Not everyone has the privilege of setting aside one or even two weeks to experience one of our long Heart of Borneo tours. But now we have a true adventure for you—and 5 days should be just enough.
Together, we travel into the upper Joloi Valley and visit the village of Tumbang Tabulus. Along the way, you will already learn a great deal about the timber, plantation and mining industries and their impact on local communities and the natural environment, both, the negative as well as the positive.
On Day 2, we head into the rainforest. After a short warm-up trek, we visit Tingang Waterfall and spend the night in a simple bivouac camp beside the river.
On Day 3, the white-water adventure begins as we descend through the “Big Five” rapids. How far will we get? That remains to be seen. The water level, the participants’ fitness and the weather conditions will determine our progress downstream. We will set up our second bivouac camp somewhere along the way.
On Day 4, we should reach Muara Joloi without fail. Even after passing the point where the Busang River flows into the Joloi River, the adventure is not over: the Lampai Aoy rapid awaits as the final highlight of the canoe journey. We spend the night in Muara Joloi.
On Day 5, we charter a large wooden boat powered by a truck engine. It takes us and our equipment downstream to Batu Ampar. This river journey is an extraordinary experience in its own right. Although the Barito River sometimes flows almost peacefully, its calm stretches are repeatedly interrupted by wild and, in places, very long rapids. We are glad to navigate these powerful waves and whirlpools in a large boat. In Batu Ampar, we transfer to a longboat or speedboat and continue downstream on the Barito River to Tumbang Lahung. From Tumbang Lahung, we charter another vehicle for the approximately seven-hour drive to Palangka Raya.
We strongly recommend allowing a sixth day as a buffer. Depending on the timing, there may also be an opportunity to see orangutans at Pulau Kaja or visit Sebangau National Park.
Compared with our other tours, this itinerary is relatively short, yet it still gives our guests an excellent insight into the culture and way of life of the Indigenous Dayak people. It also clearly reveals the influence of the modern world and the profound changes brought about by forestry, plantation agriculture and mining. Above all, however, the outstanding hallmark of this tour is the experience of nature itself: feeling the power of the water as it carves its way through the valley; entering untouched rainforest; hearing the calls and sounds of animals that usually remain out of sight; bivouacking on the riverbank; and perhaps hunting and fishing. To round off the journey, you will see the remarkable agility with which the local Dayak have learned to overcome the forces of the rapids and use the river as a transport route despite these obstacles. Together, these experiences will create unforgettable memories.
This tour is physically demanding. We expect our guests not only to take responsibility for their own personal belongings in waterproof backpacks, but also to help bail out our inflatable canoes when necessary and carry them overland as a team to the next launch point.
Mentally, the tour is not particularly demanding. In an emergency, it is always possible to reach either the starting point or the destination on foot.
We provide all the equipment required for the tour. Life jackets and helmets, canoeing equipment, trekking gear and camping equipment are all supplied by us and included in the price.
