Hi All,
We have been excited for this trip since we booked it a couple of months ago and it certainly didn't disappoint! After a lot of research, we decided on a private houseboat to take us on the four day trip up river into Tanjung Puting National Park where we hoped to fulfil a childhood dream of Ross’ to see wild orangutans. It's a long post from us this time so if you haven't got 10 minutes to spare, just skip to the multitude of photos and let them do the talking!
Day 1:
After an early start we got our flight over from Java to Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo where we were greeted by Fardi who runs the expedition company (http://www.orangutanhouseboattour.com/). We chatted about the conservation area over some tea and coconut pandan pancakes. He spoke openly about a difficult childhood, how he learned English by working as a cleaner in a hotel and now owns a few hand built kalots (traditional wooden houseboats). We arrived at the jetty and boarded our boat which felt like such a luxury, it was huge and had four staff members just for us! With a driver, assistant, cook and guide we felt like royalty as we set off towards the jungle.
Initially the river banks were dominated by palms but after a couple of hours of slowly chugging along we saw more and more tall trees and became surrounded by dense jungle. Clouds drew in and we could hear distant thunder as it started to rain so our crew lowered the tarpaulin. We stood out in the rain watching a troop of proboscis monkeys with babies. It was fascinating to watch them swing from tree to tree and groom each other’s fur. They are only found in Borneo so it felt really special to see them. Their long noses give them a very 'distinctive' look!
We enjoyed an incredible dinner on board the boat with a huge selection of dishes just for the two of us. This set the precedent for the next few days during which we enjoyed: chilli fish, fried soy chicken, sambal squid and crispy tofu. Each meal was always served with a vegetable side dish (or two) and a different fruit each time (10 varieties in total!). Despite looking at each feast as though it was enough for four, we still manged to finish the lot!
Day 2:
We awoke early excited for the day ahead and pulled back our mosquito net to reveal the view of the rising sun above the water - not a bad start to the day! Our crew started up the engine and we began to head to feeding platform 2; one of three platforms used by researchers to feed the orangutans in the National Park. Of the 10,000 orangutans in the park, the vast majority are wild however those that still come to feed are classed as semi-wild; these orangutans were either released during the original conservation projects back in the 1970's or are their direct descendants. While some still like to interact with humans, most of the younger generation have become fully wild and never return to platforms.
As we cruised up the river we spotted more proboscis monkeys, bright blue king fishers, soaring rhinoceros hornbills and crocodiles lurking in the shallow waters. All of this amazing wildlife was enjoyed from the comfort of our loungers, cup of tea in hand at the front of the boat. During the intervals between animals, Danielle laid back reading while Ross clutched onto the binoculars hoping for an orangutan to come and pick some of the young shoots from the river bank.
Our captain moored up the boat and we headed on a short walk through the jungle with our guide Sophian to reach feeding platform 2. Rangers came and placed bananas and guava on the raised wooden ‘stage’ but none of the orangutans fancied making an appearance. A squirrel came to entertain us while we waited but unfortunately there was still no sign of an orangutan after over an hour. We walked back to the boat feeling pretty deflated, both silently hoping that this wasn’t going to be a repeat of our Indian safari (4 days of searching with only a fleeting glimpse of a tiger).
When we turned off the main river towards Camp Leakey, Sophian pointed out the distinct colour change of muddy brown to clear black water. He explained this was due to tannins in the wood and lack of agriculture deeper within the National Park. We were both unusually quiet as we drew near to the docking station for feeding platform 3. The knots in our stomachs grew in anticipation as we hiked for 2km through the jungle to reach Camp Leakey - the oldest of the rehabilitation centres. We were both absolutely amazed to find a beautiful mother orangutan (named Gara) and her two year old baby hanging in the trees as we arrived. We watched in awe as she climbed down onto the platform, retrieving bananas then retreating to the trees to enjoy them. The adorable baby clung to her mother so tightly at all times. The mother’s movements were incredible but not so cute with a mouth full of bananas! Before long they had eaten their fill and swung into the jungle, disappearing though the trees. We couldn’t believe our luck when just 10 minutes after they had left, a huge male (named Terry) arrived. He made light work of the milk left for them and soon polished off the entire bucket! He moved onto the second bucket, helped himself to some bananas and strode powerfully back off to the forest.
That evening we put our head torches on and set off on a night walk. Sophian had jokingly strapped a machete around his waist in case of a leopard; although we later found out he did once have one chase him when he had stopped to photograph a frog! At the base of a mossy tree we found a small hole about big enough for a tennis ball. Sophian whittled a stick and stroked the web carpet at the holes entrance. A huge (and we mean huge!) tarantula crawled out and grabbed it. He hastily dropped the stick explaining the bite was extremely poisonous to adults and fatal in children! Further down the track we saw moths, bats and came across a massive centipede so poisonous Sophian dare not antagonise it. We kept an eye out for a tarsus (the worlds smallest primate) or mouse deer but only saw a roosting bird and tiny yet beautiful spotted frog.
Day 3:
We were woken early by the sound of whooping gibbons which sure beats the alarm of an iPhone! Sophian suggested we retrace our steps from last night in daylight. It felt good to walk off some of the amazing food we’ve been treated to, even if we didn’t spot any larger animals. Sophian pointed to a rotten tree which lay scattered all over the path explaining it would have been torn apart by a pangolin or porcupine trying to find grubs in the early hours. He suddenly sprinted ten metres or so away and hastily brushed his (bare) feet. We followed suit then looked down to see the whole area covered in fire ants! Further down the track we stopped to admire a trail of termites. It was like a motorway with two lanes for different directions and solider termites policing the hard shoulder, removing the twigs we placed in their path.
Back on board we had breakfast and headed back towards feeding station number 2. As we walked the trail to the feeding platform Sophian stopped us as there was a distant crash of branches over to our left. He turned round with a huge grin and said the orangutan will come to us. Patiently we waited as the sound became louder and we could make out the orange silhouette of a mother (named Richa) and baby (named Rowa) in the canopy. Before long they were right over us. Rowa was a 4 year old 'toddler' so was playfully swinging around with mum no more than a tree away. As we clambered through the trees following beneath them, we kept glancing at each other with absolute excitement in our eyes. Clearly aware we were there but not bothered by our presence they continued to the platform for their breakfast coming within a metre or two of us as they crossed over the path. Once they had finished their guava they climbed back into the jungle. We were awestruck to have got so close to a mother and baby, a once in a lifetime experience.... or so we’d thought!
That afternoon we revisited Camp Leakey and it's visitor centre (https://orangutan.org/our-projects/research/camp-leakey/). It was fascinating to see the family trees of some of the original orangutans who were released into the park. The wild orangutan population has increased dramatically as a direct result of the conservation work by the scientists and rangers. However, these beautiful animals are now under threat from human activity. Before visiting we were already aware that palm oil plantations were encroaching on the reserve but didn't realise the extent of the problem. We learnt that these farmers bribe their way to securing jungle and flatten it to make way for more profitable oil palms, destroying orangutans’ and other native species’ habitat. Learning this and watching David Attenborough's most recent series (Our Planet on nextflix) has really highlighted the role we play in destroying the environment.
Back on the trail chatting to each other we almost didn’t notice the orangutan walking straight towards us! We stood aside to let her pass and noticed it was Gara who we had seen yesterday. She walked a little further and grabbed a tree to pose for some photos, proudly showing off the baby clinging tightly to her bright orange hair before she climbed a tree to escape the growing paparazzi! We watched as she fed her little one before she fell asleep; it was adorable how she used her mother’s hairy arm as a duvet.
Leaving them to nap, we walked towards the feeding platform just as the heavens opened! We arrived to see the large male, Terry, sat in a tree. He had rather pathetically grabbed a branch of small leaves and held it over his head as a jungle umbrella, apparently common orangutan wet weather gear! With the camera safely stowed away in the dry bag we unfortunately didn’t get any photos although we did spot a gibbon looking soaked through and sorry for itself. We stood for a while but the rain only got worse so we walked back along the track which was now an ankle deep stream. Soaked through we were glad to be back on the boat, especially as there were hot and sweet fried bananas waiting for us!
Day 4:
We awoke feeling slightly sad that it was our last day in the National Park but still just as excited as the first day. After an hour of cruising along the river while enjoying our breakfast we arrived at station number 2 (for the third morning). Unlike yesterday, there was no sign of an orangutan as we walked through the jungle but when we approached the platform we spotted Richa and Rowa hanging in the nearby trees! Feeling incredibly lucky to see this playful pair again, we watched in awe as they swung down and came running for the freshly delivered food. Already having taken hundreds of pictures, we took the time to watch their human like mannerisms as they ate the fruit; carefully pealing each banana before eating it and spitting out the guava seeds. The park ranger brought them more milk so Richa held out her hand to receive the bowl that had been refilled for them. Both orangutans gulped it down and headed off back to the jungle.
Meandering along the river to our final feeding platform we spotted a large fish owl. Once moored up we relaxed for an hour before feeding time, not noticing what was staring at us from across the river. Sophian pointed out the colossal, wild, male orangutan sat in the tree opposite. Unlike the docile females from the previous days he was not happy with us being near him, instead he was grunting and shaking the trees at us! So not to agitate him further, we headed into the jungle towards the last feeding platform of our trip.
What an incredible finale! When we arrived, we could already see 3 orangutans, then as the ranger approached with bananas and milk the bushes behind the platform shook and within thirty seconds there were 6 orangutans all jostling for the best food. We watched their interactions with each other as a young orangutan accidentally grabbed an older male instead of his mother and was pushed away. Our previous encounters have lasted around 15 minutes but this time we stayed watching for two hours! There were orangutans from every generation: a two month old baby clinging to its mother, a teenage male, a cocky seven year old throwing his weight around above us and a middle aged lady! Finally a mother and ‘toddler’ came to the platform, standing on their hind legs it was apparent how similar they are to us, all be it with very different proportions (her arms easily reached the floor when stood upright). It was clear to see how affectionate they are capable of being to one another, which makes them the most captivating animals either of us had ever seen. These encounters rendered us both speechless at points, something not easily done!
It was a breathtaking trip and something we will certainly remember for ever. We feel so lucky to have been able to see these incredible, human-like animals in their natural environment. Now we just hope that their future generations will continue to roam freely in the jungle without the destructive human development and palm oil plantations.
Love R and D xxx
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