Tenggara.net

The question of where to see orangutans in South East Asia has been asked so often that I have decided to write a standard post about it. I added some practical information that people often asked me about (like prices and volunteering possiblities), and repost it expanded with that so at least some of the information here should be new to most readers.

First you should decide whether you want to see wild orangutans or are happy with the more circus-like experience offered by the so-called "rehabilitation centres" (the accessible ones of which in fact exist to serve mass tourism much rather than to rehabilitate apes). As outlined below, I strongly argue in favour of seeing wild ones. The next decision is whether to visit Malaysia or Indonesia. Orangutans, both wild and "rehabilitant", can easily be seen in both countries. The main difference is that Malaysia is more tourist-oriented and therefore offers better facilities, while Indonesia is much cheaper and offers far greater scope for non-commercial, off the beaten track travel.