooden river boats of which the size depends on your group size. We only make use of boats with a Western toilet (not a squat toilet) and a Western shower (not a mandi).

There is a bottom deck for the crew and a top deck exclusively for you. The boats are open on the sides for the view, but in case of rain they can be closed. All your meals, snacks and drinks will be served in the boat. At nights your mattresses and mosquito nets are prepared.

It takes about an hour to get from the harbor in Kumai to the entrance of Tanjung Puting National Park. The first stop is at Tanjung Harapan where the orangutan feeding takes place at 15h.

We continue the cruise as the jungle is at its noisiest. We hear Proboscis monkeys, Macaques, Silver Langurs and colorful birds. Finally, it is time for a candle light dinner, and an exciting night in the jungle.

DAY 2: Pondok Tanggui – Camp Leakey – Nipa Area (B L D)

Included: entrance fee, boat, guide & boat staff, meals as mentioned

After breakfast, we cruise through the habitat of the Proboscis monkeys and the crocodiles as we go to Pondok Tanggui.

We visit the orangutan feeding here at 9 am. Then, we continue the cruise, turn in a junction of the river where the water color changes and gives a surreal dark reflection of the jungle.

We arrive at Camp Leakey, a research- and rehabilitation center for orangutans. The feeding takes place at 2 pm. If you are lucky you will meet here the “King of Camp Leaky”: a male orangutan named Big Tom.

After Camp Leakey, we cruise down slowly to the Nipa Palm Area, where we may see fire flies in the evening depending on the weather. We will have candle light diner and spend the night in this area.

DAY 3: Nipa Area – Kumai – Pangkalan Bun (Airport) (B)

Included: drop-off by car, entrance fee, boat, guide & boat staff, meals as mentioned

After breakfast we cruise through the lush jungle back to Kumai. You say goodbye to your staff and will be dropped off by car at Pangkalan Bun airport or at your hotel (around 10-11 am).

How to get to Tanjung Puting National Park?

The gateway to Tanjung Puting National Park is Pangkalan Bun. The most common way to get to Pangkalan Bun is by flying to the airport in Pangkalan Bun (Iskandar Airport). Currently, there are direct connections from Jakarta, Semarang, Surabaya in Java, and from Ketapang and Palangkaraya in Kalimantan.

A popular destination near Pangkalan Bun is Banjarmasin. There are no direct flights currently, and the most common way to get from Banjarmasin to Pangkalan Bun is by flying via Semarang. The more adventurous option is to first take the bus to Palangkaraya (±5 hours) and then continue by air.

You could use SkyScanner to search and book both the international flights to Indonesia as well as the domestic flights to Pangkalan Bun.

Where to stay in Pangkalan Bun?

Note: Although you can immediately start your borneo orangutan tour upon arrival before noon, you may want to spend the night before in Pangkalan Bun to start the tour rested or to not worry about flight delays.

The best hotel in Pangkalan Bun is Grand Kecubung Hotel (link to booking.com). Especially when you are with kids or you want to rest well in a luxury hotel for a relatively low price, this is the place to be. While the best around, Grand Kecubung Hotel is less luxury than resorts in popular destinations like Bali.

Recommended hotels in the middle and budget segments are the Arsela Hotel and Hotel Bahagia, respectively.

What is the best period to visit Tanjung Puting?

You can visit Tanjung Puting all year round. The temperature is rather constant and while it is often raining in Kalimantan, historically the most dry period has been July-August 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 is July-August. However, we want to emphasize that besides the weather advantages of this period, there are several downsides doing the Orangutan tour in July-August:

It is very crowded
It is relatively expensive as you are charged the high season price.
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 break-down of the boat engine, it is difficult for tour operators to hire another boat (which can easily be done for months outside July-August).

Considering the crowds and the value for money, in our opinion the best time to visit Tanjung Puting is in the shoulder months September-October and April-June.

Most travellers 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!

Which tour operator to choose for the Orangutan Tour?

There are many tour operators for the Tanjung Puting Orangutan Tours. The tour itineraries are fairly similar across tour operators so it can at times be difficult to make a choice.

We advice you to select the tour operator based on the boat quality, guide experience and of course the reviews they get.

Online Booking Form:
Book your Borneo Orangutan Tour Now

We are obviously biased, but we believe that our Tanjung Puting Orangutan Tours are among the best. We only use boats with Western facilities, we are known for working only with licensed guides that have a terrific track record and we have a user-friendly booking system and require only a relatively small deposit. Check out our reviews from travellers.

Packing essentials for the Tanjung Puting Orangutan Tour?

Comfortable, closed shoes
Light trousers & shirts with long sleeves
Towel and shampoo
Insect repellent (DEET 40%)
Flashlight
Small backpack for the treks
Camera

Also, while there are sockets onboard, we advice not to use them for charging electronic devices because the power is not constant and could break your device. Instead, bring a mobile charger with you! Consult your doctor about whether malaria pills are necessary. In case you wish, bring alcoholic beverage with you into Pangkalan Bun, as you cannot purchase it here.

Reading Tip:
7 Tips for an Extraordinary Borneo Orangutan Tour

Tips for Tanjung Puting Orangutan Tour

August 21, 2019 by Local-Guides Leave a Comment

Tanjung Puting is quite a detour from most people’s holiday itinerary, because there is not much else to do around Pangkalan Bun. So you want to make sure that the Borneo Orangutan Tour is worth the hassle to get here.

Here a few tips to help you choose a reliable tour operator and get a high-quality boat, and some thoughts on useful things to bring beyond the obvious (e.g. insect repellent, good shoes, long sleeves and sun cream) that will make your Orangutan Tour even more special:

Do these boat checks. Ask the tour operator whether their boats have Western showers (as opposed to a Mandi) and Western toilets (as opposed to a squat toilet). Check that they use fresh water in the boat and not river water (toilets are flushed into the river).
Ask for a Licensed Guide. Make sure that the tour operator only works with licensed guides, because these do not only know about the animals and flora and safety rules, but they are also trained in the English language.
Do a Night Trek. If you book a 3D2N Orangutan Tour, usually a night trek is not in the default itinerary, but chances are the tour operator provides this on demand. Night walks take 15-30 minutes during which you may find beautiful glowing mushrooms. Let your guide know even before you arrive in Pangkalan Bun that you wish to do a night trek. Please notice the night tours come with a cost; in case the tour operator offers it for free, please make sure to tip well.
Be the first to leave the feeding station. You will visit 3 feeding stations where you will see orangutans been fed on a platform. The feeding typically takes an hour or so, and the highlight is usually the beginning when orangutans arrive swinging from tree to tree. If you leave just before the crowd does, you will have no other boat in front of you as you cruise to the next stop and will enjoy the serenity of the river and jungle even more.
Bring Coffee & Beer. As part of the orangutan tour, you will be served with standard, local coffee, which is basically hot water with filter coffee, but then unfiltered. Some people love it, and others don’t. You may want to consider bringing your own instant coffee (or French Press) if you are sensitive for a good coffee. You may also want to consider bringing your own white wine or alcohol beverage to optimally enjoy the beautiful and romantic setting from the Klotok. You cannot buy alcohol in Pangkalan Bun because of the muslim customs, but you can bring it with you to Pangkalan Bun and consume it during the tour.
Mobile Charger. Although there are sockets aboard, we do not recommend to use these to charge electronic devices because the power engine of the boat does not supply a constant voltage (this holds for ALL boats). While the chances are minimal, your device could get damaged. Consider bringing a mobile charger (power bank), which can be bought at any outdoor store.
Hammock. 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. Check with your tour operator if they have hooks.
Luxury. We advice against taking a Klotok with AC. Firstly, the fresh breeze at night creates a very comfortable setting, and makes an AC most people unnecessary. Moreover, a Klotok with AC is not only expensive, they lock you behind windows, make a lot of noise and create bigger waves, which all spoil the jungle experience. If you insist on more luxury, take a regular boat and stay overnight at the Rimba ecolodge, located at the edge of the national park and accessible by boat. The rooms have AC, WiFi, and hot water. Some tour operators can book the rooms for you against local tariffs.
Tipping. While tipping is optional, it is a custom in Indonesia. So in case you like the service, please tip the boat crew well. The lockdowns following the Covid pandemic has pushed many locals into poverty. So your tip will not only be a kind courtesy, it will really make a difference to the lives of the people that have been part of your beautiful memories to Tanjung Puting National Park. A good tip would be 100.000 IDR per day for the guide and 50.000 IDR per day for each other crew member (cook, captain and boat helper).
Ecotourism. Palmoil is a big problem to the area around Tanjung Puting National Park. Primary forest is logged and orangutans are killed because the palmful industry is profitable and helps many locals out of poverty. A practical remedy would be to make the conservation of the jungle and wildlife even more profitable than the palm oil industry. This is why your visit is important, especially when you would choose an eco-tour operator. When you leave, you could act as an ambassador of the park by informing your network about our issues and by reducing your palm oil footprint.

More information about the Borneo Orangutan Tours by Local Guides

TripAdvisor

Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Award 2021

Can’t recommend enough! Incredible 5D/4N tour

Amazing Experience

BEST TRIP EVER!

Onvergetelijke Ervaring

Wundervolle Boottour!

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 ...

An Absolute Must!

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 ...

Excellent Tour

Super 4D/3N Tour!

Incredible Family Trip

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 ...

3 Days of WOWWW!

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 ...

We also offer orangutan tours ourselves. We are experienced and fun:-) guides, use boats with Western facilities, have a user-friendly booking system, require a relatively small deposit and have a 100% refund policy for all cancellations until 1 week prior to tour start (no questions asked).

Also when you book your tour with anyone else, feel always free to ask us for free advice so that we can make sure you leave our backyard with beautiful memories. In case there is anything we can help you with, just contact us.

Amazing Experience

January 12, 2019 by Local-Guides Leave a Comment

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. The food was delicious and in fact, all of our needs got satisfied. Our Guide Johannes could give us all the insights in perfect english. He created such a special flair on the boat that we could absolutely enjoy it. It was such a good balance between relaxing by ourselves, interesting talks with the guide and exploring the rain forest. We saw a lot of Orang Utans and several other monkeys. Because our flight back was in the afternoon, we even got a short city tour and a lunch before we were taken to the airport. Thanks to all the Crew!

BEST TRIP EVER!

January 12, 2019 by Local-Guides Leave a Comment

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 was quite nice ans of course seeing the orangoutans is something to do. The food on the boat was perfect! Too much! We tasted so many local food and really tasty. The breakfasts were complete. Our guide, Nur, contacted us by whats app before to ask us our specific requests. We were in contact and that was a nice thing. He and his team did they best for us. We had an amazing time and Nur is an excellent guide. He knows a lot about the area and answered all our questions. He is always smily and it is really important fpr him that we are happy. We saw a lot of animals and he explained a lot about the plants. We planted a tree for the reforestation and we really think that it should be mandatory. After 3 days in the jungle you understand the importance od it for the nature and animals. Please note that the bathroom is not supposed to be a 5 stars hotel, it is somethin traditional. And it’s amready goog to have a shower in the jungle. You will have a million stars sky for your nights in the jungle. I recommand this tour and this guide.

Best Tour with Local Guides

November 18, 2018 by Local-Guides Leave a Comment

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 jungle lodge, a delicious diner completed the fascinating day! We slept under the mosquito nets although it was not really needed, and the jungle sounds made it so surreal! The other days were simply a continuation of the tremendous fun! Please be informed that the tours always end in the morning with all travel operators. unlike what others suggest, we found this extremely transparently communicated, and we were more than surprised when we even got a free city tour at the including lunch before we were dropped off at the airport to get to our late departing flight. i am very grateful to Local Guides (local-guides dot org) as a trusted travel agent .. very recommended! Kriss

Super 4D/3N Tour!

October 31, 2018 by Local-Guides Leave a Comment

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 off on the tour. Nur and our actual guide Chris met us at the hotel on time and took us to the harbour to get onto the boat (Hanesa 70). We were introduced to the rest of the crew and provided with some hot and cold drinks while we waited for the boat to be fully prepared. From here, the tour was absolutely amazing. The scenery of the park as you move through the river is incredible. We were lucky enough to see wild orangutan, proboscis monkeys and wild birds on the way to the feeding stations too. The tour took a leisurely pace and gave us plenty of time at each feeding station to watch the orangutan and other animals. Chris was always on hand to answer questions and even at one point provided us umbrellas when it started raining. We also took the opportunity to visit the nearby village, a reforestation project for a tree planting (take a donation with you!) and go on a night trek through the forest too to see tarantula and scorpions. After the end of the tour, we also managed to visit some other local attractions before going to the airport. What impressed me most was the amazing service on the boat. We had the top deck of the boat to ourselves and the staff would come to prepare the beds and then remove them each day for us. We had dinner on the deck and slept there too which was an incredible experience (a mosquito net and bedding is provided – but bring your own towel). There was an opportunity to shower every day – this was a cold shower but works perfectly for us as we wanted to reduce environmental impact. The food was incredible. We were treated to breakfast, lunch and dinner and even snacks each day – including a surprise lunch just before we left to the airport! Nur, Chris and the team were able to provide us a vegetarian diet to meet our request and the food was amazing. The rice and vegetables were great and the fruit was so amazingly sweet and tasty. I really recommend a booking here. Thanks everyone! Iago

Onvergetelijke Ervaring

August 29, 2018 by Local-Guides Leave a Comment

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) was prima (met een western toilet en douche. dit is echt niet standaard voor alle boten van alle maatschappijen). De bemanning zorgde ervoor dat alles op rolletjes liep de hele dag en de gids (Dewa Yoss) sprak heel goed engels en was heel relaxed. Het is echt een gave ervaring om te doen met je gezin. Je zult (heel) veel oerang oetans en neusapen zien. De trip wordt verkocht als 3 dagen/2 nachten maar de eerste dag is eigenlijk maar een halve dag en de laatste dag is alleen maar de terugtocht s’morgens. Desalniettemin is het fantastisch. En als je bedenkt wat ze in Afrika voor de gorilla’s vragen(USD 600 voor 1 dag met 1 uurtje bij de gorilla’s) is dit echt een koopje. Is niet helemaal te vergelijken maar toch. Voor het bedrag per persoon heb je “3” dagen/ 2 nachten all inclusive, een privé boot, een privé gids en een privé crew (kapitein, kok en scheepsmaatje). Er zijn geen bijkomende kosten (entrees etc). Je moet er natuurlijk wel nog heen vliegen (en eventueel overnachten) maar vanuit Java is dit ook zeer goedkoop. Het is een groot avontuur. Het lijkt alsof je heel veel tijd op de boot hebt maar dat is helemaal niet zo. Je gaat naar diverse voederplatforms en maakt diverse wandelingen. Het rondvaren is ook geweldig. S’avonds wordt zomaar ergens aangelegd in de natuur en krijg je een diner bij kaarslicht. Unieke ervaring. Zeker doen. Johannes

Excellent Tour

June 11, 2018 by Local-Guides Leave a Comment

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 gorgeous jungle river entire day. Sleeping under sky with pink mosquito net and listening amazing jungle sound…simply unforgettable. This company deserves my high recommendation. Special thanks for our local guide Nur. Tatashka

Palm Oil Deforestation

What You Can Do About It

A brief introduction to Palm oil

Why is Palm Oil an issue at all?

Palm oil destroys rainforests and kills orangutans

Palm oil is a major source of CO2 emissions

Palm oil facilitates child labor and inflicts local conflicts

Palm Oil and Tanjung Puting National Park

Then Why Is Palm Oil Used?

Which Products Contain Palm Oil?

Ingredients list for palm oil

How Can You Fight Palm Oil

1. Consume Less Palm Oil

2. Look for the RSPO Label

3. Donate

4. Promote Eco-Tourism

A Final Word

Tanjung Puting

The Ultimate Guide

About Tanjung Puting National Park

What are the best orangutan tours

Itinerary for 3D2N Orangutan Tour in Tanjung Puting

DAY 1: Pangkalan Bun – Kumai – Tanjung Harapan (L D)

DAY 2: Pondok Tanggui – Camp Leakey – Nipa Area (B L D)

DAY 3: Nipa Area – Kumai – Pangkalan Bun (Airport) (B)

How to get to Tanjung Puting National Park?

Where to stay in Pangkalan Bun?

What is the best period to visit Tanjung Puting?

Which tour operator to choose for the Orangutan Tour?

Packing essentials for the Tanjung Puting Orangutan Tour?

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