Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Kutai National Park
This park is a disappointment. The only reason to come here is if you want to see a wild
orangutan and have no chance to do so anywhere else. The park's once-vast acreage, long
the target of natural-resource exploitation, has now dwindled to 10km of trails, helping to
concentrate its wildlife, so sightings are nearly assured (particularly if you call ahead, so
the ranger can find one). The best time is April to August, when fruit is on the trees.
Access is gained by entering a foul river next to a sewage treatment facility, with a huge
pipe pumping wastewater directly into it. You then follow this upstream in a canoe for
half an hour until you reach Camp Kakap, the park's lodge, located on an otherwise at-
tractive bend. Do not attempt this at night, even if asked to do so: the combination of an
overloaded canoe with gunwales inches from the waterline, large logs hurtling down-
stream and no flotation devices, is a recipe for disaster. The lodge is rundown and basic,
with bare rooms and a communal squat toilet. The trails need maintenance too. The pic-
ture is completed by the local gas exploration crews cutting through the forest in their
grey jumpsuits.
To get here, take a bus from Samarinda to Sangatta (30,000Rp, three hours) and a taxi
to Kantordesa Kabo Jaya (Kabo) where one of the rangers,
Udin
( 081 3464 17675)
or
Mr Supliani
( 081 3463 48803)
, will meet you. Be sure to call ahead so they can or-
ganise your permit. The boat ride is 300,000Rp return. Park permits are 15,000Rp. Half-
day treks cost 100,000Rp, full-day treks 200,000Rp.
Wehea Forest
Compared to Kutai, Wehea is an extraordinary breath of fresh air. This is the rainforest as
you imagined it to be, in all its primordial glory. From atop its lone watchtower, you look
over misty mountains that take you back to another Earth. The forest is home to many of
Borneo's most interesting species, including the clouded leopard, sun bear, Storm's stork,
grizzled langur, Bornean gibbon and orangutan. To date, 82 mammal species have been
documented, of which 22 are vulnerable or endangered. Having said that, this is raw rain-
forest with few trails, making wildlife spotting difficult, and a good local guide essential.
Surprisingly, there is an excellent wooden lodge built by WWF, beautifully situated on
a rushing river bend, with a generator, space for 20 people in private rooms, and a water-
fall. The sounds of the forest and the river are priceless here. It takes some doing to ar-
range a stay, however, as the lodge is not permanently staffed. On the other hand, that's
