steaming towards Kumai

On our third day we started to see signs of what we came half way around the world for - Camp Leakey - as we steamed toward the port city of Kumai.  

Entrance to the river which leads to Camp Leakey

We also saw signs of the major threat to the orangutan; removal of the rainforest to make way for palm oil plantations. This is 

not a good photo, but that is a really large barge full of what used to be trees in the rainforest and the lifeblood of the orang utan.

Deforestation on a large scale

We had to hold off for the tide to rise and allow us to cross the sandbar - it is a very narrow window of time. On arrival we heard speakers 

broadcasting the call of, and the natural sound of, hundreds of swiftlets arriving to enter the many large concrete bunkers lining the 

shore. These buildings provide a man-made place for the birds to nest and for those nests to be harvested. Normally these birds 

nest in deep caves which are very hard to get at and as such make for a rare and very expensive ingredient for Chinese bird-nest 

soup. The number of swiflets has dwindled significantly due to the steady harvest of natural nesting sites. As the demand and 

substantial income that can be earned from this commodity is growing some enterprising people came up with this makeshift solution. 

Is this a sustainable solution for the birds? It seems another case of humans messing with nature for profit. This provides a safe and 

accessible income for the people of Borneo, who have lost other sources of income, but it remains to be seen how this will affect the swiflet population and the balance with other species.

makeshift swiflet caves - bird's nest soup

We were warmly greeted by the people of Kumai along with representatives of Orangutan Foundation International. We were then treated to a wonderful performance by local youth of music, dance and martial arts. It was lovely.

local welcome

welcomed by OFI representatives

fruit and coconut treats while watching the show

the musicians

We were then treated to a wonderful performance by local youth of music, dance and martial arts. It was lovely.

and the dancers

and the martial arts

Borneo Expedition continued

Orion II has a multi purpose library/lounge. It is open early for continental breakfast and from 10 a.m. on for your beverage of 

choice. This is a great spot to while the day away: choose something from the wide selection of books; checkout a DVD for your

room; use one of the computers for email catch up; sit and chat with other passengers; order your favorite espresso drink; indulge

in afternoon tea and join in the daily Trivia challenge or just relax and sip cocktails.

meet the expedition team!

The main lounge on deck 3 is where the lectures, daily recaps, slide shows and receptions take place. On our second day we were introduced 

to the expedition team and learned about what to expect at Camp Leakey and that evening we had the Captain’s welcome with complimentary 

champagne and nibbles, followed by the captains dinner. Speaking of dinner - the selection and quality of food particularly at dinner was amazing!

meet the captain!

Taking a break in Bali posts - moving forward to my Borneo expedition

Borneo and Orion II Expedition Cruise

After our stay with Aman resorts in Bali and Java and a few nights at Four Seasons Jimbaran where we met up with our kids, 
we went on a 10 night expedition cruise to Borneo – a trip which for me was all about seeing Camp Leakey and the orangutans.

Orion II docks at Benoa harbor near Denpasar, a busy and bustling city in southern Bali between the tourist areas of 

Nusa Dua in the east and and Jimbaran in the west. There’s usually lots of traffic and so one should allow extra time for 

finding the ship; we almost missed the boat!

the ship - later in the journey

After checking in and a quick lesson in safety and lifeboat protocol, we unpacked and then gathered on the rear deck 5 

for champagne and a beautiful sunset sail away. The waters were incredibly calm for most of our journey - always a nice 

development when you are on the open seas.

sail away sunset

Our first two nights were at sea as we sailed toward Kumai for our Camp Leakey experience. On our first full day we 

crossed the Celebes Sea; apparently this is the second most pirated body of water. It is a good thing I didn’t have time 

to read about that before our journey; it may have given us pause! Like the shoemaker whose children have no shoes - 
this travel advisor's family doesn't always get the well researched travel which her clients do.

Pulau Maselembo

In the afternoon we had a brief break in the rain and wind of the day and while the expedition crew scouts were unable to 
find good beaches on Pulau Maselembo we had the option of going ashore for a village visit or into the sea for some snorkeling.

The nature of expedition cruising means that stops like this are often finalized with short notice, but because of this and

the iffy weather and general laziness, I elected to stay on the ship. Our son went snorkeling and said that while it wasn’t his 

best snorkel experience, he did see a number of fish and a ray. Those who went ashore reported it was a worthwhile 

experience particularly because the villagers were thrilled by the visitors; they seldom have people like us stop by.