Tanjung Puting National Park

Tanjung Puting is one of the natural wonders of the world! You may not believe this after you have been there only one day or two days or three days, but after the fourth or fifth day something happens. You are captivated completely by the purity of the air, the openness of the night sky with the most remarkable view of the Milky Way, the magnificence and dignity of the gentle orangutans, the thundering downpours that instantly cool the air, and the clarity of the brilliant crimson sunsets. Tanjung Puting is the largest and most diverse protected example of extensive coastal tropical heath and peat swamp forest which used to cover much of southern Borneo. The area was originally declared as a game reserve in 1935 and a National Park in 1982. While the Park has checkered history of weak protection, nonetheless, it remains substantially wild and natural.

Tanjung Puting is covered by a complex mosaic of diverse lowland habitats. It contains 3,040 sq km2 of low lying swampy terrain punctuated by blackwater rivers which flow into the Java Sea. At the mouth of these rivers and along the sea coast are found Nipa/mangrove swamps. Mangroves teem with animal life. Tanjung Puting also includes tall dry ground tropical rain forest, primarily tropical heath forest, with a canopy of 40 meters (120 feet) with "emergent" exceeding 50 meters (150 ft) in height, seasonally inundated peat swamp forest with peat in layers two meters deep, open depression lakes formed by fire, and open areas of abandoned dry rice fields now covered with elephant grass and ferns. The tropical heath forest which is called "kerangas" in parts of Borneo, is only found on very poor, typically white-sandy soils and is characterized by medium-sized trees.

The best known animals in Tanjung Puting are the orangutans, made famous through the efforts of Orangutan Research and Conservation Program, which is based at the landmark Camp Leakey research station. Tanjung Puting also boasts the bizarre looking proboscis monkey with its "Jimmy Durante" nose as well as seven other primate species. Clouded leopards, civets, and Malaysian sun bears cavort in the park as do mouse deer, barking deer, sambar deer, and the wild cattle known as banteng. Tanjung Puting hosts over 220 species of birds, includinag hornbills, deep forest birds and many wetland species. Tanjung Puting is well known for its "bird lakes, " seasonal rookeries for a half a dozen species of endangered water birds, including the only known Bornean nesting grounds for white egrets. Tanjung Puting also has two species of crocodiles, dozens of snakes and frogs, numerous threatened species, including the fortune-bringing and highly endangered "dragon" fish also known as the Arwana (bony-tongue). Among the most flamboyant of these animals are the many species of colorful birds, butterflies, and moths found in the Park.

How to get to Tanjung Puting
Entering to Tanjung Puting National Park,Home of rainforest animals on arrival at the pangkalan bun airport. Tanjung Puting National Park located at both region, Kotawaringin Barat known which is Pangkalan Bun as capital city and Kotawaringin Timur with Sampit as the capital city.

Pangkalan Bun part of Tanjung puting is the only part of the areas for tourist destination. How to get Pangkalan Bun???
Pangkalan Bun is devoloped city, the oilpalm agriculture as the main econimic targeting as before wood industry take 75% of the econimic. To get here is not difficult, all type of transportation are provided, air, sea and land.

From the air : There are two different airline serve everyday, TRIGANA, KAL STAR and DERAYA. They fly to most main destination in java and between Kalimantan it self. Semarang, Surabaya, Jakarta, Bandung even Denpasar. For Bandung, Jakarta and Denpasar is connecting flight.
Flight between Kalimantan serve also everyday to Pontianak, Banjarmasin and Balikpapan, you could get connecting flight to Jakarta, Denpasar, Ujungpandang and other flight destination in Indonesia even the have international flight as well.

From the sea : 4 time in week the Pelni and Ferry serve from and to Semarang or Surabaya, This is an other cheap alternative way to visist Orangutan. It will take between 18 until 23 hours cruising but they provide different class to choose for, also music entertaiment, cafe etc.

By the Road : You could take bus from Banjarmasin to Pangkalan Bun, transit at Palangkaraya and Sampit. it take 18 hours ride with really bad road at few spot. If you have sense of OFF ROAD this is the best way to take.

When you get Pangkalan Bun
There are saveral good hotel in Pangkalan Bun and many of them over inexpensive price if you want spend a night at Pangkalan Bun or You can go directly to Kumai boat stage but before that have to arrange police permit and National Park entrance permit at Pangkalan Bun. Take only 20 minutes from Pangkalan Bun to Kumai where you will rent for the traditional wooden boat or KLOTOK that will take you to the park to visit our encester ORANGUTAN.

relaxing on the boatOranghutanTours could arrange all of them easily, from your first step entering Indonesia until meet Orangutan then say good bye and arrange next destination, you will be on the first hand service. Please contact us should you need more information about Orangutan tour or Borneo adventure tour packages or other destination , day to day itinerary, special price, special request. We will be very happy to help you orgganized your tours during in Indonesia " Free of Charge

Posted in: Adventure, National Park