Gunung Leuser National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia, 8/14/2024, National Geographic Orion
Aboard the
National Geographic Orion
Indonesia & Papua New Guinea
Deep in the heart of Northern Sumatra live the “people of the forest”, the Sumatran orangutan, whose name is derived from the local words orang (people) and hutan (forest). We had the rare treat of seeing these animals in the wild in Gunung Leuser National Park in Sumatra Indonesia, along with many other forest inhabitants.
Brett is a photographer, marine biologist, and educator from California. He is happiest underwater with camera in hand working to inspire marine conservation. He has worked and traveled extensively throughout the Americas, Asia, Oceania, and the Midd...
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Today aboard National Geographic Orion we visited the Malaysian city, Malacca. In the 16th century, this port on the strategic Malacca Strait was positioned at the fulcrum of the world, linking the Pacific and Indian Oceans at the height of the global spice trade. We saw the ruins of the old Portuguese fort, walked Jonker Street in Chinatown, and rode bike rickshaws back to port!
Kuala Lumpur was everything it was made out to be, and our guests got to experience this vibrant city, a melting pot of many Asian cultures. National Geographic Orion guests were treated with a scenic bus tour to the famed Batu Caves of Malaysia. We viewed iconic statues and hiked up the 200-plus rainbow stairs of this beautiful location into the limestone caves where we found the colorful, majestic temples. After the caves, we paid a visit to the famed Petronas Twin Towers, which were amazing. We were then treated to a tasty authentic Malaysian lunch in the Central Market Place. To help work off the great cuisine, we were then set free to roam the streets of Chinatown where our guests enjoyed a bit of retail therapy, taking advantage of the great prices and Malaysian wares along Petaling Street. It was a great day in this fantastic city.
Ipoh Malaysia. Wow, what a place to visit! Guests of National Geographic Orion were given the opportunity to visit this city that very few people have the chance to visit. During our one-hour bus ride through the countryside of Perak, we passed palm forests, rice paddies, and the natural beauty which encompassed monkeys and birds. Then we reached our destination, the temple of Kek Look Tong, meaning Great Happiness. It is a limestone cave temple that has been used as a place of worship since the 1920’s, and it felt like it, as we were greeted by a stone statue of Confucius and many other honored monks that graced the grounds. Later, a visit to the city of Ipoh was appreciated by our guests as they had the time to roam freely and adventure.
