Example Itinerary

Borneo & Beyond

Duration
10 days / 9 nights
Price Per Person
Interests
Wildlife
Destinations
Indonesia

This 10-day adventure brings you deep into Indonesian Borneo, the gorgeous natural habitat of colorful wildlife such as orangutans, hornbills and proboscis monkeys. When you’re not cruising through mangroves and rainforests, you'll be exploring some of the most prolific spiritual and historical sites in Yogyakarta, including ancient Hindu and Buddhist. You'll also enjoy downtime in the spectacular Karimunjawa Archipelago, where you'll have free time to dive local reefs and wrecks, and swim in the sparkling Java Sea. 

This itinerary is an example. It’s designed to inspire you and provide you with thoughtfully curated ideas. You can choose to do this exact itinerary or completely personalize it. All trips are 100% bespoke.

Highlights

  • River Safari: Take to the river by boat in search of the area's critters, from proboscis monkeys, to water lizards, and exotic birds. If you're lucky, you might spot the famous hornbill.
  • Orangutan Sanctuary: Visit an orangutan sanctuary to observe and feed these magnificent animals and learn about the rehabilitation efforts.
  • Remote Island Gems: Situated between Java and Borneo is Karimunjawa Archipelago, a national marine park with 27 islands and a paradise of white sands, pristine reefs, and calm lagoons - all still unknown to mass tourism.

Day-by-Day

Day 1

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Jakarta

You'll start your 10-day journey in Indonesia's frenetic capital, Jakarta. After being greeted at the airport, you'll be chauffeur-driven to your luxury hotel. Jakarta is a cosmopolitan city with plenty of great accommodation options. After check-in, enjoy the remainder of the day at your leisure - shopping and fine dining are two popular activities in Jakarta.

Hotel Options
Why We Love This Hotel

Location: The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, located in the Mega Kuningan of the booming downtown business district where new-meets-old architecture, gives guests a real feel for life in this fascinating city.

History: Mega Kuningan is a central business district of Jakarta, and offers visitors a variety of historical and cultural sites within its vicinity.

Service: The Ritz Carlton Jakarta offers immense amounts of space - with the biggest rooms in the city and a breathtakingly large spa.

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Ritz-Carlton Jakarta Preferred Hotel
Why We Love This Hotel

Location: Located in the heart of Jakarta's esteemed residential district, Kebayoran Baru, this is an ideal spot in a sophisticated area, distanced from the hustle and bustle, and thus giving off a real sense of tranquility.

History: Kebayoran Baru was originally designed as a garden city; construction of the area began in 1948, and is now a part of Jakarta’s cultural heritage.

Service: Guests will feel like pampered VIPs throughout their entire stay at the Dharmawangsa, especially with the 24-hour butler service available for every guest.

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The Dharmawangsa Preferred Hotel

Day 2

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Tanjung Puting National Park

Begin the day early with a gourmet breakfast at your luxury hotel before being transferred to the airport for your flight to the island of Borneo. You'll touch down in the riverside town of Pangkalan Bun, where you'll be greeted by your guide and transferred to Kumai, 20 minutes away. Here, you'll check into your live-aboard boat, where you can relax and enjoy lunch as you make your way along the river and begin your Borneo adventure en route to Tanjung Puting National Park stopping first at Tanjun Harapan, an orangutan rehabilitation center. After a short walk to the platforms, witness their feeding time. In the afternoon, explore the river observing its wildlife including proboscis monkeys with an optional night walk in the forest. Dinner and overnight on the boat.

Hotel Options
About

Once a local fishing boat, the Kumai Boat is 19.5 meters in length and 3.

This accommodation has been personally vetted by the Remote Lands team and is the best available in the area. More information on this property is available on the “Hotels” tab at the top of the page.

About

The Sekonyer Boat is 18 meters in length and 3 meters wide, using a traditional local klotok hull. It has 3 cabins, each one air-conditioned, with a double bed fitted with innerspring mattresses, reading lights, and an en suite bathroom.

This accommodation has been personally vetted by the Remote Lands team and is the best available in the area. More information on this property is available on the “Hotels” tab at the top of the page.

Tanjung Puting National Park
Tanjung Puting National Park

Day 3

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Tanjung Puting National Park

One of the greatest experiences of any Borneo excursion is coming face to face with an orangutan. Today you'll do just that, meeting these gentle animals at Camp Leakey orangutan foundation located in Tanjung Puting Reserve. During your early breakfast, you’ll cruise slowly up the river, spotting wildlife in the forested riversides, and then turn from the muddy Sekonyer River into the narrow black water canal to access Camp Leakey. On arrival, you’ll walk along boardwalks into the forest to the wild orangutan feeding area, where orangutans can be observed making their way through the treetops to the echoing calls of the rangers. Continue walking through the forest to spot more orangutans in their natural habitat. Boarding the boat again, we resume our cruise downstream, animal and bird spotting along the way. The boat will tie up in the midst of the forest where you will enjoy dinner and overnight on board.

Day 4

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Karimunjawa Islands

Today you'll leave your boat to make your flight to Semarang. As you cruise down the river you will stop at Pondok Tanggui, the rehabilitation center for new ex-captive orangutans. Take your final forest walk to observe these gentle animals in their natural setting. Enjoy lunch on the boat after which you’ll arrive in Kumai for transfer to Pangkalan Bun Airport. Upon arrival, you'll be met by a guide and escorted to your connecting flight to Karimun Jawa, 40 minutes away. In Karimun Jawa you'll board a speedboat and make the 45-minute trip to Kura Kura Resort on the idyllic island of Menjawakan. Kura Kura means "sea turtle" in Bahasa Indonesia, so-named after the turtles that used to lay their eggs in the sand nearby. After a period of absence, the turtles have returned and the resort has built a sanctuary for the babies where they can grow until they're old enough to be released into the sea. Enjoy a romantic dinner at Kura Kura, which serves up a variety of cuisines, including fresh seafood, authentic Indonesian and Mediterranean.

Hotel Options
Why We Love This Hotel

Location: Menjawakan Island, where Kura Kura is located, is a private tropical paradise, consisting of a large expanse of lush tropical surroundings, exclusive to this resort. The island is situated between Java and Borneo.

History: Kura Kura re-opened after seven months of renovation in 2008, and brought in a new management team. They also made way for a new restaurant, lobby, bar and dive centre in 2009.

Service: The hotel is constantly reinventing itself, creating increasingly improved services for its customers, who revisit often because of its exceptionally warm hospitality and variety of provisions.

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Kura Kura Resort Preferred Hotel
Karimunjawa Islands
Karimunjawa Islands

Day 5

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Karimunjawa Islands

Enjoy two days at your leisure at Kura Kura Resort, swimming in the beachfront pool, lazing on white sands, diving nearby reefs, and kayaking around the calm waters of the lagoon. The Karimunjawa Archipelago offers a wide selection of world-class diving sites, with wrecks, fringing reefs and barrier reefs within close range of Menjawakan Island. 

Day 6

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Karimunjawa Islands

Enjoy more beach time today, or some beach lounging under the tropical sun. Alternatively, you may choose to spend your time enjoying cocktails on your patio. Accommodation at Kura Kura Resort is stylish and luxurious, offering rooms equipped with all modern conveniences – many with their own private pool.

Karimunjawa Islands
Karimunjawa Islands

Day 7

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Yogyakarta

You'll depart Kura Kura Resort after breakfast today, taking the speedboat back to Karimun Jawa. From there, you'll fly to Semarang – a flight of just 40 minutes – where you'll be greeted by your guide and escorted to your hotel in Yogyakarta. The three-hour drive across Central Java provides beautiful scenery as you wind between the lush green hillsides of active volcanoes. Once at the Hotel Tentrem, rest and reshen up before going to see the Prambanan Hindu shrine. This intricately carved 9th-century structure bears stone reliefs that tell the story of Ramayana, an epic poem that acts as an allegory for ancient Hindu teachings. After seeing the Ramayana carvings in person, you'll be treated to a dance performance interpreting their meaning. Enjoy dinner as you watch the show in the garden restaurant of Purawisata. In the evening, head back to the Hotel Tentrem and enjoy some of their amenities, which include an art gallery, tennis courts, a swimming pool, and their Gahara Spa and Fitness Center.

Hotel Options
About

Hotel Tentrem Yogyakarta takes its inspiration from a Javanese word that, in their culture, refers to a peaceful, tranquil, and calm state of being. This independent hotel prides itself on providing a quality experience to its guests by focusing on every detail.

This accommodation has been personally vetted by the Remote Lands team and is the best available in the area. More information on this property is available on the “Hotels” tab at the top of the page.

About

The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta is situated in the heart of Yogyakarta just minutes from the popular Malioboro shopping district and 15 minutes from Yogyakarta International Airport. The hotel was originally commissioned in 1918 to be built as the private residence for a wealthy Chinese merchant.

This accommodation has been personally vetted by the Remote Lands team and is the best available in the area. More information on this property is available on the “Hotels” tab at the top of the page.

Day 8

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Yogyakarta

Today you'll enjoy some sightseeing throughout Yogyakarta, starting with the Kraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat – the Sultan's palace, a living museum showcasing Javanese culture. Built between 1756 and 1790, the kraton's design replicates the Javanese-Hindu Kingdom, with each architectural feature representing a different mythical location. Next, you'll go to Taman Sari Complex – also known as the Water Castle – an 18th-century royal garden retreat with an artificial lake. Remarkable architectural features here include an underwater tunnel, sunken bathing pools and meditation chambers. 

Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta

Day 9

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Borobudur

This morning, you will leave Yogyakarta for Borobudur, an approximate 75-minute drive. Today, you'll visit Borobudur's most famous landmark – the Borobudur Mahayana Buddhist Temple. This beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site was constructed in the 9th-century, and seeing the sunrise here is a profoundly spiritual experience. A private guide will walk you through the temple grounds, explaining the myths carved into its stone reliefs. Today, you'll also visit Mendut Temple in Candirejo Village, home to a large Buddha Sakyamuni statue. 

Hotel Options
Why We Love This Hotel

Location: Nestled into a natural amphitheatre, the resort boasts dramatic surroundings, from the Kedu Plain to the front, to the four volcanoes that make up the horizon.

History: The resort is a nod to nearby Borobudur, a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist Temple, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Service: The Amanjiwo is famous for its warm hospitality, that echoes not only the benevolence of Indonesian culture but also the passion for service ingrained into the Aman brand.

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Amanjiwo Preferred Hotel
About

The Plataran Borobudur is a comfortable eco-friendly resort and spa located in Borobudur, an area situated in between two volcanoes in Central Java. The villas offer views of the Borobudur Temple, Mount Merapi, and the surrounding teak forests.

If our Preferred Hotel is unavailable, this accommodation is a reliable alternative and has been personally vetted by the Remote Lands team. More information on this property is available on the “Hotels” tab at the top of the page.

Day 10

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Departure

Enjoy a hearty breakfast at your hotel this morning before being transferred by private vehicle to the airport for your departing flight. 

Why Remote Lands?

Exclusively Asia

With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.

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