Orangutans, Dragons, and Temples Photography Tour

Itinerary

Imagine verdant green rice paddies, the world’s largest Buddhist temple, orangutans so close you could almost touch them, fearsome Komodo dragons, and colorful coral under turquoise water… imagine Indonesia.

This adventure is great for the photographer and non-photographing spouse. Minimal, easy walking to orangutan feeding stations.

Our scouting trip this past March to Indonesia was eye opening, we learned and experienced:

Honest and friendly people throughout the trip, very family orientated. Locals are spiritual and calm, always smiling and accommodating. We felt very safe and invited, where else in the world can you go that has no guns, no drugs, and not even knives on the dining table?! Beautiful tropical islands, aqua blue waters… some of the best snorkeling in the world is around Komodo Island. All locations we scouted, including airports, were safe, efficiently run, and clean. All lodging was also clean and had air-conditioning and private bath. Many were luxurious. The food was fabulous.

We learned 99% of orangutan tours are on the Malaysia side of Borneo (SUPER touristy). You might as well go to a zoo. Malaysia Borneo is easy to get to which means everyone is there. We scouted this area and said NO, we will not see orangutans in these city parks with boardwalks of families and screaming children everywhere, orangutans swinging on ropes. We are visiting the Indonesian side of Borneo, more rural and authentic, with simple, comfortable accommodations.

We’re going at the best time to see orangutans, both wild and released (without the crowds!) In Yogyakarta (referred to as “Jo-gja”), we met a wonderful photographer who will show us all his favorite places to photograph, non-touristy by cars, not buses. We will be working with a boutique collection of Indonesian accommodations in Yogyakarta, Flores Island (Komodo Islands), and their private yachts.

Flights to get to/from Denpasar, Bali (DPS), where we start and finish the tour, are easy to get to on many airlines with only one stopover including Sydney, Narita, Hong Kong, Qatar, Singapore, and many more. Also with this stopover, you may want to extend your trip.  The internal flights (included in the tour) are on larger planes with good overhead space, again very organized and dependable. Orangutan, Dragons and Temples… a very diverse and exciting tour of Indonesia!

Monday, March 11 (D)

Arrive in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia at Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) any time of day.

Secluded within the boundaries of exclusive Jimbaran Bay on the island’s southern coast and off the tourist strip, the five-star InterContinental Bali Resort was designed to blend modern convenience with traditional Balinese architecture. You can find amenities from sports to sophisticated dining, to the indulgence of Spa Uluwatu, and state-of-the-art business services at this luxury Bali beach resort. Great photo opportunities right at our resort.

To unwind from our travel day and get inspired for our trip, we’ll gather for a welcome dinner at one of the hotel’s restaurants.

Overnight InterContinental Bali (10 minutes from DPS airport)

Tuesday, March 12 (B)

Today is free to spend at your leisure. Relax and enjoy the amenities of the Intercontinental Bali. Lounge by one of six pools, take a walk along the white sand beach, work through jet lag with a massage at the spa, zen out in a yoga class, or sip on a glass of wine watching the sunset on the beach.

Or get out and explore Bali!  We will hire cars today to go sightseeing around the island, including a visit to Monkey Forest and Elephant Cave. Bali is a “tourist beach destination,” a great place to relax but also very busy and congested, so our time is limited on this island.

Overnight Intercontinental Bali

Wednesday, March 13 (B, D)

Enjoy the morning at InterContinental Bali and take advantage of what this luxury property has to offer.

This afternoon we will fly one hour to Yogyakarta on Java. Our hotel is outside the city in rural Java, close to local villages and rice terraces.

Surrounded by lush teak forests, Plataran Borobudur Resort & Spa transports guests to another time and place, where days gently unfold against the backdrop of magnificent Borobudur Temple and the picturesque Menoreh Hills.

Amid this unbelievably beautiful and atmospheric setting, experience the utmost peace and privacy within traditional Javanese villas, spacious havens of supreme comfort with a private pool. Indulge in sublime, soul-soothing spa pampering, and exquisite gastronomy with an unparalleled view of Borobudur Temple at every turn. Walk the long corridor that stretches between Patio restaurant’s Joglo and colonial buildings, and be awed by the feeling that wherever you stand, “Borobudur Follows” – an experience unique to Plataran Borobudur. Mystical, magical, and unforgettable.

We’ll have dinner at sunset on a balcony overlooking Borobudur temple, the single largest Buddhist structure on earth, built between AD 750 and 842 with steaming Mount Merapi in the background. This is one of world’s truly great ancient monuments.  Few who visit fail to be taken by both the scale of place, and the remarkable attention to detail that went into the construction. Set as it is in the heart of the verdant Kedu Plain, the backdrop of active volcanoes only enhances the sense of awe and drama. 

We will spend four nights at Plataran Borobour to enjoy the luxurious setting and fully explore the area.

Thursday, March 14 (B, L, D)

At sunrise, we will catch the morning light on Borobudur Temple as we shoot off the hotel balcony. The temple, built in the 9th century, consists of six square and three circular platforms topped by a central dome and decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. You could look at the temple all day and not see everything. The temple is a three-dimensional representation of the universe from a Buddhist perspective.

The jungle will be active with monkeys and birds and we will probably hear the call to prayer from the surrounding villages. Coffee (likely from locally roasted beans grown in Java) and tea will help us wake up and get ready for the day.

After breakfast we will depart for the rice terraces. We will enjoy both culture and landscape as we photograph local people working their rice paddy terraces. The terraces shine emerald and are backed by thatched roof huts. After it is harvested, the rice is dried on wicker beds, creating an aesthetically pleasing tableau.

We will take in the popular and competitive local sport of pigeon racing. The male birds are released some distance away and come zooming back to their mates, held aloft by their trainers. Pigeon racing is an important part of Javanese life and participants spend a great deal of time and money on the sport.

In the afternoon we will head over to the Borobudur Temple to capture the many platforms, Buddha statues, and intricate relief panels in the light of the sunset.

Overnight at Plataran Borobour

Friday, March 15 (B, L, D)

In the morning we will either shoot the Borobudur Temple from the balcony again, now knowing its shapes and angles to catch the best photography opportunities, or utilize a special permit to visit the temple early. If we go with the latter, we will have Indonesian models to enhance our photos.

The afternoon offers several opportunities for photography or non-photography activities. We can visit a local market and experience the scents, colors, and energy, and perhaps pick up a souvenir or two. Another option is to take in a yoga class, Indonesia is known for yoga of every variety. If stretching your body isn’t your thing, take a Javanese cooking class and stretch your mind and culinary skills. To shoot Javanese street scenes, we can line up a Volkswagen and driver to show you the sights, you’ll feel just like the paparazzi.

Tonight we’ll have a special dinner in the opulent and elegant Kastil Restaurant in our hotel. The regional cuisine is locally sourced and market fresh.

Overnight at Plataran Borobour

Saturday, March 16 (B, L, D)

For our last day at Plataran Borobudur, we’ll start the day with a morning shoot off the balcony or take a five-minute drive to nearby temples.

We may spend a second morning at the timeless rice paddy terraces, watching the light move over the verdant green and the locals tending their fields.

We’ll have lunch near the Prambanan Temple UNESCO world culture heritage complex. After eating, we will visit this temple, built in the 10th century, and the largest Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva in Indonesia. We will shoot the afternoon light moving across the intricately decorated temples (there are actually three) and learn the epic story of the Ramayana as told in the reliefs in the temples.

We will stay for the dinner show with VIP seating. This outdoor show combines music, theater, and dance to guide you through the story engraved in the temple. A light show illuminates the temples in bright, changing colors. The 200-member troop uses typical Javanese dance and gamelan music to share its culture and history with us.

Overnight at Plataran Borobour

Sunday, March 17 (B, D)

Today we fly to the island of Borneo! Make note, if you want to see orangutans in a city “park-like setting” with mass amounts of tourists, families and children, you go to the Malaysian side of Borneo. We prefer to head to the Indonesian side, a more wild area of Borneo to see both wild and rehabituated orangutans.

It’s about a two-hour scenic boat ride to Rimba Orangutan Ecolodge where we will check in, have dinner, and get an introduction to Rimba. Keep your eyes open for river dolphins. We did see one on our scouting trip. The lodge is perched over the Sekonyer River on the edge of the Tanjung Puting National Park, one of the few places on earth where you can still see wild orangutans.

Overnight Rimba Orangutan Ecolodge (4 nights). This lodge is in the heart of orangutan habitat. Accommodations are simple and clean with private bathrooms, solar electricity and air-conditioning. Rimba Lodge is run by locals who help protect orangutan habitat by purchasing more land for the wildlife.

Monday, March 18 (B, L, D)

We will have an early breakfast on a private wooden boat called a klotok as we travel upstream to two orangutan feeding stations.

Our traditional boat is open-air, great for breezes when we are moving up and down the river. It has a cover to protect from sun and rain. The boat is very clean and has an onboard bathroom with flush toilet. Our meals onboard will be prepared by the cook who lives on the lower level of the boat. A generator can be turned on to charge batteries.

One of the feeding stations is the famous Camp Leaky, established in 1971 by Professor Biruté Galdikas, a student of Professor Louis Leakey (together with Jane Goodall and Diane Fossey). The walk is an easy, flat 15-minute walk. We will get an close up view of the orangutans at the feeding stations which will make for an unforgettable experience, as well as amazing photographs. Enjoy watching and photographing the acrobatic young orangutans, affectionate mothers and babies, and massive, territorial, and dominant males.

In addition to seeing the endangered orangutans, we have the opportunity to see (or hear) eight other species of primates including gibbons and proboscis monkeys, butterflies, and a host of birds.

We will be back for dinner and wandering around the ecolodge. By following the boardwalks, you can take the bird walk and perhaps “meet” the resident macaque monkey troop.

Overnight Rimba Orangutan Ecolodge

Tuesday, March 19 (B, L, D)

Today will look much like the previous day with breakfast and lunch on the klotok and a visit to two feeding stations. We may visit a local village nearby.

Overnight Rimba Orangutan Ecolodge

Wednesday, March 20 (B)

AM & PM we will have one last visit to Camp Leakey, our last day with these magnificent primates. You will forever remember these special encounters and cherish the opportunity to see these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat.

Overnight Rimba Orangutan Ecolodge

Thursday, March 21 (B)

Today we depart Borneo and return to Denpasar. One night to regroup and get ready to head to the islands for some Komodo dragons, manta rays, and incredible snorkel opportunities.

Overnight at Intercontinental Bali

Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23 (B, L, D)

Fly AM to Flores Island. Today we board our private yachts and spend the next three days and two nights exploring local islands, looking for Komodo dragons and flying foxes, snorkeling/diving, swimming with manta rays, and beach combing. We will enjoy our luxury air-conditioned cabins with private bath along with a little pampering and delicious food.

Komodo National Park encompasses 669 square miles and includes three larger islands: Komodo, Padar and Rinca, and 26 smaller ones. It is home to 5,000 Komodo dragons and made up of rusty-red volcanic hills, savannahs, and forest. Offshore, the coral reefs draw divers and snorkelers from all over the world.

We will stop at both Komodo Island and Rinca Island to photograph the world’s largest lizard, the Komodo dragon. In early morning they are most active, so we will look for them then, before they seek shelter from the heat and sun.

On Rinca Island, a ranger will tell us about the biology of the Komodo dragon as well as island lore. We can walk to the top of a small hill to catch a picturesque view of Flores and of course, observe the 3-meter-long lizards.

Not surprisingly, Komodo Island is, home to a whole bunch of Komodo dragons, and we will have a chance to see them and photograph them. It’s also an island of immense beauty. We can stroll along Pink Beach where the sand is actually a mix of white sand and bits of red coral. And because the island is gorgeous from the highest point on land to the colorful color and abundant fish below the sea, we will snorkel in one of the top snorkeling destinations in the world.

We will visit Kalong Island at sunset to see flying foxes – fruit bats. Every evening thousands of bats fly to the mainland to feed. With the sunset behind them, the bats make quite a picture.

Opportunities along the way we will swim with manta rays and have more snorkeling and diving opportunities.

Overnight on Plataran Phinisi Felicia (Plataran Phinisi Ambassi will also been leased if extra rooms are needed depending on number of singles booked)

Sunday, March 24 (B, L, D)

After our adventure island hopping by yacht, we will get situated in the resort Plataran Komodo and enjoy an evening photo shoot of whipping dance on the beach at sunset. Caci Whip Fighting is a traditional Manggarai dance and an important part of the Manggarai culture. Our farewell dinner will be beach side this evening. We will drift asleep with the sound of waves lapping against the sandy beach outside our villas.

Monday, March 25 (B)

Already reminiscing about our amazing trip, we will catch a flight to Bali and depart for home from DPS in the evening.