MAY 10 – 17. 2022 7 NIGHTS/ 8 DAYS
Time to return to beautiful West Borneo and spend time in the original forests with the true guardians of the land – the traditional Dayak’s.
We will immerse ourselves in the Dayak way of life, as we travel into their spiritual heartland and witness their deep connection with the rivers, forests, and lakes in the Kapuas Hulu area, one of Indonesia’s best-kept secrets.
The Dayak Iban will host us, and teach us about their culture, spiritual connection with nature, and belief systems formed and developed over thousands of years.
We will attend the Gawai rice harvest festival in the traditional village of Sungai Ulik, on the banks of Indonesia’s longest river, the mighty Kapuas.
Gawai is a very happy festive time for the Dayaks and we will not only witness traditional dancing, music, and rituals performed by children and elders but be welcome to participate and treated like close friends. This is true Dayak hospitality and is a rare opportunity to experience something very genuine and performed for the ancestors, not for tourism.
Over the 7 nights and 8 days, we will visit a few communities, sleep in the traditional longhouses and experience this unique way of living, travel into the oldest rainforests on the planet with some of the Dayak wisdom keepers, bathe in crystal clear rivers, eat some of the healthiest food on the planet gathered from the forests and farms, and learn about indigenous chemical-free farming. We will meet traditional female weavers, tattooists and learn about this ancient craft, hear stories from the storytellers, listen to the sounds of the beautiful Sape and other traditional music instruments, travel by boat into the beautiful Lake Sentarum National Park, a place of extraordinary beauty, peace and calm, and one of the worlds most biodiverse lake systems.
This area has 240 recorded species of fish, 237 different bird species, and 143 mammals.
We will also learn about the story of the Sungai Utik community and their fight for 40 years to protect their traditional 10,000-hectare forest from development, and how they were able to achieve this.
You will have plenty of time to hear about how the Dayak people are trying to retain their way of life and the cultural preservation programs such as Sakolah Adat, and how the children are finding ways to retain important aspects of their traditional culture as the modern world encroaches upon their communities and how they can adapt to these changes and not lose their sense of identity.
This will be a very exciting adventure and learning opportunity for those interested in indigenous cultures, climate change, and the environment and we will have a lot of fun over the 8 days with plenty in store.
This trip will be limited to a maximum of 8 people and will be led by Dayak Dave Metcalf who has spent the past 11 years traveling and photographing many Dayak communities in different areas of Borneo and has produced a documentary film Long Saan – the journey back.
We fly to Pontianak in West Kalimantan, from Bali via Jakarta on May 10th, spend one night in Pontianak, then fly to Putusibau in the morning ( 1,5 hour flight ), the entry point to the villages and Kapuas Hulu area, and return to Bali on May 17 from Putusibau.
If you wish to join, or require more information please contact Dave on WhatsApp +62 8111331255 or e-mail davidmetcalf312@gmail.com
COST : $. 1950 USD per person
Includes :
– Domestic flight from Pontianak to Putusibau return 7 nights Accommodation
– All food and drinks
– All ground transport
– Park fees
– Boats to Sentaram NP
Excludes :
– Domestic flights to Pontianak return from Bali or Jakarta
Highlights include :
– Visiting the original rainforests of Borneo
– Immersing ourselves in the daily lives of the Dayak people a unique, authentic cultural experience
– Sleeping in traditional longhouses
– Witness ancient rituals and the Gawai rice harvest festival
– Learn about the Dayak people’s deep connection with the rivers and forests Eat delicious forest food
– Learn about the natural medicines from the forest Travel by boat to the pristine Lake Sentaram National Park
