D a y 1
- You will be met at the airport in Borneo or at your hotel and taken to the riverboat.
- Cruise past the stilted and floating houses of the and continue upstream along the forest lined river, passing local villages along the way and catching glimpses of wildlife in the canopy.
- Visit a local village to visit the local library foundation, before continuing upstream to a beautiful black water lake system, where we take canoes out at sunset. Later we find a quiet location to anchor overnight.
D a y 2
- The boat moves upriver as you enjoy breakfast to a pre-release island operated by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOS). We take a motorised canoe to observe the orangutans and later continue to the BOS Education Centre where orangutans are awaiting release in socialisation cages and we can learn about the BOS history and rehabilitation programs.
- Over lunch we cruise upstream passing more orangutan pre-release islands, where we can see the great apes in their natural environment. Here we transfer to small canoes to have closer observation of the orangutans before heading for a refreshing swim in the black water lake.
D a y 3
- Early in the morning we travel by car to visit a local Dayak to see the cultural spirit houses and learn about their ancient forest culture. We are met by the village elder with Dayak Ngaju welcoming ceremony then stroll around with him to see the village home gardens, rubber field & rubber tapping demonstration, and other village livelihoods.
- Visit to the elder’s house and enjoy the traditional spices coffee while sharing stories, before returning to the boat for lunch as we cruise downstream through the forest, relaxing and looking out for wildlife along the way.
D a y 4
- After breakfast, the boat cruises to a local village where we disembark for the short trip to a Dayak village, where we see the ancient Dayak painted sandungs and watch a traditional dance.
- We head back to the boat boat for the final cruise to Palangkaraya, where we will check out and head to the airport for our flight to Bali.
- Upon arrival in Bali, you will be met at the airport and escorted to your hotel.
** If doing a 14-day journey, you will spend two nights in Bali with the extra day at your leisure.
D a y 5 - 6
-Taking the early morning flight from Bali, you will be met at the airport in Komodo by your tour leaders and be taken straight to your boat. And as you settle into your new home, we will head to our first snorkelling spot; a coral restoration project where you will see how the corals and fish populations have grown since they were first transplanted in 2014.
-Go ashore on Komodo Island in search of the fearsome Komodo dragons, found only in the Komodo National Park. This is the world’s largest lizard, growing up to a length of three metres and weighing up to approximately 70 kilograms.
-Enjoy some magnificent snorkelling on some of the Komodo Park’s best reefs.
-Swim with manta rays as they feed on the current and circle the so-called cleaning stations, where small fish remove parasites from their skin.
-Snorkel at a favourite hangout of sea turtles, where we will have a chance to swim with these gentle reptiles as they cruise along the shallow water of the reef.
D a y 7 - 8
-Wake up off the coast of a beautiful uninhabited island with a beach of pure white sand with some sparkles of powdered red coral, creating the effect of a “pink beach”. We will spend the morning here, swimming, paddle boarding, and snorkelling on the beautiful coral reef that lies parallel to the beach.
-Over lunch, we will cruise to a nearby active volcanic island where we will see a large wooden pinisi boat with the same pedigree and history of SeaTrek’s very own ships being built on the beach. Walking around this small village, get a feel for their simple way of life, chat with the locals and maybe buy some handmade textiles as a souvenir.
-Spend the day at a strange and mystical volcanic island with a sunken crater lake in its centre that was filled with saltwater when the nearby Mt Tambora catastrophically erupted in 1815. Here we will swim, kayak and paddleboard on the lake, and the more adventurous can go trekking around the crater rim.
-Experience one of our famous SeaTrek beach BBQs under a night sky filled with millions of stars as you feast on the amazing local delicacies prepared by our chef, and all accompanied by live medical entertainment from our talented crew.
-Another highlight of our visit to the island will be the sight of thousands of flying foxes that fly at dusk from the island to feed on the mainland.
D a y 9 - 1 0
-We will have chance for an early morning swim with whale sharks, the gentle giants of the sea. These massive but harmless animals have long congregated here in the bay but now, thanks to travellers like you, we have formed a mutually beneficial alliance with the local fisherman who have their traditional small floating fishing platforms in the bay that attract the sharks. We can’t make any promises, as we don’t have these wild animals on a leash, but fingers crossed we will see them.
-Spend the day on a beach located on a small limestone island nearby, kayaking, swimming and snorkelling, and exploring the local karst formations.
-We will cruise to Labuan Aji village on the island of Moyo to visit the village and walk to a scenic waterfall where we can bathe in the refreshing cool water.
D a y 1 1 - 1 2
-Enjoy a unique snorkelling experience where volcanic gasses escape in the form of bubbles from the sea floor among the corals, with the metallic black volcanic sand below being home to an abundance of very interesting invertebrates.
-Entering the Komodo National Park again we will go drift snorkelling in one of the best and healthiest coral reefs in the park, and for those who want to take the land-adventure to another level, you can do a sunset hike up to a gorgeous viewpoint overlooking the other islands in the park.
-Visit Rinca Island, which is well known for its diverse wildlife, and maybe spot dragons, monkeys, wild buffaloes and deer as well. From the top of the hills, the scenery is breath taking.
D a y 1 3
-After breakfast on our last day, we will take you on a scenic drive towards Melo Village, where you will witness the traditional Caci dance performance. Local strongmen perform a ritual whip-fight between two rivals in which the players, each armed with a rattan shield and a whip, will try to hit each other while dancing to the rhythm of traditional acoustic instruments.
-After lunch on the boat, we will say farewell to the crew and your fellow shipmates as you disembark and continue onto your next destination.
