The Samboja Lodge is situated in the middle of 1,800 hectares of lush forest vegetation, about 1-hour by car from the seaport city of Balikpapan in the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. View in Google Maps.

You will find yourself in the middle of our East Kalimantan Orangutan Reintroduction Program which cares for displaced and orphaned orangutans who were rescued from areas of habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict. Included with your visit are tours of the orangutan sanctuary islands and our sun bear sanctuary. Outside the confines of the sanctuary, a staggering 137 species of birds – including the famous Rhinoceros hornbill – are estimated to freely inhabit the Samboja Lestari forest, fluttering through the canopy. Mouse deer, long-tailed macaques, and even porcupines make their homes inside the forest as well.

The journey to the Samboja Lodge begins at the Balikpapan airport. There are regular flights connecting the Balikpapan domestic airport to major cities such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, and Makasssar. If you book ahead of time, Samboja Lodge transportation will collect you from the airport and bring you directly to the Lodge. The car trip will last about 1 hour.

As a tropical rainforest, Samboja tends to be warm and humid during the day and cool in the evening. The one thing you can almost be certain of is rain: ranging from light drizzles to dramatic downpours lasting for hours.

Reservations made directly through our contact form are the cheapest and safest way to book a room at the Samboja Lodge. Just click here to send us your booking request. Booking options are also available through the third-party platforms of tiket.com and traveloka.com.

The strongest internet connection is in the common areas of the Samboja Lodge. Wi-fi is available in the rooms as well, but expect a weaker signal when in your room.

Bring both sturdy walking shoes for use on the trails and waterproof sandals to wear when you are travelling by boat. Keep in mind that due to the wet weather, floors can frequently be slippery and the ground muddy, so the better the grip on your shoes, the easier it will be on you!

We offer vegetarian dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but we are happy to customize the menus for you. Please inform us of any dietary restrictions you have before your arrival.

We understand that sometimes plans change due to forces outside of our control. If this happens and you are unable to go on your holiday as planned, please contact our Lodge hospitality team at your earliest opportunity. We will do our best to make needed changes to your booking. You can cancel up to 7 days before arrival free of charge. Any notification of cancellations must be made via email to: sambojalodge@orangutan.or.id.

Your room is available for check-in starting at 1:00 PM. Check-out time is at 11:00 AM.

Bring cameras, insect repellent, a sun hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses. Closed-toe walking shoes (sneakers or light boots), and t-shirts & trousers round out your packing list. Don’t forget, it can get cool in the evenings, so we also recommend that you bring a light sweater, long sleeve shirt, or shawl. Check our packing list for more information.

Breakfast is served from 7:00am to 9:00am, lunch from 12:00pm to 1.30pm and dinner from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. The kitchen remains open until the last guest has had dinner.

We accept Visa or MasterCard payments. Payment will be automatically charged to your account within one working day. We charge an additional 2% credit card fee. We also accept payment through local bank transfer at the following account:

• Account Name: YAYASAN PENYELAMATAN ORANGUTAN BORNEO
• Bank name: Bank BNI
• Branch : Balikpapan
• Account number: 116932932
• Swift code: BNINIDJABPN

You can cancel up to 7 days before arrival free of charge. Any notification of cancellations must be made via email to: sambojalodge@orangutan.or.id.

Indonesia has requirements in place for all visitors, but please keep in mind these can change with little notice at any time. All of the current requirements are listed on the website of immigration for Indonesia.

In Indonesia you can expect the 2 pin socket and plug, as used across much of Europe. Guests from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States will need an adapter otherwise the plugs for your electrical appliances will not fit into the socket.

Because Islam is Indonesia’s majority religion, you should take care to dress modestly in respect of local cultures. While visiting our sites, you should wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt to avoid possible dangers of the forest, including biting mosquitoes and spiky rattan.

NOTE: This packing list covers everything you need to bring.

The currency used in Indonesia is the Indonesian Rupiah. Rough exchange rates include about IDR 19,200 to 1 GBP; 14,200 to 1 USD; 16,500 to 1 EUR; 10,500 to 1 AUD. For today's exchange rate visit xe.com.