Planning a Safari - Where do you start?

Javan Rhino

Javan Rhino

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
After looking through Chlidonias' Asian tour 2011 thread, it brought my ideas of going on safari to the forfront of my mind (don't have the money yet, but hopefully in a couple of years we'll be able to look at going, so would be a good idea to start thinking of ideas). However, finding a particular safari on google search isn't easy - that is Indonesia.

To give a background, there are 3 safaris I really want to do in my lifetime: Kenya, Indonesia and the Galapagos.

Kenya and the Galapagos are pretty much covered in your specialist wildlife holiday brochures, but with Indonesia they're all Borneo or Sumatra, with no tours that stretch across various islands.

My ideal trip is:

Start in Borneo, looking to see a variety of species including orangutan, proboscis monkey, clouded leopard and various others.

Then do some days in Sumatra, again looking to see a variety of species including orangutan, Sumatran rhino, Malayan tapir, gibbons, tigers and various others.

Following that will most likely be the longest, tracking a single animal in Java: I'm sure you guessed it :D - it is my lifelong ambition to see a Javan rhinoceros, and I know how elusive they are, but with a good tracker/tour guide, surely there is a small chance?

Finally would be Sulawesi, babirusa, anoas and macaques.

So, how the hell do you plan that! I've not seen that in any safari brochures, so can it be done like that, can you 'custom build' a safari?

My biggest worry is that if I ever do manage to afford the trip, I will spend so much on it and not see a thing. I'm not expecting I'll see most of it (particularly the rhinos, the clouded leopard and the tiger), so I'm worried that it'd be a waste of money, spending thousands of pounds to see an animal and then have no success - what does everybody think?
 
They are not cheap my friend - but there are ways of circumventing the costs or at least making them more worthwhile.

I volunteered on a project in South Africa rehabilitating Cheetah back into the wild and it gave me a mixture of safari on a private reserve as well as working on the project, getting hands on with Cheetah, Hyena, Serval, Wildcats and lots of native wildlife.
If it a photographic safari you want then there are some great tours out there with 'WildArena' 'Wildlife Worldwide' and many others - it'll be a balance of cost, customer recommendation and content.

I'll have a chat with you about it next time we meet if you like, if you are around this weekend for a chat drop me a text and we'll get together?
 
karoocheetah said:
They are not cheap my friend - but there are ways of circumventing the costs or at least making them more worthwhile.

I volunteered on a project in South Africa rehabilitating Cheetah back into the wild and it gave me a mixture of safari on a private reserve as well as working on the project, getting hands on with Cheetah, Hyena, Serval, Wildcats and lots of native wildlife.
If it a photographic safari you want then there are some great tours out there with 'WildArena' 'Wildlife Worldwide' and many others - it'll be a balance of cost, customer recommendation and content.

I'll have a chat with you about it next time we meet if you like, if you are around this weekend for a chat drop me a text and we'll get together?
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Thanks Karoo :) - not about this weekend but a week on Sunday I'll be at Chester, hopefully will be there for the day - will drop you a PM nearer the time when I know for sure :)
 
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I think J.R. is just trying to get the best value for money for least risk - what I havn't told him yet is that those risks are what make planning and executing a trip fun :) you can be guilty of over planning I feel and I think JR is a tad guilty of that but I don't blame him for one second in wanting to get the most bang for his bucks, especially when those Bucks are hard to come by!
 
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If you think a trip to Borneo and Sumatra is a waste of money if you don`t see a javan rhino, clouded leopard or sumatran tiger, then you should really stay at home. The chance of seeing all three is next to nothing. I`d even go as far and state it`s impossible. Your best bet is probably the clouded leopard, Kinabatangan area and Danum valley in Sabah (Malaysia, Borneo) are good places to see them on night drives/night cruises but even there you need to be very very lucky or invest a lot of time (weeks and months, not days). If you want to see a tiger, go to India, there are some national parks where your odds would be much better with an almost-guarantee.

But i can assure you that there are plenty other great things to see and do in South-East Asia. If you go to the right places (like Kinabatangan and Danum in Borneo, and I`m sure there are equally good places in Sumatra, even if they may be more difficult to reach) you`re guaranteed to see plenty of primates incl. proboscis, orang utan, different species of langurs and macaques, fyling squirrels and flying lemur, leopard cats, different species of civits, mouse and samba deer, lots and lots of birds and so much more.

However, if you mean "safari" as oranized tour, than be prepared to spend a fortune. From what I know organized trips in Indonesia are anything but cheap and Malaysia is not better, if you expect a personal guide/driver to shuffle you around. The best way for such a tour is a self-organized backpacking trip with only going on tours when it`s necessary or more convenient to get into a certain area (but then book directly and not through a tour office in some big city far away). Buying the Lonely Planet guidebooks for Indonesia and Borneo is where to start. Get an idea what you would like to do and what could work, and then get the up-to-date and detailed information from travellers who`ve been there like Chlidonias and from the Lonely Planet forums.
 
Yassa said:
If you think a trip to Borneo and Sumatra is a waste of money if you don`t see a javan rhino, clouded leopard or sumatran tiger, then you should really stay at home. The chance of seeing all three is next to nothing.
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The main thing about Indonesia is that it's my favourite area for wildlife, so anything I see I will be happy to see - I don't think it would be a waste of money if I didn't see those species as I know I picked the very elusive ones - what I'd be worried about is I've heard about people going on these safaris and not seeing a single animal, that in my opinion would be a waste of money - if I saw SOMETHING wildlife-wise, it would be money well spent.

To see Javan rhinoceros is my #1 ambition in the world - and I know its unlikely but I'm sure there is no harm in trying if prepared for failure - the thing is, again, if I do not see a Javan rhino then I would hopefully see something :) - sorry for the confusion [the species listed are just highlight species]
 
I've worked in the travel industry for about 10 years and have been on various wildlife trips involving varying levels of budget, and pre-planning.

Obviously, the biggest factor is the length of time. Certainly you increase your chances of seeing a Javan rhino dramatically if you have the time (and desire) to spend six weeks in one park as Dicerorhinus was fortunate enough to have done in Ujung Kulon. I agree with prior posters though, not a good idea to get your hopes up for a single species but you can't miss seeing amazing wildlife in this part of the world. It's beyond my expertise, but I think you might want more than just a good guide/tracker to spot a Javan rhino, perhaps you could build a relationship with field biologists in advance who might let you tag along (or maybe you already have?). Or, of course, if you have the ability to volunteer as karoocheetah mentioned.

One thing I'm sure of is that there is no wrong way to travel, whatever works for you is the right way to do it. Independent backpacking is undoubtedly the cheapest, and you do need to be prepared for surprises. If backpacking through Indonesia on your own isn't for you, you might consider a local agency. You can research and sketch out a rough itinerary of the places you want to see, and the amount of time you'd like to spend. You can then search for recommended agencies via LP's Thorn Tree site. Send it to 2-3 to keep them honest, let them know that you are on a budget and that you are obtaining multiple quotes and see what comes back. You can ask them to include touring/guiding, or you ask them to just assist you with the bare bones logistics from point A to point B. In this part of the world where your GBPs go a long way - the cost for a custom private itinerary may not be as high as you think, as direct business is good for these agencies, and they'll take on a budget trip. It's the lodges you need to watch out for, the more exclusive ones are pricey, some because they are heavily taxed.

The group tours organized in the UK, or anywhere outside of Indonesia are naturally going to be higher as another poster mentioned. A reputable Indonesian Tour Operator should have no trouble combining all the places you've mentioned. You may find that it makes sense to do part of the trip on your own, and pay a bit more for a small group excursion for another part (Sulawesi, for example). Up to you of course, but it's an option that falls somewhere in between backpacking and pricey escorted group tours. Best of luck.
 
Thanks for all the advice :)

I think one option I would like to do when I have the money to do so is volunteer with the species - might not get to do everything else then but of course, as has been suggested, the more time I spend in Ujong Kulon the better.
 
Do you already have experience in independent wildlife tours abroad?

Generally, start with buying Rough Guides and Lonely Planet, and check trip reports at mammalwatching.com and travellingbirder.com

You can check organized tours to Indonesia. The way to pick a company is be reading their trip reports. From my impression, organized trips are not especially great way to see mammals in Indonesia (you see no more than watching independently).

Seeing Javan Rhino is next to impossible, and very expensive to try. I would suggest waiting a few years, where likely staff at Ujung Kulon develops an expertise to actually see the rhino, and outrageous prices may drop to sensible level.

However, Indonesia is easy to travel independently (perhaps hiring local guides in particular reserves etc) and you should see plenty of other good mammals and other wildlife. Orangutans, proboscis monkeys, komodo dragons and babirusas are typically seen by nature lovers. There are also lots of less visited places, whe you can connect to eg. localized langur species etc (see trip reports)

As others mentioned, some animals are easier elsewhere in Asia, eg. Tigers are best seen in India.
 
PS. If you want to volunteer, check that such a program exists at all. If you are obsessed with Javan Rhino, I suggest emailing Ujung Kulon park and people known to work with the rhino simply for information. Some of them are likely to be nice people, you get insider information, and maybe you learn about some volunteering or similar project. Sometimes such people answer that they see their animals regularly, sometimes they say its mission impossible.

However, please keep in mind, that if you are volunteering, you are usually supposed to do your stuff and wandering around lots of time looking for rhino may not be realistic option.

I am a bit afraid that if you jump saying "I saved cash, I want to see a rhino" people answer "of course" and organize you a wonderful trip to part you with your cash, but no rhino.
 
Jurek7 said:
PS. If you want to volunteer, check that such a program exists at all. If you are obsessed with Javan Rhino, I suggest emailing Ujung Kulon park and people known to work with the rhino simply for information. Some of them are likely to be nice people, you get insider information, and maybe you learn about some volunteering or similar project. Sometimes such people answer that they see their animals regularly, sometimes they say its mission impossible.

However, please keep in mind, that if you are volunteering, you are usually supposed to do your stuff and wandering around lots of time looking for rhino may not be realistic option.

I am a bit afraid that if you jump saying "I saved cash, I want to see a rhino" people answer "of course" and organize you a wonderful trip to part you with your cash, but no rhino.
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That is true - as mentioned if I go on a safari it will be several years down the line, at the moment I'm just sort of flicking through ideas and trying to get advice, so that when the time comes that it may be feasible to do something like this I'm a bit more aware of what to do/expect :)

On a sidenote - no matter how much I like Indonesian wildlife, I would possibly get more out of my money doing the Galapagos option, as I believe wildlife is easier to observe over there? Highlights on that tour would be Marine iguanas, Galapagos penguins (one of my top 10 species to see), Galapagos fur seals and sea lions, and the various boobies, pelicans, frigatebirds etc.
 
"I am a bit afraid that if you jump saying "I saved cash, I want to see a rhino" people answer "of course" and organize you a wonderful trip to part you with your cash, but no rhino."

People in Malaysia (and I guess it`s the same in Indonesia) have the tendency to tell you what they think you WANT to hear. I guess you won`t have any problems finding someone who is willing to guarantee you a rhino or a tiger.... just that it would never happen, of course. The best way to avoid this is to do your homework before. With the sources quoted above you should be able to get pretty accurate information of what you can expect to see realistically, where, and what you need to do to increase your chances of good sightings. And then you should be able to distinguish between tour companys that make totally unrealistic promises to rip you off, and those who tell you what you can realistically expect. The internet is such a fantastic resource and I found not all, but a lot of trip reports on the lonely planet forums ect. pretty accurate.

If you pick the right places in Borneo, not seeing anything interesting is impossible. I cannot imagine anyone going to Kinabatangan (which is Malaysian Borneo, not Indonesia, just to make it clear) and see NOTHING. You`re guaranteed plenty of wildlife there even if you stay just 1 or two nights, definately proboscis (not such a bad sighting for being guaranteed!) and plenty of hornbills and likely orang utan.
 
"On a sidenote - no matter how much I like Indonesian wildlife, I would possibly get more out of my money doing the Galapagos option, as I believe wildlife is easier to observe over there?"

If you go to the right places, seeing wildlife in Borneo is not difficult at all. Just the cats (exept bengal cat) are darn hard. Galapagos would be totally different, but surely worth the money, too!
 
The Galapagos offers a far different experience from rainforest trekking, you aren't seeking out the wildlife, you walk/swim amongst it. Marine iguanas are everywhere, and you'd have to be pretty unlucky to not see penguins.

It's more expensive though as a travel experience, aside from multiple flights and entry permit you can't visit the smaller islands unless accompanied by an Ecuadorian naturalist which for most people requires joining an organized tour of 1-2 weeks, or a series of 1-2 day trips aboard small boats from Santa Cruz. Since to do it right you need to spend several days at a minimum traveling by boat, it's not cheap. It's so important to see multiple islands, so it's worth saving up to do it right...worth every penny!
 
I may be saying something obvious, but many companies offer wildlife tours to Galapagos or Kenya. Check their trip reports, and check places to visit and accomodation. I guess you want to avoid luxury lodges and prefer rare species.

I strongly suggest real, specialist trip as opposed to more general nature trip. All tour operators in Kenya will show tourists elephants, wildebeest, impala etc., but you may want to include eg. night drive and seek some African small mammals or less showy birds.

I went for safari trip to Botswana with only "dude" approach to nature and regret it. When a herd of elephants spectacularly charged a pride of lions, the guide driven away, because he thought tourists prefer dinner on time. When a genet showed, our guide was uninterested in such small creature. Etc. For wildlife lover, this can be painful.
 
Javan Rhino said:
On a sidenote - no matter how much I like Indonesian wildlife, I would possibly get more out of my money doing the Galapagos option, as I believe wildlife is easier to observe over there?
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You cannot really compare in a simple way!

Galapagos is very expensive, most local wildlife can be easily seen, animals are very close but are few species and small. Kenya is least expensive, most species of big animals, drive-through safari. Indonesia is harder wildlife spotting, harder photography, you will miss many animals living in the area, but very interesting.
 
I'll send you a pm JR at some point when I have time. I am a bit confused by your term "safari", so just to be clear are you after a fully-organised guided type trip or are you meaning safari in an off-hand way to simply mean "looking for wildlife" which you can do yourself as a backpacker?
 
Chlidonias said:
I'll send you a pm JR at some point when I have time. I am a bit confused by your term "safari", so just to be clear are you after a fully-organised guided type trip or are you meaning safari in an off-hand way to simply mean "looking for wildlife" which you can do yourself as a backpacker?
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Thanks Chlidonias :)

I just want to go out to see the wildlife, whether that is as a part of an organised safari or whether it is doing it ourselves. So, simple answer, either or - whichever is cheaper and better value for money :)
 
Javan Rhino said:
Thanks Chlidonias :)

I just want to go out to see the wildlife, whether that is as a part of an organised safari or whether it is doing it ourselves. So, simple answer, either or - whichever is cheaper and better value for money :)
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just a small observation (which I think Chlidonias will agree with) - it's great having a guide find things and point them out to you, not to mention timesaving, but it's a much greater thrill to find something yourself.

:p

Hix
 
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