Borneo Great Ape Photography Tour - Indonesia

The Borneo Great Ape Photography Tour focuses primarily on one of the most intelligent and expressive primates on Earth — the Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus). Watching and photographing these gentle giants in their natural rainforest canopy is a truly humbling experience. From tender mother-infant moments to powerful males navigating the treetops, each encounter offers an intimate look into their complex lives and emotions.

Beyond orangutans, the Bornean rainforest teems with incredible biodiversity. You’ll have the chance to photograph Proboscis Monkeys, known for their distinctive long noses and riverine agility; Silvery Lutung and Red Leaf Monkeys, and Pig-tailed Macaques, both vibrant subjects for behavior-based photography; and the elusive Bornean Gibbon, whose melodic calls echo through the misty forests at dawn.

The avian life is equally spectacular, with Rhinoceros Hornbills, Oriental Pied Hornbills, Kingfishers, Broadbills, and colorful forest songbirds adding vivid splashes of motion and color to your frames. Reptiles, butterflies, and amphibians of extraordinary diversity complete the ecosystem, making every step in the field a visual discovery.

For photographers, this is a rare chance to capture Borneo’s rainforest ecosystem in its purest form — from towering dipterocarp trees to the iconic great apes that define its soul.

 Day 1: Arrival at Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan

The tour begins at Pangkalan Bun Town of Central Kalimantan in Borneo Island. We suggest to take any flight which arrives in Kalimantan in the afternoon. We will pick you up from Iskandar Airport and drop you at your Hotel which is 20 mins drive from the Airport in the town of Pangkalan Bun. Brief orientation about the next 5 days and the rest of the day you can relax. (L/D)

 Day 2: Pankalan Bun – Kumai – Tanjung Putting National Park

We get up early and have breakfast in the Hotel around 8 AM. Freshen up and pack our baggages as our cab waits to take us to the Klotok, the houseboat we stay for next 5 days. It is approx. 30 – 40 mins drive while we cross across the beautiful town of Pangkalan Bun before we reach the port of Kumai. Once we reach we will be greeted by our boat crew along with our guide. We settle down while they take care of our stay and comfort. Today rest of the day we cruise through the Sekonyer River. The first day we get used to the conditions in the forest, understanding and estimating the efforts required to shoot in this new set up of the boat. The late afternoon is a good time when we come across the Probiscis Monkeys sitting on trees near the banks in beautiful evening light. In the evening we sit and overview the images we made today. Dinner will be served at 7:30 PM and then lights would be off. (B/L/D)

 Day 3 – 5: Cruise through Sekonyer River – Camp visit

The next three days we will follow almost the same routine. Get up early around 5:30 AM, get ready over a cup of tea/coffee while the captain and crew prepare the boat for sail. We start our cruise around 6AM. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be cooked and served fresh on the boat. You will have fresh water in bathrooms, charging points for camera gears and crew at your service all the time for any needs. While they are busy keeping us comfortable, we look through various opportunities to make good images cruising through the Sekonyer River. Though our primary target are the primates of the region like Orangutans, Silvered Leaf and Red Leaf Monkeys, Probiscis Monkeys, and Gibbons, we might also get the opportunity to capture few rare bird species across the riverbank. If we are lucky we might come across the endemic Rhinoceros Hornbill, Helmeted Hornbill, or the Black Hornbill.

There are three camps, namely Pondok Tanggui, Tanjung Harapan and Camp Leaky, in Tanjung Puting National Park which we will visit, one on each day. These camps were previously used for rehabilitation and release for formerly captive orangutans. Though these camps are not in use anymore but they provide daily feedings to ex-captive orangutans and their offsprings as a nutritional supplement to their diet. One should note the orangutans are not reliant on the food provided at the camps as they are well accustomed with the natural habitat and food supply in the forest. However, visiting the camp is the only chance when you could spend a couple of hours on foot inside the dark and deep rain forest. You also get opportunities to closely capture the wild orangutans, and occasionally other primates like white-bearded gibbons and red leave monkeys, which roam freely in the surrounding. The natural light inside the forest is something which any photographer would love.

Once we are back in our boat, we spend the rest of the day cruising through the Sekonyer River and exploring the area for other primates or birds. Enjoying the beautiful sunset in the Bornean Forest, at 5:30 PM we anchor the boat. This is the time when we review the images we made over a cup of tea/coffee. At 7:30 PM we have dinner after which the light goes off. (B/L/D)

 Day 6: Tanjung Putting National Park – Kumai – Pankalan Bun Airport

This will be our last morning in the beautiful Bornean Forest. We set sail around 6AM on our journey back to the port of Kumai while enjoying the ride and our breakfast. From the port we drop you to Iskandar Airport around 10AM for your forward journey. (B)

Please note:

i) The program has been prepared keeping in mind the daily flights between Jakarta (Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, T1) and Pungkalan Bun (Iskandar Airport). 

ii) There are direct domestic flights daily from Jakarta to Pangkalan Bun (Recommendation: NAM Air Flifgt IN190 at 10:25 AM from Jakarta/NAM Air Flight IN191 at 10:50 AM from Pangkalan Bun)

iii) Book your flight and Hotel in Jakarta a day before the start of the tour. (Recommendation: Air Asia flights which comes via Kuala Lampur arrives in Terminal 2 in Jakarta. Book Jakarta Airport Hotel for your stay which is strategically inside Terminal 2 and you won’t need any pickup and drop)

iv) Our program starts from Pangkalan Bun on Day 1 and ends in Pangkalan Bun on Day 6. Your round trip domestic flights to and from Pangkalan Bun needs to be booked by you. We may however assist you if you need any help.

v) Alternatively, you may stay the night in the Forest Cottage at an extra cost, instead of the boat. There is only one provision inside the forest with airconditioned rooms. Kindly let us know early so we can reserve them in advance. 

vi) Indonesian Visa for tourists in on arrival. However, to save time in immigration we recommend you apply eVOA (eVisaOnArrival) online before travelling on their official website Indonesian eVoa Information (imigrasi.go.id)

Visitor Visa fee is IDR 500.000,00 (Approx. Rs 2800) and will be send to your mail immediately.

vii) At immigration you need the following.

1. Passport valid for atleast 6 months from your date of entry.

2. Return Flight Details.

3. Hotel bookings

To register for this photography tour you may send us your query/information through the ‘Contact Us’ tab or directly write to us at info@wildwondersexpeditions.com. We will revert soon with further details and the mode of payment. You may also give us a call at the below numbers.

+91 9874847774 / +91 7439705797