Borneo Orangutans of Tanjung Puting: Self-Launched Klotok Adventure
7 days · Indonesia (Jakarta & Kalimantan, Borneo)
G Adventures charges £800
No-markup version: ~£595 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of G Adventures' 7-day Borneo orangutan trip: fly into Jakarta, then hop to Pangkalan Bun in Central Kalimantan and charter (or join a shared) traditional klotok riverboat for three nights on the Sekonyer River. You'll self-book local guides for the Tanjung Harapan, Pondok Tanggui and Camp Leakey feeding stations, take a night trek, and cruise past proboscis monkeys and hornbills — then return to Jakarta for a day of mangroves or markets. Everything is bookable independently through local Pangkalan Bun boat operators, klook/GetYourGuide for city extras, and Indonesian domestic airlines (Batik Air, Citilink, Lion Air). Costs are backpacker-level estimates.
Day-by-day
Arrive Jakarta
Jakarta
Land at Soekarno-Hatta (CGK), complete your All-Indonesia arrival card online within 72 hours of arrival to get your QR code, and buy a local e-SIM at the airport (Telkomsel, ~£6 for 20GB). Take the Railink airport train to BNI City station (~£2) or a Blue Bird metered taxi (~£8) to a hostel in Menteng or Jalan Jaksa. Evening: eat street-side nasi goreng or sate at a warung and sort tomorrow's domestic flight booking.
🚌Railink airport train ~£2 or Blue Bird taxi ~£8
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Menteng/Jaksa (~£10/night)
- →Airport rail link to city
- →Menteng / Jaksa street food wander
Fly to Pangkalan Bun & board the klotok
Jakarta → Pangkalan Bun → Tanjung Harapan
Early domestic flight CGK to Pangkalan Bun (PKN) with Batik Air, Citilink or Lion Air — book direct online, roughly £45-60 one way, ~1h20. Book your klotok package in advance by email/WhatsApp with a local Pangkalan Bun operator (many run 3-night all-inclusive trips at ~£90-120 per person for a shared boat, or ~£180-240 for a private 2-person charter including crew, cook, park fees and guide). Drive ~20 min to Kumai port and board. First stop: Tanjung Harapan feeding station for the 3pm orangutan feed, then moor for the night and head out on a guided night trek (~£8) with a park ranger to spot tarsiers, sleeping birds and fireflies.
🚌Domestic flight ~£50; hotel transfer to Kumai ~£5; klotok boat
🛏Traditional klotok riverboat, shared deck + mosquito net (part of package)
- →Domestic flight to Pangkalan Bun
- →Tanjung Harapan feeding station
- →Night jungle trek with ranger
Tanjung Harapan village, Camp Leakey & river wildlife
Tanjung Harapan → Camp Leakey → Pondok Tanggui
Breakfast cooked on board, then a short walk through Tanjung Harapan village with your guide (~£5 donation/tip basis) to meet local families and see the school. Cruise upriver watching the banks for proboscis monkeys, long-tailed macaques, hornbills, kingfishers and monitor lizards. Afternoon at Camp Leakey — home of Biruté Galdikas' orangutan research since 1971 — for the 2pm feeding and a walk around the information centre. Dinner on deck and moor overnight near Pondok Tanggui.
🚌Klotok boat (included in package)
🛏Klotok riverboat
- →Tanjung Harapan village visit
- →Camp Leakey feeding & research centre
- →Wildlife spotting from deck
Pondok Tanggui morning feed & final river cruise
Pondok Tanggui → Kumai
Up early for the 9am feed at Pondok Tanggui feeding station — smaller crowds than Camp Leakey and a good chance of seeing mothers with infants. Trek a short forest loop with your guide, then cruise back downriver to Kumai, spotting wildlife on the way. Final night aboard the klotok with dinner cooked by the crew; sundowners on deck as the jungle goes quiet.
🚌Klotok boat
🛏Klotok riverboat
- →Pondok Tanggui feeding station
- →Short guided forest trek
- →Sunset cruise back to Kumai
Disembark & free day in Pangkalan Bun
Kumai → Pangkalan Bun
Breakfast on board, tip the crew and guide (~£10-15 total is standard), disembark at Kumai and drive back to Pangkalan Bun. Check into a local guesthouse (Hotel Andika or similar, ~£10-12). Afternoon: rent a scooter (~£5) or grab a ojeg to the Istana Kuning sultan's palace and the riverside market, or book a half-day tour to see the proboscis monkey reserve at Tanjung Keluang. Cheap seafood dinner by the harbour.
🚌Kumai to Pangkalan Bun road transfer ~£5; local scooter hire ~£5
🛏Budget guesthouse, Pangkalan Bun (~£11/night)
- →Istana Kuning palace & river market
- →Optional Tanjung Keluang proboscis reserve
- →Harbour seafood dinner
Fly back to Jakarta & explore the capital
Pangkalan Bun → Jakarta
Morning flight back to CGK (~£50). Drop bags at your hostel and spend the afternoon either kayaking the mangrove forest of Taman Wisata Alam Angke Kapuk — bookable through Klook/GetYourGuide from ~£18 — or thrift and antique shopping on Jalan Surabaya. Evening in Kota Tua for Dutch colonial architecture and iced coffee, or a rooftop bar for a last look over the city.
🚌Domestic flight ~£50; TransJakarta bus ~£1; Grab ~£3
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Jakarta (~£11/night)
- →Domestic flight to Jakarta
- →Mangrove kayak tour (Tamang Wisata Alam)
- →Jalan Surabaya antique market / Kota Tua
Depart Jakarta
Jakarta
Breakfast, then take the Railink train or a Grab back to Soekarno-Hatta for your international departure. If you have a late flight, squeeze in the National Museum (free-£2) or a final bowl of bakso near your hostel.
🚌Railink airport train ~£2; Grab back to airport if early/late ~£8
🛏—
- →Transfer to airport
- →Optional National Museum
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£595 | £800 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £205 per person (26%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£595
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Borneo Orangutans of Tanjung Puting: Self-Launched Klotok Adventure cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £595 per person for 7 days in Indonesia (Jakarta & Kalimantan, Borneo). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £800 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £595 — a saving of roughly £205 (26%) per person.
How long is the Indonesia (Jakarta & Kalimantan, Borneo) trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Indonesia (Jakarta & Kalimantan, Borneo).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, wildlife, backpacker trip through Indonesia (Jakarta & Kalimantan, Borneo), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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