2026 Wild Indonesia
Workshop Information Packet

Contents:

I. General Information

II. To Do Checklist

III. Daily Itinerary

IV. FAQ’s

2026 Wild Indonesia
General  Information

Welcome!

Thanks again for joining our 2026 Wild Indonesia: Orangutans & Komodo Dragons workshop. We know you’re excited to begin your photography adventure, but first a bit of planning is necessary to ensure everything goes smoothly. This document contains important information to help you plan and prepare for your trip. Please take some time to carefully review it and don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.

Workshop Dates: June 22 - July 1, 2026

Workshop Overview

The Wild Indonesia workshop begins when you arrive at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport (Airport code: CGK) in Jakarta, Indonesia on June 22, 2026, and ends when you are dropped-off at the same airport on July 1, 2026, to begin your homeward journey.

During the first part of our journey, we will fly from Jakarta to the island of Borneo where we will be led by expert guides to photograph orangutans and other animals that inhabit the tropical forests.

On the second half of our trip, we will fly back to Jakarta and then on to Labuan Bajo, where we will board our private charter boat to explore the islands and waters of Komodo National Park.

Take a look at the Daily Itinerary in this packet for more details about the locations we will visit and the things you can expect to see and photograph throughout our journey.

Balance of Fees

The balance of your workshop fees is due as follows:

• Payment #2: due by Jan 26, 2026

• Final Payment:  Remainder of all fees are due by March 26, 2026. - the exact amount of your final payment will depend on selected options such as single lodging or additional hotel nights.  

You will receive an invoice by email after registration that contains all charges, payments and due dates related to this workshop. Click the link in the invoice to access your Customer Portal where you can make payments, view or download statements, receipts and more at your convenience. 

Health/Medical

Immunizations – no specific immunizations are required to enter Indonesia, but you should consult with your doctor or travel clinic for their recommendations. Malaria prophylaxis may be recommended. The U.S. CDC website also contains general information which may be useful.

Prescription Medications – pack an adequate supply of any prescription medications (and supplements) you take, as they may not be available in Indonesia. You may also want to request a prescription for ‘traveler’s diarrhea’ from your health provider or travel clinic, just in case. 

Allergies – please let us know about any allergies you have AND the severity of your reactions. It is your responsibility to carry appropriate medications (e.g. Epi Pen) in case of accidental exposure.

Travel Logistics & Documents

International Flights

Inbound – Book your flights to arrive in Jakarta (CGK) by 1pm on June 22.

Outbound – Book your homeward flight from CGK for anytime on July 2.

Extra hotel nights – if you are arriving in Jakarta before June 22, let us know your itinerary specifics and we can book additional hotel nights as required on your behalf (~$65/night including breakfast).

Passport – double-check the expiration date of your passport. Indonesia requires your passport be valid for at least six months past the date you intend to depart the country.

Visas 

US Passport holders – a tourist visa is required to enter Indonesia. The easiest way to obtain your visa is to apply online here. The cost is approximately $30 USD for the 30-day visa and processing time is 5 working days.

Do not apply too early– Your visa must be used within 90 days of date of issue so wait until at least April 1 to apply. 

Other Nationalities– Please check here to determine if a visa is required

Enter the following on your visa application for your address in Jakarta:

Hotel FM7

Jl. Perancis No.67, RT.003/RW.008, Pajang, Kec. Benda, Kota Tangerang, Banten 15125, Indonesia

Travel Insurance – a policy which includes coverage for medical evacuation is mandatory for workshop participants. Please forward us a copy of your travel insurance policy (summary page is fine). The primary purpose of this requirement is in case of medical emergency, cost should not be a consideration in getting you quality medical care. Policies typically also cover other things like trip cancellation, travel delays, lost luggage, theft/loss, etc.

Banks & Credit Cards – notify your financial institutions about your travel plans to prevent problems using credit cards or ATM’s while traveling.

Phone Carrier – look into your phone carrier’s international roaming policies and rates BEFORE leaving home or you may return to an extremely expensive bill. You may want to pre-purchase a data plan from your carrier.

WhatsApp – is a free communications app that is used widely outside of the US. We will use this app for group communication. Please download & install WhatsApp and create an account before arriving in Indonesia. You may also want to have your loved ones at home install this app.

What to Pack

Weather Notes – expect hot and humid conditions in Borneo with occasional showers possible. Komodo National Park will also be hot, but we should have an ocean breeze.

Below are historical average high/low temperatures for our areas:

Borneo (June): 90/78 F

Komodo (July): 87/83 F

Clothing & Personal Items – thin, cool and quick-drying are the order of the day for this trip. Long sleeves and pants are recommended for protection from the sun and insects. Below are key items to bring, but this is not meant to be a complete packing list:

• Brimmed hat

• Sunglasses

• Spare eyeglasses/reading glasses/contacts

• Bandanna, buff or face mask – for dust protection

• Light jacket/rain jacket

• Sports Bra – the roads can be quite bumpy (a top suggestion from past female participants).

• Swimsuit

• Sneakers – closed toed shoes with good traction.

• Flip flops/sandals – ideal for relaxing on the boat, at the lodge, or on the beach.

• Tobbies/reef walker shoes are also good to protect your feet from rocks and other sharp objects in and out of the water.

• Sunscreen & Bug Spray

• Lip balm

• Refillable water bottle

Optional items

• Snacks

• Instant coffee packets/travel mug

Don’t overpack, there are no ‘dress up’ occasions on this trip. Laundry service should be available in our Borneo lodge, and you can always rinse and air dry a shirt or undies on the boat.

Photo Gear – it’s tempting to bring everything you own, but that usually works against you. If you decide to bring the kitchen sink, we strongly recommend bringing a smaller camera bag/backpack to hold just what you need for each outing.  

We’re happy to offer specific brand/model recommendations for items – just ask!

• Camera Body(s) – most modern dSLR or mirrorless camera bodies are suitable choices. The animal-eye-tracking feature available on some mirrorless cameras is particularly helpful for wildlife photography. Higher-end fixed lens compact cameras with a good zoom (aka “bridge” cameras) are also an option.

Bring a paper or electronic copy of your camera’s operating manual. Don’t forget, your smartphone is also a great camera.

• Lenses:

  • Long telephoto - ~400mm minimum (300mm for crop sensor cameras) before adding teleconverters.

  • A medium telephoto like a 70-200mm zoom will also be useful

  • A wide-angle (28mm or less) is handy for landscapes or close-up wildlife opportunities.

  • A macro lens or extension tubes will be useful when out herping (reptile photography) at night. A 100mm macro or extension tube on a 70-200mm lens is ideal.

  • GoPro or phone housing - the waters around Komodo are beautiful. A underwater phone housing or GoPro type camera will be very nice to capture the beautiful reefs around the islands.

  • Flash & wireless triggers (optional) - we will bring a couple flashes and triggers for participants to use, but check ahead of time to see if your camera is compatible with the triggers we use. If not, your own macro flash setup is useful.

• Drone (optional) – Drones are allowed in Indonesia, but you’ll need a permit to fly during the trip. The permit costs $125 and requires a copy of your FAA drone license or registration. Please send us your documents so we can process the permit before your arrival.  To register your drone, visit: FAA Drone Registration

• Filters – a polarizer and/or graduated neutral density (GND) filters can be nice to have, but are completely optional

• Extra Batteries and Memory cards – you will be shooting a lot, maybe more than you ever have, easily in the thousands of images and hundreds of gigabytes (possibly >1TB) total. Bring PLENTY of memory cards and batteries. You should NOT erase/overwrite any memory cards until you get home, even if you have downloaded the images to your laptop or hard drive.

• Battery Charger – don’t forget this critical item!

• Monopod and/or tripod (optional) – for extra stability. Monopods are also useful for low angle shots in combination with a remote release.

Other Gear

• Laptop or tablet – highly recommended. Your photography will improve if you review your images daily. Doing preliminary selects and ratings also makes the mountain of images more manageable when you get home. We will also have several sessions on post processing and image management in Adobe Lightroom.

• Portable hard drive - for image storage/backup. 1TB capacity minimum, 2TB is better.

• Power adapters – Indonesia runs on 230-volt electricity with Type C or F outlets.

  • We recommend simple adapters like this or this

  • A ‘universal’ adapter like one of these will also work

  • A small power strip is also handy for charging multiple devices simultaneously but make sure it is specifically designed for travel or rated for 230+ volts. Here are some options

  • Voltage converters are not needed for most devices - phones/tablets, laptops, camera battery chargers and most other electronics have built in voltage transformers and work just fine with a simple adapter.

  • Check higher power devices like hair dryers and shavers to make sure they are compatible with 230-volt power.  Here is a link to a good article on travel adapters if you need more info.

• Chargers and cables for your mobile phone and other electronics

• Power bank – very handy when traveling.

• Phone Leash  (optional)

MISCELLANEOUS

A Word About Gratuities – Like many service businesses, our guides and drivers rely on gratuities for a substantial portion of their income. I think you will find our local guide & drivers in Indonesia to be outstanding at what they do. If you feel you’ve received good service, a gratuity is greatly appreciated. Since we are often asked for guidance, below are some general guidelines:

Naturalist Guides:  $10-$15/day

Boat crews: $20-30 per day for entire crew

Tipping at hotels and restaurants is not expected, but small gratuities are appreciated.

You can get by with US currency as a tourist including tips. A supply of small bills is handy for tips and small purchases.

If there’s anything we’ve missed or you have questions, please reach out via email, text or phone.

I look forward to meeting you in Jakarta,

Ken Lee
+1 949-282-9660 mobile/WhatsApp
ken@artofseeing.com

Wild Indonesia 2026
To Do Checklist

___     Send us a copy/photo of your passport picture page (a cell phone snap is all we need).

___     Book Inbound/Outbound flights and send us a copy of your flight itinerary.

___     Let us know if you need any extra hotel nights.

___     Apply for Indonesia eTourist Visa

___     Purchase Travel Insurance and forward a copy of your policy.

___     Notify Banks & Credit Cards of your travel plans

___     Check mobile phone carrier’s international roaming policies and plans.

___     Make a  personal packing checklist (click here for a downloadable Photo Trip Packing List template you can customize to your own needs)

 Daily Itinerary

Wild Indonesia FAQs 

Q: How is this workshop different than other Indonesia tours/workshops?

A:

1. 100% photography-focused – everything from our itinerary to lodging choices and daily schedule is designed to maximize opportunities for producing wall-worthy wildlife images.

2. Individualized instruction – our small group size and the passion of our instructors for teaching ensures plenty of personal attention to help you raise your wildlife photography skills to the next level.

3. Top notch logistics & support – we partner with top notch lodges and guides to ensure a safe and glitch-free experience for our guests.

Q: How should I book my flights?

A: Book your international flights to arrive and depart from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (Airport code: CGK) in Jakarta, Indonesia. Additional information to help you book flights and prepare for your trip will be provided to guests after registration. 

Q: Do I need a visa to visit Indonesia?

A: Yes, U.S. passport holders need a visa which is easily obtained online.  Cost is ~$30 USD.  Visa application details will be provided to registered participants.

Q: What sort of photography equipment and other gear do I need for this trip?

A: Most modern dSLR or mirrorless camera bodies are suitable options . The Animal Eye Tracking feature available in some mirrorless cameras is particularly helpful for photographing wildlife. Your medium and long telephoto lenses will be the workhorses of this trip. A complete list of recommended photo equipment, clothing and other items will be provided to registered guests.

We’re happy to make specific recommendations if you’re considering purchasing equipment for this trip. Just contact us.

Q: Do I need to be an advanced/expert photographer?

A: No, we welcome photographers of all abilities and experience levels.      

Q: How physically strenuous is this trip?

A: This trip is rated as Easy. There are a couple of hikes of up to ~1mi but these are optional.

Q: What will the weather be like?

A: Expect hot weather and medium to high humidity. Typical daytime temperature are in the high 80’s F with roughly 80 percent humidity. Borneo (orangutans) can be especially humid. Borneo is also a rain forest so expect some rain, which can be heavy at times but usually short lived in duration. The seas around Komodo island are typically calm with beautiful weather, warm but a nice breeze.

Q: What if I want to arrive early or stay after the workshop dates?

A: No problem, just let us know your arrival and departure details, and we will book additional hotel nights as required for you (additional cost).

Q: Can my non-photographer friend/partner attend?

A: Absolutely! Travel partners who may not share your passion for photography are very welcome to join. Just make sure they’re comfortable being part of a group that focuses primarily on photography, including meals, rest, and discussions about photography. However, due to limited space, we are unable to offer a discount for non-photographer partners.

Q: Can I bring a drone?

A: Yes, but a drone permit is required ($125).

Something we missed? Send us an email or schedule a phone call. We’re happy to address any questions