Borneo - Across the Wallace Line

Itinerary

Day 1: Tawau, Malaysia – Embark

Tawau is the third largest town of the state of Sabah. It is a relatively new town in Malaysia, boomed in early 1980s for its lumber and cocoa farming industry. Today Tawau is a bustling town where it is a transit point to the rest of the world and where you will begin your expedition.

Days 2-3: Derawan, Sangalakki & Maratua Islands

The Derawan Islands are located in a global biodiversity hotspot, featuring over 2,000 species of reef fishes and 507 reef building corals, There are two inhabited islands, namely Derawan (1 village of 1,259 people) and Maratua (4 villages of 2,704 people) with fishing as the main income generating activity for the community. The clear waters and white sand beaches have made the island chain a world-class dive destination.

Day 4: Kutai National Park

An early arrival to the Kutai National Park starts the day with great anticipation. Many species of animals exist in this national park, such as orangutans, Proboscis Monkeys, deer, crocodiles and at least 300 bird species. The forests in the area were declared a nature reserve by the Sultan of Kutai in 1936. There are walking trails throughout the park as well as waterways that invite exploration. The sea gardens in the waters of nearby Kaba Bay provide great snorkeling opportunities, with fringing reefs that abound with corals and fish.

Day 5: Samarinda

The mighty Sungai Mahakam skirts Samarinda like a giant muddy flood. Here the river is a highway in its own right, peppered with houseboats and fishing vessels, boats lugging timber and tugs pulling demonic loads of coal. Along the banks, the city follows the water via a green esplanade, with two spectacular mosques dominating the view. Although itÂ’s another important trading port, Samarinda has retained far more of its Indonesian character than Balikpapan, and visitors will get a dose of East Kalimantan culture in between the business blocks. Meandering through the stalls of the lively Citra Niaga market will fill the nostrils, ears and eyes with all the heady activity of Southeast Asia.

Day 6: Balikpapan (for Samboja Lestari)

The "Samboja Lestari Project", roughly translated as the "everlasting conservation project of the Samboja district" is a 2000ha reserve operated by BOS (Borneo Orangutan Survival) Indonesia. Since 2001, the once barren land has been planted with more than a million trees covering more than 1000 different species. With the growth in the forest, the density and diversity of wildlife has returned. So far 137 bird species and nine primate species have been recorded. Air temperature has fallen by 3 to 5 degrees centigrade, cloud cover increased by 12% and rainfall by 20-25% with the forest cooling the atmosphere and attracting rain clouds. The Orangutan Reintroduction Project at Wanariset has now moved to Samboja Lestari with around 200 orangutans now living there. Several Forest Schools provide natural, educational playgrounds for the orangutans in which to learn forest skills before returning to cages to sleep at night. Samboja Lestari is also the home to 52 Malaysian sun bears.

Days 7-8: Palu (overnight at Tana Tarajah)

Today you will disembark the ship for an overnight journey through central Sulawesi, staying in Rantepeo. Taking in Lore Lindu National Park, the Bada Valley and the mystical Toraja Land before reboarding the ship in Pare Pare. Lore Lindu National Park - Lore Lindu national park contains one of the largest intact forests in Indonesia. Composed of a complex of rift valleys and steeply folded mountains stretching across 217,000 hectares in central Sulawesi. The park provides habitat for almost all of Sulawesi's endangered mammal species, including the Mountain anoa, babirusa, three species of tarsier, tonkean macaque and the marsupial cuscus. The park is home to 227 bird species, of which 77 are found nowhere else on Earth. The Bada Valley - The Bada Valley is a very interesting destination. Not only is it home to an Indonesian community that seems to exist in a little world of its own, it's also dotted with the some very different megaliths (huge stone statues). They are all but ignored by locals sitting in paddy fields while farmers grow rice around them. Nobody knows how they got there or who built them. To complicate the issue further they're made out of a kind of stone that can't be found locally. Toraja Land - With majestic panoramas, captivating villages and dramatic ceremonies, Tana Toraja is the undisputed highlight of any journey to Sulawesi. This unique culture, the scenic beauty, cool climate and gentle people are the main reason that Toraja is gaining popularity as a tourist destination. The Torajas have a unique culture based on animistic beliefs. Known for their grand burial ceremonies, they practice an ancestral cult even today where death and afterlife ceremonies are great feasts when buffalos are sacrificed in the final death ceremony, after which the deceased's remains are placed in a coffin and interred in caves hollowed out in high cliffs.

Day 9: Makassar, Sulawesi

Makassar is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi and the largest city on the Island. From 1971 to 1999, the city was formally named Ujung Pandang, after a pre-colonial fort in the city, and the two names are often used interchangeably. Ujung Pandang had an important role as the gateway to the former kingdom of Gowa and now to the whole province because of its natural harbour. The most important landmark is ‘Ujung Pandang fortress’ that faces the sea front. One of the eleven fortresses of the kingdom built in 1545 during the reign of Tuni Pallanga, the 10th Gowa sultan. When Gowa capitulated to the colonial forces under the treaty of Bungaya in 1667, the fort was renamed Rotterdam by Admiral Spellman who constructed bastions and buildings of typical Dutch architecture making it the center of the civilian government. You have the opportunity to visit Fort Rotterdam, the state museum as well as experiencing the eclectic mix of cultures in this cosmopolitan city.

Day 10: At Sea

Enjoy some time relaxing onboard the ship and listening to lectures from your naturalist guides on this day at sea.

Day 11: Benoa, Bali – Disembark

The Indonesian island of Bali represents an oxymoron. The city centre of Denpasar is crammed with hotels and tourist activity. It is renowned for its highly developed arts, including dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking and music. The countryside is picturesque incorporating rice paddies flooding the hillsides and volcanoes reaching to the skies. The rainforests are lush and tropical, and the beaches are washed by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. The island is home to the vast majority of Indonesia's small Hindu minority. This is where you will disembark your vessel and say goodbye to new friends.