Kalimantan. Yes, Gunung Palung National Park independently it is possible

It was a 31^st of August, all was ready and I couldn’t be happier and more excited about what was happening! It was time to go.

After a long, long flight I arrived to Jakarta, my first 12 hours stop over where I decided to stay in a nice place, relax, finally rest and get ready for what was going to happen next, still not fully realising where I was, but feeling good.

I really wanted to visit Kalimantan and while I was preparing this part of the trip I tried to get information. My first resource was the Lonely Planet and this time it didn’t really say much about this part of the island. My aim was to see real jungle, real wild life, if possible the precious orangutan that live only here.

At first I found about the rehabilitation centers, which some do a good job, but this was still a little bit of a zoo as the orangutans are used to people and can get close to humans… not for me, not at this point. I searched, read and posted the question in the LP forum where someone told me there was now a possibility to do it independently, but seemed no one or not many have done it. Great, I said to myself, I will do it that way!

I initially found out that the only possible way to go to Gunung Palung and Lubuk Baji which is the only part of the park open, was with one travel agency, which rules the area and it is very expensive… once more, not for me. I really wanted to help the village and the park.

And after searching for a while I got to know Rachel. Rachel is trying to develop an Eco-tourism option to visit the area and the park and I felt this was the right way to do it, to give back and help maintain the park in a god way. So with the help of Rachel my days there were organised.

The morning after I made it to Pontianak. Great flight, the pilot is saying, we are landing in 5 minutes. I look out and I see nothing. mmmm ok, really?! I though…. And we landed in a massive cloud of smoke… fine, fine…. All good!

I took the notes that Rachel gave me all in Bahasa Indonesian, and got a taxi to the port to get a speed boat to Sukadana.

Wow! Really nice trip and now I felt I was all in in my new adventure! The speed boat is this small packed boat where the bags go on top and better we don’t ask about safety here. I was the only tourist and probably the main attraction, but in a good way. I got asked for a coupe of pictures and I asked to take it back. People have been super nice, friendly and helpful.

The four-hour speed boat rout goes through this stunning river with jungle on the side, stops for lunch in a tiny place where you almost need to jump from the water to the place, super nice! And then goes on, stopping a couple of times in random places until it reaches open sea for a while… yes, at some point I was thinking, where are we going? The driver stood up and started to look out… the visibility was bad, very bad as we were still in a bit of a smoke cloud as with the plane. But these people know their place and after the 4 hours we got to Sukadana, at the entrance I could see this massive hotel… huge, there in the middle of no where and surrounded by forest.

At the arrival, Sadik and Ari were waiting for me, as Rachel said someone would pick me up in an Ojek (motorbike ‘’taxi’’). They show me the plan for my 3 days and off I went with Sadik in his motorbike passing the Village of Sedahan. We stopped at the home of someone and then I changed to the motorbike of someone else that took me to the guesthouse at the start of the National Park entrance to drop my bags.

The guesthouse its very nice, just at the end of the village, had to cross a water path with no water which made it even more fun! :) It is a little house, in front of rice fields with two bed rooms and two big spaces, toilet and running water outside. Simple, but good! Next to it a simple family house, full of chicken and other animals… good for an early wake up call the morning after!

I drop my backpack and we went back to Sedahan to have a great experience… I planed 3 trees of Chili… my small contribution to all the pollution I create taking planes J super nice! Even the guy that manages the village came to take a look! While passing through the village, was very nice to see all the kids coming out of the house, with big smiles to greet me as I passed by… these little things that make me smile… they make me happier than I make them :)

Time to go back to the guesthouse where the wife of one of the guys prepared a nice dinner for me: tofu, they have the plain one and one with soya beans inside, soooo good and my favorite and some boiled veggies with rice…. They do 90% rice 10% the rest… I do it the other way around J was delicious! Then time to sleep! Yes, I felt a bit insecure for a few minutes, new place, the middle of no where, alone, noises all over and in my sleeping bag which is horrible as it is so narrow at the end (note… I need a new one before Tibet!) but I feel nicely asleep until the chickens woke me up at 5AM J in time for the 6AM bfast with cooked bananas and delicious coffee Sadik brought!

7Am, ready for the trek! Heman arrived with two other guys (kids, they were 17!) and we started the hike to Lubuk Baji....

Ha! I forgot! The smoke cloud has an explanation…. It is the dry season and it hasn’t rained for 3 months plus there are some natural fires and other not good at all human fires made by the palm oil companies that are destructing the natural forest. This means the orangutan leave and/or are almost impossible to be seen… I didn’t know about this and was not told when I asked about the weather, but I did know I may see the orangutans or not and I was fine with that, that’s why I wanted to go there and not to a Zoo. For the future the lesson here is that it is always better to visit these type of places after the rainy season. For this park in particular as of mid-October it should be good and there is even a local festival from the 17^th to the 20^th October, so if you can, go then!

The hike was stunning passing through real forest, where Hemant and the guys had to cut parts with the knife! All sorts of trees and rocks, up and down! The most beautiful part it is bordering a little stream of water and getting to the small waterfall, stunning views. The trees are really so high up and the other wetter plants on the bottom. As they say, all competing for light, the tiny plants growing up the trees to get their spot, simply beautiful! Lianas, all over, real, this is the real forest I was looking for. So so so happy!

After some time, we reached what I call the ‘’tree house’’ a simple place built out of metal and wood where we would all sleep, on the floor in our sleeping bags! The view of the place was incredible… coming from the forest to see this place... wow! I felt I was in a sort of movie… happy!

We dropped the bags, rested a bit and went on another hike, orangutan spotting… but yes, nothing, the smoke made them go away! Anyway… the hike was crazy…there are a few paths but we went off them and to different places in the park. I had to stop several times to just admire the beauty of all that rough nature, we walked and walked! We did find a couple of these 1,000 feet small animals… I don’t know the name in English! Hemant offered to take it on my hand, but thanks, no thanks J It was fun to go around!

Back for lunch, one of the guys cooked tofu and veggies, me happy again! I played with a type of bow and tried to lean some Bahasa Indonesian…. Not good jajajaj and we went for another hike…. Super off the beaten path, I fall twice…. Full of leaves, really challenging, we heard some monkeys and went behind trying to see them, nothing! But I did see the orangutan nest, so I can say, they do go back there :)

And the night came to us! We had a simple but nice dinner, once more my favorite tofu and veggies and went to sleep…. Well, I read and try to do as many things as I could before…. Prepared the sleeping bag, put the mosquito net…. And then turn off my head lamp to sleep… jajaja not as easy as I thought! It was probably in that moment when all the strange jungle noises made me scared. I knew it was only in my mind but I couldn’t really help it and became scared, woke up, turned on the light and Hemant was asking me, are you ok? All good? I am no! I am scared…. Jaja  yes, like a 5 years old kid! Was good to face it, had to even go down to the ‘’toilet’’… ufff…. I made it… I also cried a lot but probably the real reason was not the noise of the forest, maybe that is the least scary thing here! And at the end and I Have no idea at what time I fall in deep, deep sleep!

5AM, up… and this was nice, open the eyes and be in the forest! It was like all was good and nothing had happened, though I had to laugh of myself for the night situation together with the guys J coffee and trek back to the village.

This time I went to the house of a beautiful woman who had a girl and I believe a boy. I took the girl’s room and immediately asked for a shower :) I was so looking forward water and soap running through my body :) They even had hot water, luxury! Looooving it!

The was was really big, they even had some fish! After shower she prepared lunch, tofu and veggies. I know may sound repetitive, but for be this simple meal it is what makes me happy! 

The afternoon I went to the Kuala Palung river where I was hoping to see some monkeys…. Hemant took me to the canoe…. Ok, simple canoe here, half broken, water getting into it! But hey! It is all part of the adventure! We went through some big swamp of plants, soooo cool and headed into the river… Monkeys?!?! Mmmm nop, too much smoke, etc, etc… but really it was fun to just be there… then I realized once more, wow! I am here, in the middle of nowhere, alone, in this big adventure! Freedom!!!!!!

Back to the village, it was the time all the women were playing volleyball and kids were just going around and having fun. I met the two other guys that came with us to the jungle, we saw the pictures they made and video, had laugh and played with the kids. So beautiful! I asked once more for a shower, jajaja I was kind of desperate to be feel clean, had a nice dinner and sleep!

Ha! I broke the door of the girl’s room while trying open it. Well, it was already a bit broken… but I felt so so bad for it. The woman was fine and in a matter of minutes I turn around and she had put a tissue as a curtain/door and was all smiling, no problem! And I know she meant it! So easy, right? she solved it so easily, I thought it was very nice from her! I slept super good in that room and the morning after she took me to the port where I met Ari once more. I thanked him for the wonderful experience and he was also very happy to have me here. Having people visiting the village and the national park in this way helps to keep the place alive, gives the village people an income and makes the national park free from the tree cutting and illegal lodging.

I would recommend anyone wanting to visit this park to really consider doing it in this way, to give back, vs going with the big tour agency. The experience is authentic, you help the people and the park and will have unforgettable memories. The English of course it is not perfect, but good enough to communicate so I had absolutely no problem at all. Everyone from the speed boat to the people in the village and the trek guides were friendly, caring and we had a lot, a lot of fun!

So feel free to contact Rachel, rachel.monica@me.com and Ari, arihartyan@icloud.com and they will help you and if you have questions or doubts, let me know! :)

Back in Pontianak, I have to say I stayed in a super nice place and super cheap as well and enjoyed a good hour at the hammam, sauna and Jacuzzi, took a couple of showers and finally washed my hair, before falling asleep in a nice bed! Haaa the simple pleasures of daily life we sometimes forget are the not small, but really big once we value them again.

So this was the start of the adventure, now I do feel in the travelling mode, happy, free, like some weight came off my shoulders (even if my big backpack it’s 14kilos!), starting to collect memories and meet interesting people!

Moving on to my next stop... stay tuned! :)