Please note this is a new river expedition sailing into a remote region of Kalimantan. As such, the itineraries and schedules are very much subject to change due to uncertain local conditions.
The Kapuas River system is the largest in Borneo flowing over 700miles (1,100km) through Western Kalimantan which is in the Indonesian part of the island. The river basin is surrounded by mountain ranges and filled with rainforest.
The Borneo rainforest is 140 million years old, making it one of the oldest rainforests in the world. There are about 15,000 species of flowering plants with 3,000 species of 221 species of terrestrial mammals and 420 species of resident birds in Borneo. There are about 440 freshwater fish species in Borneo (about the same as Sumatra and Java combined). It is the centre of the evolution and distribution of many species of plants and animals.
The Borneo rainforest is one of the few remaining natural habitats for the endangered Bornean orangutan. It is an important refuge for many forest species, including the Borneo elephant, the eastern Sumatran rhinoceros, the Bornean clouded leopard, the Hose's palm civet and the dayak fruit bat.
Our one week expedition will cover the upper part of the Kapuas between Sanggau and Lanjak, a voyage of over 500km that includes traversing the Denau Sentarum system of lakes that connect to the river that are now a national park. This will be a truly pioneering expedition into a rarely visited area where the main attraction will be the scenery, wildlife and tribal village life.
The Kalimantan authorities have embraced this project enthusiastically and have been very supportive during the planning stages. Likewise, the tribal communities we have met are very excited about our visit and are already planning elaborate welcome ceremonies.
Pontianak is actually situated on the equator. Temperatures are the same year round at between 30-32C. It also rains year round with October to December the wettest, averaging 350mm a month, and Jan to September drier with an average 250mm per month.
Passengers can fly in via Kuching in Sarawak (in Malaysian Borneo) which has excellent connections to Singapore and KL. Or via Pontianak, the capital of Western Kalimantan, with daily flights to Jakarta. Kuching is a highly recommended stop over with its Brooke Raj colonial buildings, amazing museum and colourful China town. There are a number of other extensions including the Mulu caves.
We operated on the Rajang River in Sarawak from 2009-2011 but withdrew due to shortcomings in the shore excursions and environmental issues. We have had many emails from passengers asking us to think about Borneo again and we believe that the Kapuas River offers a far more interesting experience with vastly more impressive scenery and a less spoilt human and natural environment. Needless to say there is no one else there!
