Island Hopping Indonesia - Audley Travel

Island Hopping Indonesia : Group TourPangkalan Bun introductionPangkalan Bun is the gateway to Tanjung Puting National Park and a pleasant stopover if travelling elsewhere in Kalimantan. This tidy town with its wide streets,attractive residences and warm and friendly locals creates a convivial and appealingatmosphere.Pangkalan Bun, Kalimantan, IndonesiaPangkalan Bun to Tanjung Puting National Parkgroup transfer with lunch on boardFrom the airport you will travel around 25 minutes by car to the small port townof Kumai. At Kumai you will be welcomed on board your Klotok boat by thefriendly crew and begin your journey upstream.The first stage of your journey is along the main shipping route that leads out tothe Java sea and you will pass several trade and passenger boats, as well as thesimple shacks that the Dayak tribes have built on the waterfront. After about 30minutes you will escape the river traffic and head up a tributary called the 'Big'Sekonyer River. This river forms the border of Tanjung Puting National Park andslowly narrows and fills with mangroves and palms as you journey along. The openupper deck allows you to soak up the sunshine and look out on to the rainforestwhere you may see proboscis monkey, crab-eating macaque, false gharial crocodileand perhaps even your first orang-utan!On route you are likely to see all manner of wildlife so having your binoculars andcamera handy is a good idea!Tanjung Puting introductionStaying in Tanjung Puting is something truly memorable. Making your way throughthe national park, along its narrow backwaters under the jungle canopy, you get aninstant feeling of being back to nature. You are captivated completely by the purityof the air, the openness of the night sky with the most remarkable view of theMilky Way, the magnificence and dignity of the gentle orang-utan, the thunderingdownpours that instantly cool the air, and the clarity of the brilliant crimsonsunsets.The national park itself is mainly composed of low lying swampy terrain with acomplex pattern of black water rivers running through it. Mangrove swamps linethe rivers with the forest canopy developing away from here up to 150 feet high.Short treks through the forest generally follow ranger's trails but if you want toexplore further a field you will be creating your own path through some ofBorneo's most pristine jungle.Itinerary in detail 19