Borneo River Cruise Through Central Kalimantan's Wildlife Rivers
Navigate Living Rivers
WOW Borneo specialises in intimate river expeditions through Central Kalimantan’s most remarkable destinations. From wildlife sightings to cultural immersions, each journey reveals the extraordinary beauty and biodiversity that make Kalimantan truly unforgettable. Our fleet of thoughtfully remodelled traditional vessels, combined with dedicated local guides and crews, ensures every moment of your adventure is comfortable, carefully curated and responsibly delivered.
Orangutan & Dayak Village Cruise
Immerse yourself in traditional culture and observe magnificent orangutans on two island locations on this cruise along the Kahayan River. Visit local communities, observe orangutans living on island refuges, and explore pristine blackwater lake ecosystems. This carefully crafted itinerary combines wildlife discovery with authentic cultural connections, offering insights into both the natural wonders and indigenous heritage.
Orangutan & Dayak Village Cruise
Perfect for travelers with limited time, this condensed adventure delivers unforgettable orangutan sightings and cultural experiences. Cruise through pristine waterways, visit a traditional Dayak village, and witness the remarkable wildlife of Central Kalimantan
Orangutan & Dayak Village Cruise
Our most popular itinerary adds deeper cultural engagement and extended wildlife encounters. Explore multiple Dayak villages, spend more time observing orangutans, and discover the intricate ecosystems of Kalimantan’s blackwater lakes.
Katingan River & Sebangau National Park Cruise
Venture along the remote Katingan River into one of Indonesia’s best-kept secrets. This exclusive journey takes you into the Sebangau National Park’s dense forests which are home to critically endangered orangutans, rare proboscis monkeys, and abundant birdlife. Glide in local canoes through blackwater lake systems, explore unique peat swamp forests, and experience the beauty of landscapes few visitors ever witness.
Katingan River & Sebangau National Park
Journey into the heart of Sebangau National Park on this focused wildlife expedition. Track orangutans through pristine forests, explore blackwater ecosystems, and discover why this remote region is considered one of Indonesia’s conservation crown jewels.
Katingan River & Sebangau National Park
Take your time for a deeper exploration of diverse ecosystems in Central Kalimantan’s remote wilderness. Experience dense peat swamp forests, bird watching in quiet streams and meeting the villagers who make their living in this isolated area. Enter their world, experience their hospitality and appreciate their tenacity.
Tanjung Puting National Park & Camp Leakey Cruise
Discover Indonesia’s most famous orangutan sanctuary on this classic cruise adventure. Tanjung Puting National Park offers unparalleled opportunities to observe wild orangutans at multiple feeding stations while cruising along the scenic Sekonyer River. This iconic journey combines exceptional wildlife viewing with the charm of a comfortably re-modelled klotok boat navigating through one of Southeast Asia’s most important conservation areas.
Tanjung Puting National Park & Camp Leakey Cruise
Experience the highlights of Tanjung Puting on this compact adventure. Visit key orangutan feeding stations, cruise through pristine rainforest, and witness the remarkable biodiversity that makes this park world-renowned.
Tanjung Puting National Park & Camp Leakey Cruise
Our signature Tanjung Puting experience offers balanced pacing and longer exploration. Multiple orangutan encounters, night jungle walks, and extended time in the park provide a deeper understanding of this critical conservation area.
Tanjung Puting National Park & Camp Leakey Cruise
The most comprehensive exploration of Tanjung Puting available. This extended journey allows time for all major feeding stations, additional wildlife tracking, and opportunities to witness behaviors and species that shorter trips might miss.
Combination Cruises
OUR COMBINATION CRUISES are designed for those who are looking for a longer experience of the unique wildlife of Indonesia. These range from, combining orangutan cruises or combining an orangutan cruise with a Komodo Dragon cruise to Eastern Indonesia.
Combination Cruises
WOW Borneo’s Private Charter Orangutan Cruise Option provides the perfect way to travel on board luxurious boats, with family, friends or for small business gatherings. The Rahai’i Pangun is ideal for groups up to 30 people, for a meal or a full day cruise. Overnights are limited to 8 passengers. Our boats in Tanjung Puting are smaller and accommodate a maximum of 6 passengers, providing an ideal escape for families or friends, or couples. The Private Charter option may be the best for you.
Combination Cruises
The option combines our Orangutan and Dayak Culture River Cruise along the Kahayan River with our cruise into Tanjung Puting National Park, where the focus is jointly on nature and wildlife spotting. This is for visitors with more time and an interest in exploring Kalimantan in more depth.
Combination Cruises
Take an even longer and deeper tour to experience different aspects of Kalimantan. Starting with the Orangutan and Dayak Village Cruise, we take a road trip to Kumai, access port for the Tanjung Puting National Park. This tour combines a relaxing cultural cruise with visits to orangutan refuges, forest walks around Camp Leakey, and traditional riverboat cruises for wildlife‑watching on the black‑water rivers of Central Kalimantan.
Combination Cruises
Kahayan River tour combines the Orangutan and Dayak Village cruise with a very special add-on tour to a traditional Dayak longhouse. Here we explore this sleepy village, live with the longhouse owners, stroll its narrow streets, notable for lavishly decorated ossuaries and enjoy an evening of the energetic and colourful local dances.
Combination Cruises
This tour combines the Orangutan and Dayak Village Cruise with another cruise to Komodo Island, and includes a flight between the destinations. The Komodo cruise features snorkelling among corals and myriad tropical fish, turtles, whale sharks, observation of komodo dragons, and cultural discovery across Indonesia’s stunning eastern islands. This is an unforgettable opportunity to see the rich marine life, the stark home of the komodos and the local communities from the comfort of a traditional Indonesian pinisi‑style boat.
Combination Cruises
Offers a full‑day tour, starting with a motorised canoe ride across the black waters of Sebangau Lake and up the Sebangau River, followed by a walk to spot wildlife through the peat swamp forest. We return by canoe to our starting point on the Sebangau Lake for transfer out to your hotel in Palangka Raya.
Combination Cruises
This trip takes you from Palangka Raya to the traditional Dayak Malahoi longhouse, where you stay with the local owners. Be at the centre of a welcome ceremony, learn about Dayak culture and beliefs, go on a jungle walk to see ironwood and rubber plantations, visit a Kaharingan temple, enjoy traditional music and dance, and explore the village with its distinctive bonehouses and hornbill totem poles.
Three Rivers, Three Experiences
WOW Borneo’s cruises navigate three river systems in Central Kalimantan, each offering a different insight into the unique ecosystems, wildlife, and cultural life of this little-visited province. From the accessible orangutan forests of Tanjung Puting to the remote wilderness of the Katingan to the cultural and wildlife treasures along the Kahayan, our carefully crafted itineraries showcase the extraordinary diversity of experience along Kalimantan’s rivers.
Kahayan River
The Kahayan River – known to locals as the Great Dayak River—flows through the cultural heart and the capital city of Central Kalimantan, offering something truly unique: the perfect blend of wildlife observations and cultural introduction, easily accessible. Its about seeing orangutans in their natural habitat and understanding the inseparable connection between the people who have called these riverbanks and forests home for generations.
Katingan River
Following the natural boundary of Sebangau National Park, the Katingan River winds through one of Borneo’s most important conservation areas. This is where the wild truly begins—a landscape of mirror-like blackwater rivers, dense peat swamp forests, and wildlife encounters that feel wonderfully untouched by the modern world.
Sekonyer River
Accessing famed Tanjung Puting National Park is from the port town of Kumai. A short trip down the Kumai River, takes us to the black-water Sekonyer River, densely lined with mangroves of nipa palm. Crocodiles can be spotted, as well as proboscis monkeys, bird life occasional orangutans. We then enter a narrow, inky black canal to visit iconic Camp Leakey, and witness semi-wild orangutans in one of Southeast Asia’s most important protected forests. This purely nature and wildlife experience will live in your memory.
What They Said About Us
Hear from our guests who have embarked on unforgettable journeys with Wow Borneo. Their stories capture the magic of Kalimantan’s rivers, the thrill of wildlife encounters, and the warmth of local communities.
We had a magical river cruise with an outstanding crew. Jeki was our guide and he was so patient and kind. He took care of things we did not even know we needed. The boat was always kept sparkling clean, the captain was an excellent boat handler and our 2 cooks were so thoughtful in producing amazing meals respecting our food preferences. Our sweet dock hand was always there to extend a hand to safely get us on and off.
The orangutan viewing was exceptional , I took over 800 photos during our 3 days on the river.
I highly recommend this trip to anyone who wants a relaxing nature filled experience.
Thank you for a memory filled adventure!
Susan and David
USA
David G.
The first thing we saw from our cruise boat after we entered the Sekoyer River was an orangutan in the wild, a rare privilege. It set the scene for a wonderful cruise. The boat was roomy and comfortable, the food exceptional and the crew friendly, expert and proud of their work. Our guide, Iye, was the glue that held it all together, including organizing a birthday party, quite unexpected and delightful, with the crew joining in, enthusiastically singing local birthday songs. We saw lots of animals and birds both along the river and on jungle walks including many orangutan and also just enjoyed the gentle experience of being on the river in the jungle. Lastly we’d like to thank Iye for helping us manage a visa issue with the local immigration office after the cruise – going above and beyond. Altogether an exceptional experience.
Peter H
We have just finished the 3 day 2 night Orangutan and Dayak village cruise. We had a fantastic trip with Carina as our guide. She was not only a great guide but a lovely person too. We really enjoyed spending time with her and sharing experiences with each other. The trip itself was amazing and we got to see many orangutan, monkeys and other wildlife. We also got to experience local cultures and walking around Dayak villages which was a truly amazing and humbling experience. The villagers were so welcoming and friendly. Staying on the boat was also amazing, with the crew cooking us such tasty and varied local dishes.
There was plenty of time to relax on the boat enjoying the beautiful scenery whilst cruising down the river. This will be a trip that will stay in our memories for a long time. If you have the chance to go then we would highly recommend it.
Mrnigeguy
We had a magical river cruise with an outstanding crew. Jeki was our guide and he was so patient and kind. He took care of things we did not even know we needed. The boat was always kept sparkling clean, the captain was an excellent boat handler and our 2 cooks were so thoughtful in producing amazing meals respecting our food preferences. Our sweet dock hand was always there to extend a hand to safely get us on and off. The orangutan viewing was exceptional , I took over 800 photos during our 3 days on the river. I highly recommend this trip to anyone who wants a relaxing nature filled experience. Thank you for a memory filled adventure! Susan and David USA
