Close to Nature; Prevab Mentoko, Taman Nasional Kutai (Kutai National Park)

In wilderness I sense the miracle of life, and behind it our scientific accomplishments fade to trivia. -Charles A.Lindbergh

Adding variation to my field break, at the end of it, I accidentally decided to visit Prevab. I had been dreaming about this for a long time. How funny I am because it’s close to my house, it lies about 15 km westward. Funny, isn’t it?

Prevab Mentoko is a must-visit-area in Sangatta, East Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia. It is a part of Taman Nasional Kutai, a tropical forest (Kutai National Park) with 200 hectare wide of rehabilitation area after completely burnt at 1997 and also a Research Institute for Orangutan.

Most of tourist who comes is attracted by its flora and fauna diversity and especially comes for orangutan enclosure.

If by any chance you want to visit this site, this is how the front gate of Prevab Mentoko Ecotourism looks like.

Gate to Prevab
Be aware of crocodile/wildlife (on yellow board)

Oh yeah, while we were waiting our guide and ketinting (how Kalimantan people named a small boat), there were several kids playing on the river. They were enjoying their time as we were recalling our childhood memories.

If you truly love Nature, you will find beauty everywhere.  -Vincent Van Gogh

Kids of the river

I was hardly enjoying our way to Prevab Mentoko by ketinting. Although I was born and growth up supported by river, I really afraid with those river’s reptile creatures, esp. crocodile and water monitoring lizard and as u can see on the front gate board notification (Be aware of crocodile/wild life), it really took my brave crossing the river with ketinting. On our way, we really met crocodile. It was floating on the river (my sister said that it was their “sunbathing” time) and water monitoring lizard was lying on the river bank. But I was too afraid to take their pictures. So, sorry I couldn’t approve that crocodile and water monitoring lizard really exist there.

Hardly enjoying the way to Mentoko

Finally, Mentoko. Because this is a restricted area, they just let us see their camp (the researcher of Orangutan’s camp), we were so unlucky. I think this is the main research area. We could enter if only we had a good enough reason or supported the research. I guess.

At least we found this unique cat. I don’t know what happened to this cat’s eyes. I don’t like cat but I thought this one is worth to be captured.

Giving medicine to our wounded hearts, we back to Prevab for trekking tour and orangutan enclosure. The only one we hope could complete our one day trip.

Prevab; ticket, camp, and bridge

We did trekking twice because at 2 hours of first attempted; we couldn’t find any orangutan on our way. Instead of it, I still enjoyed and took picture of several trees and bugs that attracted my eyes.

Truly nature

Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn’t people feel as free to delight in whatever remains to them? -Rose Kennedy

So after taking a little time, we went back to forest. We would not back home unless we had found those orangutans. *determination* kekekekkeke. Finally, our tenacious heart was satisfied by finding mom-and-child of orangutan hung on about 8 meters tall tree.  (Here, I felt regret for my limited mobile phone camera, It couldn’t take that orangutan’s child picture T_T).  We’ve been intimated with Fred’s camera. Fred is a nice French guy we met at Prevab’s camp.

Look at the orange reddish thing, that’s orangutan

Seeing those orangutans was our goal. Achieving our goal we came back home with a satisfied wide smile on our face :D. On our way back, we met again with those “kids of the river”. They amazed us because they had been playing there since early morning until evening, or they just played again at evening, whatever. They play there too much.

Mixed snapshots

So that’s all my first experience to Prevab Montoko. I’ll share more about Kutai National Park…i’ll ask my friend first for our picture since he’s the one who owns the photograph. Kekekekeke. I think I’ll be back again with a better plan. Do you want to join me? Would you mind to tell me? 🙂

Look at the trees, look at the birds, look at the clouds, look at the stars…and if you have eyes you will be able to see that the whole existence is joyful.  Everything is simply happy.  Trees are happy for no reason; they are not going to become prime ministers or presidents and they are not going to become rich and they will never have any bank balance.  Look at the flowers – for no reason.  It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are.  -Osho