Indonesian Interlude, a Frontiers Hosted Departure

Join Mollie Fitzgerald & Tarquin Millington-Drake on an exclusive Frontiers hosted departure, "Indonesian Interlude," February 9-27, 2012. This is a cultural and wildlife journey encompassing Java, Bali and Borneo, nestled in the heart of the Malay Archipelago. The mere mention of these places conjures up images of exoticism and evokes a swelling of wanderlust! The first eight days of this extraordinary journey will be land based as we explore the sleek city state of Singapore, staying in the new Fullerton Bay Hotel. Then we move to the ultra-luxury Aman Resorts in Indonesia -- firstly Amanjiwo overlooking the largest Buddhist temple complex in the world, Borobudur, then Amandari in Bali's highland village of Ubud. We have several special cultural visits and special private dining venues.

The next part of the trip will be the 10-night cruise on the Orion II beginning in Bali and disembarking in Singapore. We will explore the southern and western coastlines of the third largest island in the world, Borneo, from this 100-passenger expedition style ship which provides considerable creature comfort compared to what would normally be available on a land-based itinerary in this remote area. Borneo is home to the world's oldest tropical rainforests, which until recently covered the entire island. Since the 1950s almost 50% of the island has been cleared for cheap timber and palm oil. It is also one of the planet's most biologically diverse ecosystems with over 15,000 plant species, 222 mammals, 420 resident birds, 100 amphibians and 394 species of fish!

The theme of our cruise is "Faces in the Forest" and focused on the opportunity to see and interact with orangutans, the only great ape unique to Asia. It is thought that there are less than 50,000 orangutans remaining in Borneo and they are on the edge of extinction with omni-present threats to their habitat. We will be accompanied by renowned primatologist, Dr. Birute Galdikas, the world's leading expert on orangutans. She founded Camp Leakey in Tanjung Puting National Park and has dedicated her life to studying and helping conserve these long-armed exotic creatures whose DNA is 97% the same as ours. We will visit this facility with her and view first-hand the rehabilitation of the ex-captive orangutans.

Space is limited and selling quickly. The new movie "Born to be Wild" (an inspired story of love, dedication and the remarkable bond between humans and animals) in which Dr. Galdikas is featured, has generated much interest as it opens this spring in I-MAX theaters across the country.

See below for the full itinerary (please note, the file is large and download speed will vary based on your internet connection), then, give Mollie a call at 800-245-1950 or email to save your spot. We are confident that this will be a most rewarding and fascinating adventure! 

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	Indonesian Interlude