DAY 01 : BALIKPAPAN ARRIVAL – SAMBOJA LODGE
Upon your arrival in Balikpapan, pick up service by our guide team then transfer to Samboja Lodge.
It takes about 1 – 1 ½ hours or about 45 km in some bumpy road drive depend on the condition of the road Samboja Lodge is a venture of Borneo OrangUtan Survival (BOS) Foundation. Here visitors will be able to gain first-hand knowledge on what is required to rebuild a forest and protest its wildlife, especially in our effort to preserve the rainforest and critical endangered Bornean orangutan. Samboja lodge's unique design is based on local architecture. All interior and exterior walls are made from recycled materials. The cosmetic touches are all traditional handicraft and are produced by local and dayak communities around the area. It is surrounded by lush vegetation and each room has its own patio or balcony from which to enjoy surrounding forest. For the time being The Lodge has in total 26 rooms completed, 22 standard with Air-conditioning, Two Suite Rooms with Air-conditioning and hot water shower and 2 treetops suites, with fantastic view, and off course Air conditioning and hot water shower. The Lodge is completed with a towering area to oversee the Jungle area, a Lobby and a Restaurant, laundry service and kitchen facilities, including an Internet access area. The time for you to observe Samboja lodge with such a beautiful surroundings forest. Lunch and dinner at the lodge.
DAY 02 : SAMBOJA LODGE – ORANGUTAN ISLAND – SUN BEAR SANCTUARY
After breakfast at the appropriate time you will lead by the guide then walk about 10 minutes or drive away to the island of Orangutan to see feeding time. Actually you can make semi research trip by monitoring their behavior in their island.
More about ORANGUTAN ISLANDS
Some of our orangutans live on six man-made islands (a nice walk from Samboja lodge). The island orangutans are not releasable and we have placed them on these island so they can live comfortably in semi-wild environment. Every day our team delivers many kind of fruits, vegetables and leafy branches. We could use your help in making new behavior enrichment devices for them, preparing their food and even in recording observation data! Activities at the islands begin at 8am and continue until 4pm.
Then you can also combine with visiting the Sun Bear Santuary. Based on our experience there is 2 island that possible to be visited (except there is maintenance) and for the time being 5 orangutan can be possible to be visited and at least 3 orangutan can be seen. About SUN BEAR SANCTUARY : Samboja lestari is home to one of the world’s largest sun bear projects. You can help with the maintenance of enclosures, observations on the behavior enrichment, preparing and giving of food. Activities at sun bear sanctuary are from 8am to 4pm. The bear facility is a short of 15 minutes’ walk from Samboja lodge. Beside orangutan and bear you may experience to see pig tail macaque, birds, and some others endemic wildlife.
Lunch, dinner and stay overnight at Samboja Lodge.
PS :
It could be night trek with special arrangement but would be informed long days in advance
DAY 03 : SAMBOJA LODGE - SUNGAI WAIN – SAMBOJA LODGE
After early breakfast (or if possible breakfast box) transfer to Sungai Wain about more or less 1 hour . Sungai Wain is the former releasing site for around 80 orangutan beside the home for Malayan sun bear, Proboscis Monkey, 242 birds plus 9 species of Hornbill.. Upon arrival in Sungai Wain, we meet local team and bring us to the jungle searching for all those beautiful creatures. This is one of preserve jungle close to Balikpapan City. The trek is easy and some part little bit muddy but rich of exotic wildlife. Actually this place is the home for the endangered rare Argust Pheasant but you need special arrangement to see this beautiful creatures. After trekking then back to the place where we start to trek for lunch. In the late afternoon we will starting slowly boating on the river by long motorized canoe boat searching for Proboscis Monkey and could be also Estuarine Crocodile. Back to Sungai Wain and drive to Samboja Lodge for Dinner and overnight. (B, L, D).
DAY 04 : SAMBOJA LODGE – BUKIT BANGKIRAI/ SHOREA HILLS – BALIKPAPAN
After breakfast check out hotel then we drive about 1 hour to Bukit Bangkirai (Bangkirai Hill) an area in East Kalimantan/East Borneo made for conservation of tropical trees endemic to Borneo Island, especially East Kalimantan province. It’s located about 58 km from Balikpapan or more or less 1 ½ hour or 150 km away from Samarinda or Tenggarong or 20 km away from Samboja District with some bumpy road. This place is called Bukit Bangkirai or Shorea Hills. Along with its uniqueness, there are also canopy bridges built for observation tower. Bukit Bangkirai covers the area of 1500 hectares to protect Bangkirai trees (Shorea laevis), Keruing trees (Dipterocarpus Comutus), Jelutung trees (Dyera Constulata), Kempas trees (Koompassia malaccensis), rattan (Calamus sp.), and other tropical trees endemic to Borneo/Kalimantan Island. Bangkirai Hill covered protected tropical rain forest dominated by Bengkirai Tree with about 40 – 50 m high and diameter 2,3 meter with average age of the tree about 150 years old . The canopy bridges in Bukit Bangkirai were made from 64 meters of steel connecting 5 huge Bangkirai/Shorea Laevis trees. This canopy bridges were built at 30 meters above the ground. This is normal since Shorea Laevis could grow more than 30 meters tall. In this place we will observing the typical Borneo rainforest, then soft jungle trekking to enjoy with canopy bridge. This Canopy Bridge is the first Canopy Bridge were built in Indonesia, second in Asia and 8th in the world. In this Canopy Bridge you will spot very beautiful canopy forest the natural habitat for gibbon, Hornbill, Asian Paradise Fly catcher, red leaf eating monkey and other endemic wildlife of Borneo. .. Back to Balikpapan for lunch and catch your late afternoon or night flight to next destination or extend the trip to other places in east Kalimantan. TOURS END – END OF SERVICES
