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A river winds through peat swamp forest in Kalimantan.
Peat swamp forest in Kalimantan, Indonesia.Ruanda Agung Sugardiman/AusAID · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · Cropped · Original
Peat swamp forest · Central Kalimantan

Peat swamp forest

A forest rooted in waterlogged peat, where living trees and the saturated organic soil form one ecological system.

Characteristics

Sebangau provides a documented peat-swamp landscape; UNESCO also identifies this habitat in Tanjung Puting. Peat is more than a wet forest floor: its accumulated organic material and water regime are central to carbon storage and habitat integrity.

Sources & references · 2Sebangau National Park Authority · Menteri LHK Berkunjung ke Taman Nasional SebangauUNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme · Tanjung Puting Biosphere Reserve

Distribution

Documented examples include Sebangau and Tanjung Puting in Kalimantan, Bako in Sarawak, and the Belait basin and Tasek Merimbun in Brunei. These are examples of a wider habitat, not a complete island-wide extent map.

Sources & references · 4Borneo Nature Foundation · Peatland restoration: rewetting the peatUNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme · Tanjung Puting Biosphere ReserveGovernment of Brunei Darussalam / Forestry Department · Fourth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity: Brunei DarussalamSarawak Forestry Corporation · Bako National Park

Ecological importance

Waterlogged peat stores accumulated organic carbon and supports forest wildlife. Protecting the trees also requires retaining water in the peat beneath them.

Sources & references · 2Borneo Nature Foundation · Peatland restoration: rewetting the peatSebangau National Park Authority · Menteri LHK Berkunjung ke Taman Nasional Sebangau

Threats

Old logging canals drain Sebangau’s peat, increasing drying and fire risk. Canal blocking by conservation teams and local communities helps retain water; restoration depends on sustained monitoring.

Sources & references · 1Borneo Nature Foundation · Peatland restoration: rewetting the peat

Species found here

Examples in the linked species profiles include Bornean orangutan, Proboscis monkey, Bornean white-bearded gibbon, Maroon langur. Their profiles identify the particular locality and evidence. A habitat association does not mean the species occurs in every patch of that habitat.

Sources & references · 25WWF · Bornean orangutanUniversity of Michigan, Animal Diversity Web · Bornean orangutan: natural historyOrangutan Foundation International Australia · Orangutan behaviourMires and Peat · Husson et al. (2018), Biodiversity of the Sebangau tropical peat swamp forest, Indonesian BorneoDirectorate General KSDAE, Ministry of Forestry · Profil TN SebangauUNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme · Tanjung Puting Biosphere ReserveAmerican Society of Mammalogists, Mammal Diversity Database · Pongo pygmaeus: taxonomyWWF · Bornean orangutan: conservation and threatsKSDAE, Ministry of Forestry · Mengenal flora dan fauna Taman Nasional KutaiMinistry of Environment and Forestry · Conservation sector work planSarawak Forestry Corporation · Batang Ai National ParkUniversiti Malaysia Sarawak / Conservation and Society · Research article by Zander et al., 2015Sabah Forestry Department · Wildlife ManagementUniversity of Michigan, Animal Diversity Web · Proboscis monkey: natural historyAmerican Society of Mammalogists, Mammal Diversity Database · Nasalis larvatus: taxonomyRamsar Secretariat · Indonesia annotated Ramsar sitesMinistry of Forestry · World Wetlands Day 2026 in TarakanUniversiti Malaysia Sarawak · Population and Density Estimation of Proboscis Monkey (Nasalis larvatus) at Bako National Park, Sarawak, MalaysiaGovernment of Brunei Darussalam / Forestry Department · Fourth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity: Brunei Darussalamwww.esabii.biodic.go.jp · Bornean white-bearded gibbon: natural historyonlinelibrary.wiley.com · Bornean white-bearded gibbon: natural historyAmerican Society of Mammalogists, Mammal Diversity Database · Hylobates albibarbis: taxonomypubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · Maroon langur: natural historypubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · Maroon langur: natural historyAmerican Society of Mammalogists, Mammal Diversity Database · Presbytis rubicunda: taxonomy

Protected areas

Documented landscapes to explore include Sebangau National Park, Tanjung Puting National Park, Danau Sentarum National Park, Bako National Park, Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park. These areas contain habitat mosaics; the habitat does not cover their entire surface. Check each area’s access information before a visit.

Sources & references · 4Borneo Nature Foundation · Peatland restoration: rewetting the peatSebangau National Park Authority · Menteri LHK Berkunjung ke Taman Nasional SebangauUNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme · Tanjung Puting Biosphere ReserveGovernment of Brunei Darussalam / Forestry Department · Fourth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity: Brunei Darussalam
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Related discoveries

Activities

Blackwater and riparian forest along the Sebangau River in Sebangau National Park
Activities

Birdwatching in Central Kalimantan: choosing your setting

Central Kalimantan

Birdwatching in Central Kalimantan is as much about choosing a habitat and observing method as it is about a list of names. A boat moving slowly along a forest river opens views into bank-side trees, while a peat-forest path asks you to listen and look through denser vegetation. Sebangau and the Sekonyer–Tanjung Puting setting provide established visitor approaches with different logistics. This guide compares those options for beginners, wildlife travellers adding a birding focus and more experienced observers seeking a suitable local guide. The reward comes from slowing down: watching a perch, listening to calls and returning to a promising stretch in different light. Build time for observation into the booking, because a general sightseeing or orangutan programme may move at a different pace from a bird-focused visit.

Connected with this habitat
Mankdhay rahman · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped · Original
Sekonyer River in Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan.
Activities

Borneo river journeys: choosing a boat experience

Central Kalimantan

Travelling by river can mean a small open boat into peat forest, an overnight boat along the Sekonyer, a village journey on the Mahakam or wildlife cruises from a lodge in Sabah. These experiences share a water-level view of Borneo, but differ greatly in departure point, comfort, time and purpose. This guide compares established river settings already covered in Discover Borneo so you can choose a journey that fits the rest of your trip. A day based in Palangka Raya calls for different planning from several nights around Tanjung Puting or the Kinabatangan. Start with what you want to experience—forest walking, life beside the river, sleeping aboard or wildlife observation—then select the gateway and the boat arrangement. The river name alone rarely tells you what a particular outing includes.

Connected with this habitat
Nanosanchez · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped · Original
Blackwater and riparian forest along the Sebangau River in Sebangau National Park
Activities

Choosing a forest wildlife experience in Central Kalimantan

Central Kalimantan

Forest wildlife watching in Central Kalimantan can begin with a small boat from a city-edge jetty or become a multi-day journey along a forest river. The choice affects much more than your hotel: it changes how you observe animals, how much walking is involved and how long you spend within the landscape. Sebangau and Tanjung Puting offer two established visitor settings, each reached through a different gateway. This guide helps you choose between them rather than presenting wildlife watching as one fixed excursion. Both are rewarding when you enjoy looking closely, listening and learning about habitat as well as finding mammals. Come prepared for moments when the forest seems quiet. A guide's interpretation and the time spent understanding the place can matter as much as any single sighting.

Connected with this habitat
Mankdhay rahman · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped · Original

Destinations

Nature areas

Coastal rock formations in Bako National Park.
Nature areas

Bako National Park

Sarawak

Bako National Park puts coastal rock, mangroves and several very different forests within reach of Kuching. Its appeal is the transition between them: a shaded trail can lead towards exposed sandstone and a tidal shore, while proboscis monkeys use forest edges without following a visitor timetable. This is a managed national park with a visitor headquarters, trails and bookable accommodation, rather than an unrestricted stretch of coastline. Getting there involves a road journey to Kampung Bako followed by a boat; sea conditions and the return arrangement are part of the day's planning. A full day allows a focused introduction, while a confirmed overnight stay gives more time for the forest. Choose routes with the park guide and staff, and leave space for weather, rest and observation instead of trying to complete every trail.

Documented occurrence in
Borneo mobilegrapher · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped · Original
Dry-season wetland landscape at Danau Sentarum.
Nature areas

Danau Sentarum National Park

West Kalimantan

Danau Sentarum is a national park and Ramsar wetland in the upper Kapuas basin of West Kalimantan. Lakes, connecting channels and seasonally flooded forest form a changing landscape rather than one permanent sheet of water. Its distinctive experience is seeing how rainfall and river levels reshape the boundary between land and water. Communities use this wetland as a living landscape, so boats and local knowledge are central to understanding it. Visits are possible, but a current boat route and overnight base need confirmation. Plan through the Kapuas Hulu region and Putussibau, then agree on the actual lakeside departure point; the city and the wetland are not interchangeable locations.

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Rendika Wijayanto · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped · Original
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Blackwater and riparian forest along the Sebangau River in Sebangau National Park
Nature areas

Sebangau National Park

Central Kalimantan

Sebangau is a national park of peat-swamp forest in Central Kalimantan, where waterlogged organic soils, trees and river channels form a connected ecosystem. Orangutans are part of its conservation importance, but this is also a place to understand peat, forest restoration and small-scale biodiversity. Palangka Raya is a practical base for the documented Kereng Bangkirai–Camp Koran visitor route. That route combines a boat journey with a forest walk; it is one accessible part of a much larger park, not a circuit through all research areas. Arrange the trip with the responsible local tourism group and confirm conditions before departure. A day in this landscape can be worthwhile without a primate sighting.

Connected with this habitat
Mankdhay rahman · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped · Original
Sekonyer River in Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan.
Nature areas

Tanjung Puting National Park

Central Kalimantan

Tanjung Puting is a national park in western Central Kalimantan, where rivers lead into a mosaic of lowland, swamp, heath and coastal forest. Orangutan conservation is its best-known story, but the landscape also supports proboscis monkeys and distinctive wetland vegetation. Visitors normally plan through Pangkalan Bun and Kumai, then travel by boat along an agreed route. The park is larger than its familiar visitor corridor: a booking for particular sites does not open every research or rehabilitation facility. Choose the visit length, boat and overnight arrangement together, and confirm park reservations before departure. This is a guided river-and-forest experience, not a guarantee of close wildlife encounters.

Connected with this habitat
Nanosanchez · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped · Original
Lake and pavilion at Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park, Brunei (2009).
Nature areas

Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park

Tutong

Tasek Merimbun is a blackwater lake and surrounding wetland forest in Brunei’s Tutong district. The lake, forest margins and Dusun heritage make it a different nature experience from a summit climb or an offshore excursion. Its ASEAN Heritage Park recognition concerns conservation and cultural value, not UNESCO World Heritage status. For visitors, the useful focus is the accessible lakeside and interpretation area, with walks or other activities depending on what is operating when you arrive. Do not assume that every path, boat service or facility described in an older park account is available today. Plan the road journey and return together, then confirm the sections open to visitors. A quiet lakeside visit can make sense even without a boat trip; wildlife records describe the broader habitat and are not a checklist of animals you should expect to see beside the boardwalk.

Located in
Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand · Wikimedia Commons · CC0 · Cropped · Original

Species

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Stories

Sources & references

Borneo Nature Foundation · Peatland restoration: rewetting the peatAccessed: 2026-10-01

Orangutan Foundation International Australia · Orangutan behaviourAccessed: 2026-10-01

Mires and Peat · Husson et al. (2018), Biodiversity of the Sebangau tropical peat swamp forest, Indonesian BorneoAccessed: 2026-10-01

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · Maroon langur: natural historyAccessed: 2026-10-01

American Society of Mammalogists, Mammal Diversity Database · Presbytis rubicunda: taxonomyAccessed: 2026-10-01

University of Michigan, Animal Diversity Web · Bornean orangutan: natural historyAccessed: 2026-10-01

American Society of Mammalogists, Mammal Diversity Database · Pongo pygmaeus: taxonomyAccessed: 2026-10-01

University of Michigan, Animal Diversity Web · Proboscis monkey: natural historyAccessed: 2026-10-01

American Society of Mammalogists, Mammal Diversity Database · Nasalis larvatus: taxonomyAccessed: 2026-10-01

www.esabii.biodic.go.jp · Bornean white-bearded gibbon: natural historyAccessed: 2026-10-01

onlinelibrary.wiley.com · Bornean white-bearded gibbon: natural historyAccessed: 2026-10-01

American Society of Mammalogists, Mammal Diversity Database · Hylobates albibarbis: taxonomyAccessed: 2026-10-01

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · Maroon langur: natural historyAccessed: 2026-10-01

Directorate General KSDAE, Ministry of Forestry · Profil TN SebangauAccessed: 2026-10-01

Sebangau National Park Authority · Menteri LHK Berkunjung ke Taman Nasional SebangauAccessed: 2026-10-01

UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme · Tanjung Puting Biosphere ReserveAccessed: 2026-10-01

WWF · Bornean orangutan: conservation and threatsAccessed: 2026-10-01

KSDAE, Ministry of Forestry · Mengenal flora dan fauna Taman Nasional KutaiAccessed: 2026-10-01

Ministry of Forestry · World Wetlands Day 2026 in TarakanAccessed: 2026-10-01

Ministry of Environment and Forestry · Conservation sector work planAccessed: 2026-10-01

Ramsar Secretariat · Indonesia annotated Ramsar sitesAccessed: 2026-10-01

Sabah Forestry Department · Wildlife ManagementAccessed: 2026-10-02

Sarawak Forestry Corporation · Bako National ParkAccessed: 2026-10-02

Sarawak Forestry Corporation · Batang Ai National ParkAccessed: 2026-10-02

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak · Population and Density Estimation of Proboscis Monkey (Nasalis larvatus) at Bako National Park, Sarawak, MalaysiaAccessed: 2026-10-02

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak / Conservation and Society · Research article by Zander et al., 2015Accessed: 2026-10-02

Government of Brunei Darussalam / Forestry Department · Fourth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity: Brunei DarussalamAccessed: 2026-10-02

WWF · Bornean orangutanAccessed: 2026-10-01

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