In October 2022, I visited the Indonesian rainforest for the first time. On this journey, Garry Sundin of Orangutan Odysseys took me, along with the Orangutan Alliance team, to some absolutely stunning points of interest in the rainforest. We spent several nights travelling around Borneo on a klotok boat, searching for any and every type of animal living in the trees.
It was here that we encountered our first orangutans. Through the pouring rain, we captured as many photos of the red ball as we could before he quickly disappeared back into the leaves. Soon, we ventured to a native Dayak village, where we were welcomed in an unforgettable ceremony. Getting to connect with Indonesian culture and wildlife was a highlight not just of this trip, but of my entire life.
Now, I get to do it again! I’m so proud to announce that in June 2026, I’ll be hosting my very own ecotour with Dr. Gary Shapiro, co-founder and president of Orang Utan Republik!
The klotok, riverboat for our stay on the Sekonyer River in Tanjung Puting.
Observing orangutans at one of the feeding stations.
Together, Dr. Shapiro and I will be taking the group to experience some of the best parts of the rainforest. Of course, we’ll be searching for orangutans everywhere we go, we’ll be spending two nights out on the klotok, we’ll visit Borneo Orangutan Survival’s orangutan rehabilitation pre-release islands, we’ll be immersing ourselves in the Indonesian culture by participating in a traditional Dayak welcome ceremony, and to end it all off, presenting the Central BorneoOrangutan Caring Scholarships (CBOCS) that send passionate Indonesian students to college so that they, too, can work to protect orangutans. Attending these scholarship ceremonies is something I’m particularly excited for, because I have been supporting the OCS program for quite some time, and I think it is such a wonderful initiative that puts people, wildlife and nature first. If you want to learn more about it, I suggest reading my blog about the initiative here.
Dayak performers in their native dress
An Orangutan Caring Scholarship Ceremony
Those are just some of the highlights of this week-long journey into the rainforest, and above all else, the best part of this trip is that YOU can join! Yes, YOU! There is still space available on the trip, but it is limited, so if you are interested in coming with Dr. Shapiro and I on this trip of a lifetime, don’t wait to sign up. I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of this journey and I hope you can be too. See you in Borneo 2026!
Learn more and sign up now at this link ->: Orangutan Educational Ecotour with Gary and Jack