Group members rendezvous in Manila and fly south to Legaspi at the foot of the spectacular smoking Mayon Volcano, the world's most symmetrical volcanic cone. Begin an adrenalizing two-day adventure with whalesharks, the world's largest fish, at Donsol Bay—the only location on earth where the benign plankton-feeding whalesharks predictably appear. Typically you'll snorkel with a dozen or more different whalesharks during a morning's cruise on the Bay—one of the world's great aquatic encounters. A small air-conditioned seaside resort is your Donsol Bay home. (Click on Archives to see previous Calidex whaleshark adventures). Next, fly to Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) and board a comfortable river boat for an unforgettable week-long cruise on the Mahakam River deep into the forested heart of Dayak country, the home of Borneo's indigenous ex-headhunters. Many Dayaks still live in or near their traditional longhouses. We day-trek with them in the tropical forest to observe their blowpipe hunting and bush skills, and run river rapids in longboats that Dayak boatmen skillfully maneuver. In the company of one of Indonesia's foremost ethnographers we'll witness authentic Dayak ceremonies and rituals. The Journey ends with an exploration of the Krakatoa Caldera in theSunda Strait separating Java and Sumatra. We cruise the islets in the Caldera left behind after the huge 1883 blast that rocked the world, and climb to the summit of active Anak Krakatoa if quiescent enough to allow a close approach.

Day 1: Rendezvous early morning in the hotel lobby and fly to Legaspi in southern Luzon's Sorsigon Province. Afternoon snorkeling with whalesharks in Donsol Bay. Night at a small beachfront resort.

Day 2: Morning snorkeling encounters with Donsol Bay whalesharks. Fresh seafood lunch ashore with crew member's family. Return to Legaspi in the afternoon; specially-prepared dinner of Philippine specialties at our Legaspi hotel.

Day 3: Return to Manila by air and fly late morning to Jakarta. Afternoon at leisure in Jakarta.

Day 4: Fly to Balikpapan, East Kalimantan in the morning. Embark on river houseboat and begin cruising up the Mahakam River. Night aboard houseboat.

Day 5: On the Mahakam River. Visit Dayak village of Muara Muntai, cross Jempang Lake by motorized canoe and look for proboscis monkeys and abundant aquatic birds. Boat to Mancong village for Benuaq Dayak welcoming ceremony. Cruise toward Long Ihram River, a tributary of the Mahakam.Night aboard houseboat.

Day 6: Reach the Long Ihram River after breakfast. Continue by boat to Rukun Damai village. Enroute visit the Dayak Kenyah longhouse at Data Bilang. Dayaks here are famous for their tattoos and "long ears" that have been weighted and stretched with metal ear hoops. Night aboard houseboat.

Day 7: Morning at Rukun Damai with the Dayak Kenyah and Dayak Punan. Continue up the Mahakam River. As the river narrows, switch to longboats in order to reach more remote Dayak enclaves in the forest. At Long Bangun, run the Class IV Mahakam Rapids in longboats. Disembark and continue overland to Long Ihramvillage. Night in simple riverside lodging.

Day 8: Day trekking with Dayak guides in the tropical rain forest to observe their blowpipe hunting and bush skills. Night ashore in Long Ihram at small riverside lodge.

Day 9: By Dayak longboat return downriver to rendezvous with houseboat. Continue downriver to Melak village. Night aboard houseboat on the Mahakam River.

Day 10: Traveloverland by 4WDs to the old communal Dayak longhouse at Eheng village. Search for black orchids with a local guide in the nearby jungle. Continue by 4WDs to Kreasik Luwai and rendezvous with the houseboat for dinner and the night.

Day 11: Continue down the Mahakam to Tenggarong and possible museum visit. Debark at Loa Janan and drive to Balikpapan; board the afternoon flight to Jakarta. Upon arrival connect to the flight to Bandar Lampung, Sumatra. Night at hotel near the departure point for the Krakatoa Islands.

Day 12: Morning departure by speedboat into the Krakatoa Caldera in Ujung Kulon National Park. Cruise the islets in the Caldera left behind after the huge 1883 blast that rocked the world. Ascend active Anak Krakatau if eruptive activity permits. Board afternoon flight toJakarta, whereupon the calidex Journey comes to a close.

• Awesome snorkeling encounters with the world's largest fish in Donsol Bay;
  
  
• The majesty and overwhelming presence of the Mayon Volcano—lethal but beautiful, the world's most perfectly-formed volcanic cone;
  
  
• The fresh seafood, crackling roast suckling pig, succulent mangoes and coconut-laced Bicol cuisine of southern Luzon;
  
  
• The welcoming, exceptional friendliness of the local Filipinos eager to share their unique marine resource;
  
  
• Interactions with remote tribal Dayaks and participation in their welcoming ceremonies;
  
  
• Trekking in the tropical forest with native Dayaks on a blowpipe hunt—and testing your own lungpower;
  
  
• The riverboat cruise into the Heart of Darkness on the Mahakam River deep into the dramatic center of Indonesian Borneo;
  
  
• Observation of abundant Bornean birdlife and other endemic flora and fauna;
  
  
• Close-up inspection of the Krakatoa Islands in the Sunda Strait, and an ascent of Anak Krakatau if conditions permit.
  
  
  Don't miss this unique combination of Philippine and Indonesian adventures,
  all rolled into one Southeast Asian voyage of discovery.

Contact us at
CALIDEX • 20979 Saraview Court • Saratoga • California • 95070 • Tel: 408.867.3586 • Toll-Free: 866.CALIDEX • e-mail: info@calidex.com • web site: www.calidex.com

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