Pioneering small-ship expedition cruise company Heritage Expeditions will return to the wilds of Indonesia and Borneo in 2026.
The new Indonesia’s Forgotten Islands itinerary (8 – 21 September 2026) will include a visit to the renowned Orangutan rehabilitation centre Camp Leakey.
An Adventure Beyond
The family-owned and operated cruise company’s commercial director and expedition leader Aaron Russ says the new 14-day voyage had been carefully curated to celebrate both the incredible diversity and ancient customs and traditions of Indonesia’s remote islands.
“This really is an authentic expedition experience, we’ll be sailing well-off traditional tourist routes to experience some of Southeast Asia’s most captivating and rarely-seen wonders,” he said.
Dragons & Remote Tribes
Sailing from Darwin to Singapore, highlights of Indonesia’s Forgotten Islands include walking with Komodo Dragons, snorkelling world-famous Pink Beach and a visit to the Camp Leakey research facility.
Guests will also have the opportunity to snorkel some of the world’s most pristine reefs, he said, and explore rarely visited jungles looking for Proboscis monkeys, tarsiers, elusive Clouded leopards and Sun bears, East Javan langur, Giant squirrel and the hundreds of species of birdlife calling these islands home including the recently rediscovered Wetar Ground dove, one of the world’s most elusive birds.
Ancient Cultures
With Indonesia’s human history dating back almost two million years, guests will also be privy to experience ancient customs and thrilling cultural exchanges, including meeting the Lamalerans, one of Indonesia’s last subsistence whaling communities on Lembata Island, and experiencing the unique tradition and practice of Water Buffalo racing on Sumbawa Island.
Then there were the geographical highlights with guests visiting Kelimutu National Park to experience its famed trifecta of coloured ‘boiling lakes’, all named Kelimutu, and Satonda Island’s jungles and crater lake – one of Indonesia’s most underrated and least-visited treasures.
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