2Ns Experience Kelotok River Cruise in Orangutan's Homeland

Overview

Available languages

English

48 hours 7 minutes

Mobile ticket

We offering a small group tour, sharing with another traveler. Every small group will need a maximum of 12 people.

We will use a big boat and sharing accommodation on the boat.

River cruising into the Borneo legendary rainforest. Staying on the typical boat called kelotok, your floating homestay.

Visiting 2 Orangutan feeding station: Tanjung Harapan, and the most historical Camp Leakey- first research of Bornean Orangutan started.

Packs of endemic primate in Borneo: Proboscis Monkey-big nose and fatty bellied, Sundaic-silvered Langur with their golden baby.

Cruising into the black water river-Simpang Kanan river

you will understand why DR. Birute M.F. Galdikas wrote her book: Reflection of Eden: My Years with the Orangutans in Borneo.

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults

Children must be accompanied by an adult

Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking

Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Private transportation

Good English speaking guide

Soda/Pop

Bottled water

Lunch

Snacks

kelotok boat with its accommodation (sleeping bed, mosquito net, etc)

All Fees and Taxes

Dinner

Breakfast

Coffee and/or Tea

Personal expense

Alcoholic drink

Insurance

Handy-cam/Filming

Permit for Flying Drone

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

What To Expect

Tanjung Harapan Orangutan Rehabilitation Center

DAY 1 : Pangkalan Bun – Kumai – Tanjung Harapan Camp Leaving Kumai River, you’ll have an opportunity to see riverfront life. Then, cruising to Sekonyer River, the estuarine habitat with unique vegetation called mangrove, before your first stop to Tanjung Harapan Camp to watch Orangutan feeding at 15.00 o’clock. Watch along the river bands for wildlife such as Proboscis Monkey-the endemic monkey in Borneo, Long-tailed Macaque, Red-leaf Monkey, Silvered Langur or birdlife along the riverside. After watching Orangutan, then continue on cruising up for overnight in the Kelotok. You’ll have time to relax, enjoying fresh air or do some primate spotting in the roosting tree while the boat find out a good place to tie up. Meals Provided L D *An optional activities night walk for nocturnal wildlife will be offered for nocturnal animal watching. You will have 50 minutes walking before dinner time to see incects, amphobians, reptiles, etc.

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Included

Camp Leakey

Day 2 - Sekonyer River - Camp Leakey Your boat continuing exploring Sekonyer Kanan to Camp Leakey, where Prof. Birute MF. Galdikas started her study in early 1971. Boating a side creek through tea-colored water where you will see the magnificent reflection from the vegetation along the river, when lucky with you, the freshwater crocodile and other wildlife attractions could find a long river band. After having lunch and departing to Camp Leakey, we can spend the rest of the day hiking through the Borneo rainforest, exploring peat swamp forest, lowland dipterocarp habitat, searching for wildlife, or enjoying varieties of fungi, slipper orchids, mosses, and ferns, then enjoying Orangutan observation at 14.00 till 16.00 pm. After observing the Orangutan in Camp Leakey, boat will drive to the downstream. This is the best time to see Proboscis monkey and other wildlife in the riverbanks. Beautiful sunset also appearing in some different spot. Stay overnight on the boat. Meals: B L D

2 hours • Admission Included

Options

3D2N Orangutan Houseboat Tour in Tanjung Puting National Park

Traditional Houseboat Kelotok
Orangutan river cruise
Duration: 2 days: Tour start approx 10.00 and will be ended in the last day after breakfast approx 08.00 in the morning.
Traditional wooden houseboat
Sharing Tour: We need a minimum of 3 people to run this tour and maximum 10 for our big boat.
Pickup included

Reviews

4.98

205 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

201

A round of ‘Applause!’
sharpster08,
Oct 31, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
From start to finish it was an amazing three days spent cruising down the river, in the company of our beautiful klotok and knowledgable and friendly guide Vera She did everything she could to make sure we had the best experience ever, viewing the orangutangs, as well as all the variety of other wildlife along its banks The food was incredible, the crew were professional and the whole trip was something that we will remember for ever.
Trip well organized , Amazing Staff !
762shefip,
Oct 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Trip well organized , Amazing Staff ! Specially the Cook and the lady guide that spoke a bit of Spanish . She was really nice and pleasant We saw the Animals mainly in the feeding points while i wanted to see in the wild but the experience was great , Real nature feel specially at night . hiking was very good both day and night .
One of the best adventures I ever went on!
juliahnag,
Sep 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
My partner and I travel a lot and despite the many amazing trips this had to compete with, this was hands down our favorite travel experience we've ever had and definitely the highlight of our monthlong trip to Indonesia. We saw too many Orangutans to count plus so many other types of wildlife. Aside from the wildlife, our crew was spectacular! My partner and I are still raving about some of the dishes Julia, our chef, prepared for us. We thought the food on the boat was amongst the best meals we had during our entire month long trip to Indonesia and we appreciated how accommodating the team was to our particular dietary restrictions. Augoos and JD, the deckhand and ship captain, guided the boat expertly, whenever we spotted wild orangutans on the river they'd skillfully rush to position the boat with the best possible viewpoint of the orangutans. Arif and Dessy, our trip organizers and the owners of Orangutan Applause, were so friendly and prepared and paid very close attention to our return travel logistics to ensure we made our return flights. Arif even met us at our boat launch to help us get oriented and was waiting for us when our boat returned, welcoming us back with a bag of treats. Best of all was our guide, Jeff, who we'd strongly suggest you request for your trip. Jeff is from a nearby village of just 200 people so he's intimately familiar with and deeply knowledgable about the nature you're exploring. He gives the perfect balance of providing information and context and letting you have a bit of time on your own to relax and take in the scenery. The boat itself was super comfortable, having seen a few other riverboat companies operating on the river, I definitely thought the boats from Orangutan Applause were the comfiest and best designed, especially because the boat we rode on had a roof deck with outstanding views and it seemed like most of the other companies' boats did not. All in all, I can't recommend this experience enough! If you're going to come all the way to Borneo to go on a river boat, Orangutan Applause is definitely the best tour company to go with!
Amazing experience
Tatianamusan,
Jul 31, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We had a fantastic trip of 3 days and 2 nights, were in 3 camps to see the orangutans and sailed through the national park quietly. The guide, Jeffrey, spoke English like a native and the crew was very friendly. The food during the crossing was amazing. All very well organized, with airport pickup included. Recommended 100%.
Highlight of a one-month trip to Indonesia May 2024
jensenmm,
Jul 30, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Highlight of a one-month trip to Indonesia! My husband and I had the privilege of going on a 2 night, 3 day tour with Orangutan Applause on May 25-27, 2024. It was one of our the most amazing experiences of our lives and we were overwhelmed by the kindness, professionalism and service of the staff (a guide, captain, boat hand and cook). Dessy went above and beyond to help us adjust our plans after a flight cancellation (she was actually the one who notified us when my husband reached out to check in and she was incredibly helpful and accommodating and adjusted our dates so we could still fulfill our other itinerary of going to Mt. Bromo afterwards). Guh, our guide, was knowledgeable, conscientious and totally attentive - he scanned the riverbanks for monkeys and birds, showed us fireflies and even provided entertainment (played traditional guitar in Indigenous dress and provided an act that surprised and delighted us). Guh was our guide through the park and each station and ensured we had an amazing, personalized experience. His respect and reverence for the park and all its creatures was beautiful and enhanced our experience. Seeing so many orangutans in the wild, along with macaques and a gibbon was an incredible experience. We were amazed by the length of time we had to observe these beautiful creatures, and how many babies we saw. It totally exceeded our expectations and was more than we had hoped for. Guh is also an excellent photographer and took some great photos of us together which we really appreciate. The boat was lovely and comfortable and we were surprised to be the only 2 guests - we enjoyed the upper level of the boat with a comfortable bed (enclosed by mosquito net), table for 2 facing the front of the boat, an open area and 2 lounge chairs at the very front opening of the boat where we lounged in comfort. It was incredibly peaceful and beautiful and a totally unique experience. Ratna, the cook, is a talented chef and prepared delicious meals - each one was a feast with a great variety of delicious, beautifully presented, traditional foods, many of which we had not tasted before. The crew served our generous meals 3 times a day, including 2 candlelight dinners. They also thoughtfully provided cool cloths and ice-cold beverages when we returned from excursions into the park and in all ways, attended to our comfort. Orangutan Applause provided a one of a kind, totally unique experience of a lifetime. They adjusted the itinerary to ensure we could get back in time to catch our flight and everything worked out perfectly. We wholeheartedly recommend it and wish Orangutan Applause and Tanjung Puting National Park continued success in their important work. With heartfelt appreciation and gratitude, Michelle and Jan Jensen, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Amazing experience, perfect agency
M6394IYsarab,
Jul 29, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Amazing experience, highly recommended agency. We spent 3D/2N exploring the jungle, eating delicious things and learning everything about the place. The crew took care of every detail, the fantastic cook and of course our guide Vera, who made the experience even better, she is amazing!. The klotok great, clean and comfortable. Good organization, all from 10!
Trip of a lifetime
CherylDale,
Jul 23, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Wow, what a trip! The initial planning with Dessy went smoothly. We corresponded a couple of times after booking and also the day before our long awaited trip. We were met at the airport by our guide and after a short taxi ride, we arrived at our boat. We were greeted by Dessy; it was lovely to finally meet her. We met the crew and started our adventure into the national park. The 3 feeding stations we visited during our 3D/2N trip were amazing - we saw plenty of orangutans at all of them including a couple of babies. It really was a privilege to watch them so closely. We went on a night safari on our first night and it was interesting to see various insects and birds. While we were cruising down Sekonyer river we also saw proboscis monkeys, gibbons, kingfishers and crocodiles. The boat crew were very friendly and did a great job of looking after us, getting our beds ready, clearing them away...And the food! The food was delicious; the cook did a fantastic job and served us amazing, flavoursome meals. One person out of our family of 4 is pescatarian and that was always catered for. Finally our guide Alan was perfect; he was fun, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, always pointed things out and genuinely did a fantastic job. He even bought boots with him so we could wear them during the night safari, plus electric and foldable fans for us to use which were definitely needed during the day. Once we'd finished our trip Dessy arranged for a taxi to our hotel plus one the next morning to the airport. Our flight was severely delayed which meant we would miss our connecting flight, but Dessy was very kindly on hand to assist us - we really appreciated her help. Visiting Borneo and the orangutans has been on my bucket list for 20+ years so I felt emotional leaving. It really was special and the trip of a lifetime!
One day trip cruise
regitar2018,
Jul 23, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
It's amazing experience! everything's great! clean, great hospitality, friendly staff, talented photographer. Overall it's unforgettable experience ever
Unforgettable experience
C4754APmar ad,
Jul 20, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We enjoyed the 3 day and 2 night tour with Oranguntan Applause and it was a unique and unforgettable experience. All the people who accompanied us on the klotok were amazing, highlighting our Guide Jordan and the magnificent cook. They took care of every detail to make this experience one of the best of our lives. 100% recommended, thanks for everything!!
Fabulous trip - outstanding experience.
DBear659,
Jul 13, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Trip Advisor needs 10 stars for ratings. That way we could give Orangutan Applause a 10! We booked with Dessy the owner, on line from Australia. The communication was excellent, punctual and professional. Dessy was extremely helpful in organising our trip, her English is excellent. We were picked up from the airport at Pangkulan Bun and dropped back, all part of the cost. When our return flight was delayed she monitored the airline's progress, until we got away safely. The boat crew were polite, friendly and very caring. Our captain and cook were excellent. But our guide Vera was next level. Such a lovely, intelligent young woman. Knowledgeable about wildlife and local culture and lots of fun. It was a delight to spend 3 days with her. The boat was clean, food plentiful and our bed extremely comfortable with the crew putting a mozzie net up every night for us. If you like beer, you can pre order with Dessy before hand. It’s a Muslim area, so there is no alcohol provided but Orangutan Applause are happy to accommodate westerner tastes, within reason. Remember, this is an ‘eco’ tour, so it’s basic, a bit like camping on a boat but more comfy and better food. Relax and go with the Indonesian vibe. As for the animals we saw. WOW, WOW and WOW. We were lucky enough to see 19 Orangutans on the first day at the feeding station, we learned about who was dominant, which baby belonged to which Mum and watched them swing in from the trees and interact with the Macaque monkeys, which was amusing. This tour is great for twitchers too. On the river we saw rare and endangered birds like the storm stork as well as kingfishers, fantails, woodpeckers and bowerbirds. A ranger took us through the forest by night and we saw sleeping birds, snakes shedding their skin, and tarantulas! Take your mozzie repellent! This tour was an exceptionally beautiful, relaxing and a humbling experience. We highly recommend Orangutan Applause. Great value for money spent, just do it.