A Guide to Pangkalan Bun, Borneo: Gateway to the Orangutans

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If you’ve found yourself in Pangkalan Bun, you are here to see Orangutans. There’s simply no other reason to visit this unassuming jungle town. No offense meant to its residents. There’s just very little else to do or see here. That being said this guide is going to make your probably short time in Pangkalan Bun a breeze. Here’s everything you need to know when planning your visit to the gateway of Indonesian Borneo’s orangutan forest.

A Quick Guide to Pangkalan Bun in Indonesian Borneo

Pangakalan Bun is spread out, a long flat city with no clear center. No place to gather or explore on your own. Unlike Leticia in Colombia, Bukit Lawang in Sumatra, or Puerto Maldonado in Peru — Pangkalan Bun was a rainforest town that didn’t seem worth exploring deeply.

It’s small. Restaurants are few and far between, the largest of which appears to be a Pizza Hut on the side of town closest to the airport. Local warungs serving food from stacked bowls buffet-style seems to be the meal of choice. But expect it to be moderately tasty and room temperature at best. In no way am I trying to discourage you from visiting Pangakalan Bun, on the contrary, visiting the Orangutans of Indonesia is one of our all-time travel highlights. But you don’t need to allocate extra time in the city.

Read Now: If you haven’t already read my full guide to visiting the Orangutans of Indonesian Borneo with Orangutan Trekking Tours, the best operator in Pangkalan Bun.

Quick facts about Travel in Pangkalan Bun, Borneo

• There are plenty of ATM’s in Pangakalan Bun. Don’t worry about bringing extra cash.
• Food can be difficult to come by. The Indomarts and their noodle cups make a good meal substitute.
• Taxi from the airport can be expensive (for Indonesia) if you don’t book a ride in advance.
• Flights leaving the island are almost always delayed one hour and can be canceled frequently due to bad weather. Give yourself some wiggle room when leaving Borneo.
• You won’t find alcohol anywhere. If you want alcohol on your tour, ask ahead of time and they can arrange to have some beer on board.

Getting to Pangkalan Bun

Pangkalan Bun has its very own airport: Iskandar Airport (Bandar Udara Internasional Iskandar). You can fly here from several major tourist cities you might find yourself in Indonesia. Despite the name, international flights are rare if they happen at all.

Here are the most common ways tourists can get to Pangkalan Bun.

Actually booking these flights can be a bit of a pain. The only flights are through NAM Air or Sriwijaya Air. Booking on their websites took repeated tries which is why I have linked to 12.go.Asia below for an easier way to book that doesn’t increase the prices more than a few dollars.

Denpasar (Bali) to Pangkalan Bun

Flights from Denpasar in the high season go every single day! It costs as little as $100 one way and while there are no direct flights they connect in Jakarta or the nearby Java city of Surabaya.

If you are visiting Bromo or Ijen in East Java (both are incredible, you should definitely visit) you can fly straight to Pangakalan Bun from Surabaya for a really cheap + direct flight.

Jakarta to Pangkalan Bun

For those just entering Indonesia, you’ll probably find yourself in Jakarta. Jakarta has a once-daily non-stop flight via NAM Air at 5 AM (in 2023) that costs as little as $70 one way.

You’ll probably have to stay overnight in Jakarta before your flight. In that case, Konko Hostel is my go-to. But if you just need a place to stay for one night before a 5 AM flight, you might be better off booking something as close to the airport as you can. Jakarta is a massive city.

Semarang to Pangkalan Bun

Semarang offers the cheapest direct flights with two departures daily. But it’s also kinda in the middle of nowhere. Semarang itself was a great city and I recommend a few nights there if you have the time to explore. I liked it far more than Jakarta or Surabaya.

Take the boat! If time is not an issue or if you are sticking to a strict budget you can take the local ferry that departs daily (for now) from Semarang Port to Pangkalan Bun. Keep in mind that you’ll want to arrive a day or two before you want to leave to purchase tickets in person and that the ferry between the two islands takes 24 hours.

Getting From The Airport to Your Hotel

There is no Grab, Gojek, or any public mode of transport in Pangkalan Bun from the Airport. It’s best to arrange pick-up ahead of time with your hotel or you’ll be forced to use the overpriced airport taxis (it was $7 for the 10-min drive to our hotel). Even better arrive in the morning on the day of your orangutan tour and Orangutan Trekking Tour will pick you up.

Where to Stay in Pangkalan Bun

Avoid Mercure Hotel. It’s brand new, massive, and super fancy. BUT the owner of this hotel is in the Palm Oil Industry. This means that you’ll be putting money into the hands of the very people who are destroying the rainforest that you are here to see.

Try Agoda or Booking.com to book a place to stay ahead of time. We stayed at The Brits Hotel in Pangkalan Bun and really loved it. We NEVER stay in fancy hotels but that’s pretty much all we could find in Pangkalan Bun when booking ahead of time online. There were a few guesthouses but everything had such poor reviews. The food at this hotel was not good and super overpriced. But the rooms were great.

Choose a place closer to the Airport if you care about getting a decent meal. This really limits your options BUT the restaurants in this area looked a lot better.

Activities in Pangkalan Bun

If you’ve given yourself a day or two in Pangkalan Bun, here are a few activities to keep you occupied.

• Visit the local market.
• Istana Pangeran Mangkubumi (Prince Mangkubumi’s Palace).
• Istana Kuning (Yellow Palace).
• Kolam Pemandian Putri Tujuh (The Bath of the Seven Daughters).

Eating in Pangkalan Bun

As I mentioned before…there’s not a ton of high-quality food options here. But there are a few local staples you should check out alongside the typical fried fare inside the food carts.

• Soto Manggala in Tugu Pangkalan Bun Square. This is the one regional specialty you must try.
• IKC Café. A local hangout with homegrown coffee beans.
• The King of Apam. Highly recommended local snack. Good for breakfast too.

Preparing for your Orangutan Tour

I recommend everyone planning on visiting the jungle go with Orangutan Trekking Tours. We did their 4-day/3-night tour to Camp Leakey and saw countless wild and semi-wild orangutans along the way.

Read my full blog post about the experience complete with tips for booking, what to expect, and what you need to know about Camp Leakey!

Keep in mind that Pangkalan Bun is a 30-minute drive from the actual orangutan excursion port. If you are joining a tour that leaves on the day of your arrival in Pangkalan Bun your tour guide will pick you up at the airport. Otherwise, they will get you from your hotel on the day your excursion begins. Hope this quick little guide helps you enjoy your time in Pangkalan Bun while you await your orangutan safari.

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