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Follow on Google News |  Where is the best place to see Orangutans?• Borneo (Malaysia) Sabah - Sepilok, Kinabatangan river and Danum valley • Borneo (Malaysia) Sarawak - Batang Ai • Sumatra (Indonesia) -Gunung Leuseur National Park • Kalimantan (Indonesia) -Tanjung Puting National Park in Kalimantan, Indigenous orangutans are found on only two islands, Borneo and Sumatra. Of course, choosing the "best" destination is complicated by the fact the Borneo is politically and territorially divided between Malaysia and Indonesia, with the northern part of Sarawak and Sabah belonging to Malaysia and the southern part, know as Kalimantan, belonging to Indonesia. There are many advantages of a tour to Malaysian Borneo to see orangutans and other wildlife. A key advantage is that the communications and accessibility are arguably easier than on the Indonesia side, with international links from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Hong Kong connecting direct to Kota Kinabalu (provincial capital of Sabah) or Kuching (provincial capital and gateway to Sarawak). Also the internal infrastructure and resources are more developed than on the Indonesian side, which you might therefore argue that the latter is less spoilt than its northern neighbour. Bornean orangutans (pongo pygmaeus ) are slightly darker in colour and the males have wider cheek pads. The height of the males range from 1,2 - 1,4 m, and weigh 50-110 kg. Female heights range from 1-1.2m and weight 50 -100 kg. However the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre has a number of things going for it and that is first and foremost that it is the largest and most renowned in the world and Sandakan's biggest tourist attraction. One of the other advantages of a trip to Sepilok is that it can be combined with tours to the Kinabatangan Wildlife Reserve, situated on the Kinabatangan river, the second longest river in Malaysia, with a length of 560 kilometres. This valley is known for its remarkable wildlife and fascinating habitats and is a great destination for seeing wild orangutans and to spot proboscis monkeys and Bornean pygmy elephants and reptiles. The Kinabatangan river offers the opportunity to go trekking in Borneo in the surrounding jungle in search of wildlife, birds, reptiles and insects and to learn more about Borneo's fragile eco system and how it is threatened by commercial interests such as the power of the palm oil industry. The Danum Valley is another place to visit and can be combined with a trip to Sepilok. It has one of the richest concentrations of wildlife anywhere on Borneo. However you are not guaranteed to see wild orangutans as their population is this area is still relatively sparse, although still arguably the best place to see wild orangutans in Malaysian Borneo. You will definitely see plenty of wildlife, its just difficult to know exactly what, as luck does play its part on all such trips. The other option for seeing Orangutans in Malaysian Borneo is at Batang Ai, which is a wonderful example of community-led conservation and is really the only place to see wild orangutans in Sarawak. The advantage of a tour to Batang Ai is the opportunity to see traditional communities and in particular the Iban tribes who are the custodians of this lush national park and its rare wildlife. Wildlife and cultural tours to Batang Ai in Sarawak are accessed by their formidable river system enabling you to experience their longhouses and learn about traditional life and dance as well of course as seeing wild orangutans. Batang Ai National Park is part of the region's largest trans-national tropical rainforest conservation area and massive man-made lake that produces hydro electric power. The park of Lanjak-Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary in Malaysia and the Bentuang-Karimun National Park in Indonesia forms a sanctuary for one of the few viable orangutan populations in central Borneo as well as many other endangered species. For conservation reasons, Batang Ai National Park is only partially open to the public but has the highest orangutan population density in central Borneo. Whilst there is a good possibility of seeing wild orangutans this is not guaranteed and should be regarded as something of a bonus. An alternative to Malaysian Borneo, are trips to Sumatra or a tour to Tanjung Puting in Kalimantan, Indonesia. These areas are a little more off the beaten track and some would argue all the better for that but with that comes slightly more complex travel arrangements. A trip to Sumatra will involve viewing Sumatran orangutans (pongo abelii) recently confirmed as a separate species, which have lighter hair with paler red colouring and longer hair. The male orangutans grow to about 1.4 meters tall and 90kg and the female orangutans are smaller than the males, averaging 90 cm and 45 kg. They are rarer and thinner than Borneo orangutans. The best place to see orangutans in Sumatra is in Gunung Leuseur. It is one of Indonesia's oldest national parks and was established in 1980 and boasts one of the richest tropical rainforest in Southeast Asia and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. It has a well known as an orangutans station or orangutan care center. And Bukit Lawang is one of the main access points to the formidable rainforest of Gunung Leuseur. Last but not least is a visit to Tanjung Puting National Park, - Kalimantan, Borneo. If you want to see large numbers of orangutans then this is the place to go as it is estimated that the population of the national park stands at some 4,000 orangutans and is one of the largest and most diverse protected areas. Whether you choose to holiday in Borneo (http://pioneerexpeditions.com/ End
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