Lost Nepenthes of Kalimantan

In 1899, the Nieuwenhuis Expedition undertook the first traverse of the island of Borneo at its widest point (from the mouth of the Kapuas River in the west, to the mouth of the Mahakam River in the east). During this epic journey, the Indonesian botanist Amdjah collected many specimens of unknown plants. Among the specimens he collected on previously unexplored mountains in Central Kalimantan (Bukit Batu Lesung and Bukit Batu Ayau), a new species of Nepenthes was identified and later described as Nepenthes pilosa.

Key Facts

COST:£3,450 (British Pounds). Personal porters can be hired at extra costs (contact us for details).

START POINT: Samarinda, Kalimantan

END POINT: Samarinda, Kalimantan

DATES: Saturday August 2nd – Saturday August 16th, 2025

GROUP SIZE: Maximum 10 places

Email sales@redfernnaturalhistory.com for more information and to make bookings.

GETTING THERE: Fly to Jakarta and then catch a domestic flight (e.g. with Garuda or Air Asia) to Samarinda.

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get completely off the beaten track to one of

the world’s last wilderness areas

In 2005, Dr. Charles Clarke and Stewart McPherson undertook an expedition to the vicinity of Bukit Batu Lesung and succeeded in rediscovering Nepenthes pilosa. They also found an enormous form of N. tentaculata (with pitchers exceeding 32 cm, but in all other regards seemingly identical to the typical form of that species) as well as strange plants that resemble N. appendiculata (but with much smaller appendages). These three lost Nepenthes of Kalimantan have not been seen or photographed since.

Twenty years on, Redfern Adventures is organising an intrepid return expedition to observe these three lost Nepenthes of Kalimantan (plus an amazing range of other Nepenthes species). This is a chance to get completely off the beaten track into one of the world’s last wilderness areas. We cannot offer any guarantee of succeeding in observing these plants, but given that we are following the route of the 2005 expedition, success is likely.

This trip involves adventurous canoe journeys, trekking through remote forests and ascending very little explored mountains. As we are travelling to such a remote area, our party will include an expedition medic.

Note: this photographic expedition will fully comply with Indonesian law. We will not collect scientific herbarium specimens and will invite Indonesian Nepenthes expert friends to accompany us.

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Itinerary

Note: the following itinerary is a guide (based on the 2005 expedition). It is very possible that our itinerary may differ from the plan below. An unusually large number of Nepenthes species were seen during the 2005 expedition – all photographs in this document were taken during that exact trip.

Day 1:

Meet in Samarinda at 9 am and drive to Tering (jump off point on the Mahakam River).

Days 2 and 3:

We journey up the Mahakam River on motorised canoes, sleeping in logging camps (often entire villages are constructed on rafts of floating trees anchored in the river). We should reach Long Luluk by the evening of Day 3.

Days 4 and 5:

We trek through the lowland rainforest, at first, following logging tracks and then hunting trails in the virgin forest. During the 2005 expedition, we saw Nepenthes ampullaria, N. gracilis, N. mirabilis, N. rafflesiana (many coloured forms, including amazing white and regular reddish forms) and N. reinwardtiana.

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Days 6 & 7

We will start to ascend and trek through montane forest. During the 2005 expedition, we saw Nepenthes albomarginata, N. hirsuta, N. stenophylla, N. tentaculata “regular form” and amazing epiphytic N. veitchii (including stripy peristome forms).

Day 8:

We should reach the summit and (hopefully) observe the three lost Nepenthes – N. pilosa (this species produces really quite large pitchers – see photo below with hand for context), N. tentaculata “gigantic form” (this has enormous pitchers that can exceed 32 cm) and plants resembling N. appendiculata (see photos on following pages).

Days 9, 10, 11:

We descend back down into the lowlands.

Day 12 and 13:

We return on motorised canoes down the Mahakam River to reach Tering.

Day 14:

We return Samarinda for a well earned drink and meal.

Day 15:

Buffer day (in case of delay). If unused, we can look for lowland Nepenthes sites new Samarinda.

No special skills are required for this trip, but participants should be capable of trekking several kilometres uphill each day. Except few luxuaries, basic accommodation (in the logging villages), and camping in the forest! Again – no guarantee whatsoever that we will succeed in finding the three lost Nepenthes, but we should have a great adventure regardless! A Zoom call will be set up to talk through recommended equipment.

Itinerary Highlights

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