Borneo Wildlife Photography Workshop
24th - 28th May, 2027
Ready to experience the magic of Borneo? Join me on a 4-night/5-day adventure cruising through the jungle in search of orangutans, reptiles, an abundance of birdlife and so much more!
Highlights:
Spend 5 days in Tanjung Puting National Park; home to the largest population of orangutans in the world!
Cruise the Sekonyer River and sleep on a klotok (traditional houseboat), listening to the sounds of the Bornean jungle.
Photography and post-processing guidance from Kate throughout the entire duration of your trip; helping you create wildlife imagery that you’re proud of.
Learn from our incredibly knowledgeable local guide, who will be there every step of the way to help us find these sometimes elusive species.
Learn about orangutan conservation as you observe these endangered animals in their natural habitat.
Search for all 9 primate species, as well as crocdiles, birdlife, insects, sun bears, clouded leopards and SO much more.
Go on short treks through the jungle (in the day AND at night) in search of wildlife on foot.
Help restore the forest with tree planting initiatives,
Scroll down for cost / sign-up details !!!
Itinerary
4 Nights/5 Days ⏤ Into the Jungle
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Welcome to Borneo!
Our trip will begin with an included transfer from the airport or your accommodation of choice (we recommend getting the 6 AM flight from Jakarta which arrives at 7.25 AM — OR arriving the day before and staying in a hotel).
Once transferred to our Klotok (traditional houseboat) we will meet our guides and boat crew, and head off on our journey into Tanjung Puting National Park. As we head further into the jungle, we’ll discuss our plans for the next 5 days and all that we’re in search of.
As we cruise along the river, we’ll keep our eyes peeled for wildlife before stopping at our first feeding station of the trip; an exciting moment to see our first close encounter with a wild orangutan!
In the evening, we’ll park our klotok along the river and settle in for the night. We’ll go over any images we’ve taken and discuss our plans for the following day. As we enjoy a nourishing meal, our boat will transform into a place of rest so that we can drift off to sleep to the sounds of the jungle.
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Accommodation:
First of 4 nights on board our klotok (traditional houseboat).Included Meals:
B, L & D -
For the next 3 days, our itinery will change depending on our location along the river and what we’re in serach of. We will do a mix of:
Feeding station viewings.
Easy jungle treks.
Village visits.
Canoe rides.
Tree planting.
Night treks.
— and so much more!
Between activities, the adventure never stops. Wildlife thrives along the river banks and there is always an opportunity to spot something magical — an abundance of bird life, crocodiles, primates, orangutans building their nests etc. It really is so special to be in the heart of the wild.
As always, we will discuss our plans over dinner the evening prior, always ensuring that there is plenty of time for editing workshops, image reviews and enjoying each other’s company.
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Accommodation:
Final 3 nights on board our Klotok (traditional houseboat).Included Meals:
B, L & D -
It’s our final morning together :(
After spending the morning doing our final cruise, we’ll reminisce on our incredible adventure, going over our images and hoping for our final wildlife sighting before heading out of the National Park and back to Pangkalan Bun.
Upon arrival back to civilisation, we will transfer you back to the airport or to your hotel of choice.
For those flying the same day, we recommend taking the 4.15 PM flight back to Jakarta, where you can continue your journey home or to your next destination.
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Included Meals:
Breakfast
A sneak peek of what to expect…
(No animal sighting is guaranteed, but we will certainly try our best!)
What animals will we have the chance to see?
— Orangutans (of course)
— White-bearded Gibbons
— Proboscis Monkeys
— Long-tailed Macaques
— Pig-tailed Macaques
— Red Leaf Monkeys
— Tasiers
— Slow Lorises
— Silvered Langur
— Sun Bears (Rare)
— Civets (Rare)
— Clouded Leopards (Rare)
— Crocodiles
and many other snakes/lizards/reptiles!
— Tarantulas
and many other spiders and insects!
— An abundance of birdlife!
and more!!!
Who you’ll be travelling with…
Kate
Me, hiiiiiii! I’ll be with you every step of the way, sharing my knowledge on how I photograph these incredible jungle species. I’m not sure that there is a more perfect location for my colour palette… An abundance of green, oranges and blues!
Alan (aka. Alanconda)
Alan is an incredible local guide with an abundance of knowledge and love for the jungle. He truly radiates joy and has so much passion for his job. As soon as I met him, I knew he was the perfect person to guide us on this adventure!
Details:
5 Day ⏤ Magical Borneo
24th - 28th May, 2027
Trip begins and ends in Pangkalan Bun, Indonesia (Borneo).
Trip cost: $3,400 AUD
Deposit of $1,000 AUD followed by 2 instalments of $1,200 AUD due on January 15th, 2027 & March 15th, 2027 (or you can pay in full if that is preferred).
Group size: 6 participants
[+ Kate & 1 Nature Guide]
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Scroll down for FAQs and booking T&Cs.
What is included:
✓ Photography tuition from Kate over the entire 5 days.
✓ Endless knowledge from our expert local guide who will guide us for the entire trip duration.
✓ 4 nights basic accommodation on board a klotok (traditional houseboat - please read FAQ below).
✓ Ground transport to/from the airport or your accommodation.
✓ All park fees, entry tickets etc.
✓ Editing/post-processing workshops + take home PDF.
✓ All meals as listed in the itinerary (B, L & D).
✓ A guaranteed fun time!!!!
What’s not included:
✗ Your flights to and from Pangkalan Bun.
✗ Indonestian Visas.
✗ Travel Insurance (required)
✗ Gratuities for guides/boat staff.
✗ Photography equipment.
✗ All items of personal nature.
✗ Any activities not included in itinerary.
✗ Alcoholic beverages + any meals & snacks not listed as included.
FAQs
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Pangkalan Bun (Iskandar Airport) is an easy 1-1.5 hour flight from Jakarta (a major international hub).
The trip will begin in the morning on Day 1, so we recommend getting the 6 AM flight from Jakarta (which arrives at 7.25 AM) — OR arriving the day before! We will pick you up from the airport or from your accommodation of choice.
For your departure, we recommend taking the 4.15 PM flight back to Jakarta, where you can continue your journey home or to your next destination.
— There is SO much to explore in Indonesia! Whether you decide to go to Sabah/Kota Kinabalu, Komodo, Bali, Java etc. all can be easily accessed from Jakarta. -
Tanjung Puting is a protected National Park home to the largest population of wild orangutans in the world!
Most are completely wild, but some are semi-wild/rehabilitated orangutans that have come from a variety of diferent places/unfortunate circumstances. There are a few research facilities and feeding stations deep within the National Park to help support and supplement feed these critically endangered animals if they feel they need it!
A few of these camps often see no orangutans at all if natural food sources are abundant, which is a huge conservation win. We will be visiting these feeding stations AND searching for the species along the river and elsewhere within the jungle too.
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Most days we will visit 1 or 2 feeding stations, with the addition of a few short hikes, some tree planting, village visits, night walks to search for nocturnal species, or canoeing along the smaller rivers.
Every day will be slightly different depending on the goals of the day and where we are in the National Park. We will discuss our plans for the next day over dinner the evening prior!
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Our accommodation throughout the trip is double occupancy luxurious tents/lodge rooms. 2 guests per room grouped via gender (or with your partner if travelling as a couple). Each equipped with all of the essentials to ensure a very comfortable stay in the heart of nature.
We begin with 1 night in Nairobi at Ole Sereni 2.5.4, have 4 nights in Samburu at Surana Buffalo Springs, 3 nights in Lake Nakuru at Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge, and finish with 4 nights in the Maasai Mara at Serenity Mara Legends Camp.
⏤ Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
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Yes! All meals starting from arrival on Day 1 through to departure on Day 5 are included and can be catered to any dietary requirements! We will have a chef on board who will be cooking us the most delicious traditional meals. They are so fresh and yummy, I can assure you!
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Whilst our main focus will be on photographing the species we see, that certainly doesn’t mean that you need to be a photographer to join! The only necessity is that you have a love of wildlife…
If you are a photographer however, this is most certainly open to any and all skill levels. From total beginner to seasoned professional, this trip is for you!
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My personal suggestion is to have a mirrorless/DSLR camera body, with a lens of at least 300mm in focal length (a 100-400mm or 200-600mm for example would be perfect). Keep in mind that there may be some incredible moments where the wildlife is quite close, so a variety of focal lengths is definitely recommended.
However, the aim of this workshop is for you to learn how to make the most of the equipment you already have, so bring what you can!
You will also need to bring your laptop and an external hard drive (preferably 2 so that you have a backup) for editing and image organization.
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Yes absolutely!!! Throughout the workshop we will spend our free time (often in the middle of the day as we are cruising along the river, or at night after dinner) going through our images and working on them together ⏤ from image organisation to post-processing and diving into any questions you may have.
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May is the shoulder season in Tanjung Puting — temperatures average 31-33℃, with high humidity and the occasional (but rare) tropical shower.
It is definitely a hot and sweaty environment, but that’s what you have to expect in the jungle!! After signing up I will give you further information about the locations, itinerary, packing lists etc.
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⏤ Bookings are held upon receipt of the deposit.
⏤ Payments are to be made via direct bank transfer or via credit/debit card (with a 3% processing fee).
⏤ Failure to make payments may result in the loss of your spot on the workshop.
⏤ Deposits are non-refundable.
⏤ Any cancellations made before January 15th, 2027 will incur a 25% cancellation fee of the trip cost. Any cancellations made between January 15th and March 15th, 2027 will incur a 50% cancellation fee of the trip cost. Any cancellations after March 15th, 2027 are non-refundable.
⏤ In the event that the trip is cancelled by the operator due to unforeseen events or circumstances, full refunds will be given or the trip will be rescheduled.
⏤ Travel insurance is required to cover personal flight/trip cancellations, trip interruptions, illnesses and circumstances beyond our control (e.g. climate events, natural disasters, epidemics, etc.)
If you have any other questions feel free to email me! ⏤ hello@katenewman.com