In October 2023, while traveling to Raja Ampat, I decided to add Borneo to my trip. I had never been, and I wanted to experience the Dayak people's way of life. I knew villages had mostly succumbed to Western culture, but I hoped to see what remained of their traditions.

Asia Transpacific Journeys (ATJ) had served me well on a trip to Papua New Guinea twenty years earlier, and I trusted they'd get me where I wanted to go in the style I prefer—nothing fancy; just an authentic means of traversing these destinations.

We made our way along the Mahakam River in small wooden boats, navigating a busy thoroughfare where, at one point, heavy rain forced us to pull over, cover the boat with tarps, and wait it out.

The experience was, at times, bittersweet. Half the rainforest on the island has been lost, taking biodiversity and natural habitat with it. Still, I'm grateful I had the chance to see it. Adding Borneo to my Southeast Asia trip was a decision I'm glad I made.