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    discovering borneo

    Wild Indonesia beckons with gentle, endangered creatures, lush landscapes, and riverboat treks

    Alison Draper
    Oct 5, 2022 | 5:00 am
    Orangutan Odysseys Indonesia

    Crossing the river in Borneo.

    Orangutan Odysseys/Facebook

    Adventurists, conservations or those simply energized by exotic travel will want to learn more about a breath-taking trip to Borneo, the Indonesian island that is home to the earth’s oldest rainforest.

    Orangutan Odysseys provides riverboat travel through Indonesia’s Central Kalimantan with the founder of the Orangutan Project, Leif Cocks, the world’s foremost expert on orangutans.

    The weeklong riverboat expedition starts off at the Port of Kumai, a burgeoning trade center and home to one of the world’s most valuable animal products — the nests used for bird's nest soup. The journey makes its way south along the wide Kumai River before heading up the narrower and more peaceful Sekonyer River, which leads into the Tanjung Puting National Park, one of the best places in the world to observe semi-wild orangutan.

    The experience feels like entering another world. The boat’s movement provides a consistent light breeze and a view of riverbanks sandwiched with nipa and screw palms. Eventually the palms yield to tall trees and messy vines, the marks of Borneo’s tropical rainforest.

    Tanjung Puting National ParkThe Kumai River in Tanjung Puting National Park.Tanjung Puting National Park

    There is the constant buzz of cicadas and sporadic bird calls. In the skies are prehistoric-appearing hornbills, one of the many birds flying overhead.

    An elusive dolphin may jump from the water, or a crocodile may emerge stealthily. And in the trees comes the real excitement: troops of long-tailed macaques, bands of proboscis monkeys and the endangered majestic orangutans.

    All this while enjoying the comforts of the boat. During the two overnights, you will wake to beautiful sunrises and the sounds of the forest. In the evening, you will witness stunning pinkish orange and yellow sunsets and, once darkness hits, fireflies in the trees. After dinner, you can relax on deck or go down below to your private bedroom with an ensuite bathroom.

    Savory vegetarian Indonesian dishes are cooked on board and served on the boat’s deck with dessert fruits including succulent dragonfruit, papaya, and mango.

    There are also exciting stops along the way. In the local villages, you can see natives perform martial arts exercises and practice basket weaving and wood carving.

    Other excursions include planting saplings to help regenerate the forest and observing ex-captive orangutans at a feeding platform. The last two days include an early morning forest walk and canoe rides around an orangutan pre-release island, home to over 50 orangutans.

    orangutansGentle orangutans in Borneo.Orangutan Odysses/Facebook

    Throughout the tour, you have the unique opportunity to learn from Lief Cocks about the current threats to orangutans and their habitat, including the impact of extractive industries such as oil palm plantations and mining. You will also become privy to the most effective conservation efforts, making the trip a special coupling of both education and adventure.

    Borneo has intrigued the world’s imagination for centuries. As the third largest island in the world, Borneo’s rainforest has survived for over 130 million years. Located in Southeast Asia’s Malay Archipelago, Borneo was once covered by dense tropical and subtropical rainforests, with a mountainous interior and swampy coastal areas enriched with mangrove forests and alluring beaches. The terrain was virtually untraversable and unexplored with only indigenous Penan and Dayak tribes inhabiting the remote parts of the island until about a century ago.

    Since the 1960s, devastating deforestation has left Borneo with only 55 percent of its forest remaining, yet enough to still be part of the last remaining habitat for many endangered species — including the critically endangered Bornean orangutan.

    -----

    Alison Draper is currently working on a novel about the plight of orangutans in Borneo.

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    Riverside Reno

    Fresh makeover turns Hill Country hotel into modern riverside refuge

    Brianna Caleri
    Jun 12, 2025 | 2:36 pm
    Hacienda Del Rio Hotel and Bar
    Photo courtesy of Hacienda Del Rio\u200b
    No matter how cosmopolitan the hotel gets, nothing can beat the trees around this pool.

    After a two-year renovation and rebranding, Hacienda Del Rio Hotel and Bar has opened in Gruene, a historic district within New Braunfels. Formerly the Gruene Outpost River Lodge, the property along the Guadalupe River now has 48 renovated rooms, new outdoor sports like pickleball, and updated amenities at the pool.

    The River Lodge's previous aesthetic was DIY and rustic, but the new Hacienda Del Rio has a much more cosmopolitan, contemporary design. The new look is full of midcentury styles, but with other eclectic elements mixed in. A press release declares the space was "designed in the spirit of Spanish colonial architecture," but don't expect anything old-fashioned.

    Hacienda Del Rio\u200b Hotel and Bar interiorThese earthy tones mellow out an otherwise energetic space.Photo courtesy of Hacienda Del Rio

    Texas-based hotel group French Cowboys was behind this major makeover, which started in April 2023. That puts Hacienda Del Rio in a family with Camp Comfort and The Meyer Hotel in the Hill Country town of Comfort; the Claire Hotel near Canyon Lake; the Gruene River Inn and Heidelberg Lodges in New Braunfels, and Webber East in Austin.

    The Hacienda can accommodate up to 178 guests in a variety of room layouts including kings, double queens, and suites. Bathrooms and showers are new, and rooms are outfitted with smart TVs, plus custom steel doors and windows. Photos of guestrooms, although they are colorful, show off a streamlined sensibility.

    A new clubhouse and cocktail bar draws guests who may not be staying overnight. Coffee and breakfast will be available in the morning, followed by daytime snacks, and finally a full bar in the evening. Anyone who stops by can enjoy beer, wine, and signature cocktails, plus shuffleboard, a pool table, and even some workspace. There will also be a new conference room for presentations, retreats, and more.

    Hacienda Del Rio\u200b Hotel and Bar interiorThis lounge is open to hotel guests and the public.Photo courtesy of Hacienda Del Rio

    Departing from the artsy interior to New Braunfels' beautiful surroundings, guests can play pickleball, beach volleyball, and basketball on a half-court, plus fire pits near the river and kayaks, paddleboards, and floats. River adventures will be facilitated by Paddle Texas, which will offer rentals and experiences. Finally, a renovated pool and deck provide more leisure space.

    “‘Del Rio’ reflects the area’s deep connection to the Guadalupe River, where guests can jump in, float, or just hang out by the water, whether it’s at the river or our pool," said French Cowboys co-founder Dylan Petrich in a press release. "And Hacienda captures our vision of creating a vibrant, social place where people can kick back, enjoy the outdoors, and grab a drink, all in one of the Hill Country’s most iconic destinations, without breaking the bank."

    Rates start at $125 per night, and the food and beverage space is open every day. Introductory rates are available for those who book through December 31, 2025.

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