Happy New Year from Rahai'i Pangun Jungle River Cruises

Exotic Serenity

Evenings are the perfect time for filming along the river and in the maze of narrow canals and ox bow lakes created by the ever meandering river changing its course.

Fed by the monsoon rains, the waters in the lakes are pure black, leached through the fallen leaves of the swamp forests and the ancient peat of the Central Kalimantan lowlands. The black water creates the perfect glassy surface for reflections at once breath-taking and mysterious. Sometimes, looking at the reflections side on, great forest spirits appear to live in the dense foliage. Deer are native to the forests of Borneo, and in the trompe d'oeil here, appears to be decked with antlers.

Indonesian Governors' wives enjoy cruise

A sparkling December day welcomed a group of Indonesian Governors' wives to Tangkiling for a cruise aboard the Rahai'i Pangun on the Rungan River.

The wife of Kalteng Governor, Bpk Teras Narang, with Ibu Fauzi, wife of the Jakarta Governor, led the party onto the boat for their short cruise around Pulau Kaja, a river island used by the Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation for the pre-release of orangutans in the later stages of rehabilitation. Accompanied by Aldrianto of the BOS Foundation, the women were delighted to see a group of mothers and babies at one of the feeding stations on the island.

While cruising, the guests enjoyed a feast of local delicacies, including marinated giant river prawns, lemon grass sambal, local grilled river fish, steamed river fish in coconut and turmeric, and the jungle fern, kolokai, cooked with mushrooms.