Travel Destination Indonesia

East Kalimantan

The oil-port of Balikpapan hosts an international airport, the second busiest airport in the nation after Jakarta, and is the gateway even to the provincial capital of Samarinda a few hours inland by car. In these cities you'll find up to four-star hotels and most conveniences such as internet access etc. From both Balikpapan and Samarinda it is possible to fly inland and to coastal destinations, notably Berau and Bulungan to the north and to the upper regions of the Mahakam river in a western direction. Other means of transportation are boats; ferries, speedboats or longboats (ketinting), and cars. The "Trans-Kalimantan Highway" connects Sangkulirang (Banua Baru) in the north with Samarinda through Balikpapan further on to the southernmost district capital of Tanah Grogot in Pasir.

The main attractions of East Kalimantan are found along the Mahakam river. From the Bayur Estuary the Mahakam reaches more than 350 km north-west into the province with its 920 km of running water. The capital of Kutai regency Tenggarong, a short distance upriver from Samarinda, was once the seat of the Kutai sultanate, and now houses several museums as well as what used to be an annual festival, the Erau festival celebrating the foundation of Tenggarong.

Rattan handicrafts and 'ikat doyo' weaving.
Further upriver there are three lakes in a row, one of them with renowned harbour village Tanjung Isuy, a tourist destination mainly founded on sales of handicrafts. Beyond the lakes you will enter the original lands of the traditional Dayak peoples. In Melak, a smaller river village, it is possible to get a taste of traditional life of the forest dependent populations. The forest west of Melak also houses the Kersik Luway nature reserve, where the 'Black Orchid' grows, as well as longhouse village Pepas Eheng where rattan handicrafts are produced and sold. Just a little upstream from Long Bagun the Mahakam is cut off from the coastal area by big rapids. Above this level there are few facilities for the average tourist.

The vast areas to the north of Balikpapan are seldom visited by turists. Still, in Berau district divers and snorkellers have started to discover hidden treasures on the coast, along with the development of industrial towns. Apokayan and Bulungan still consists of mainly undulating forested hills, rapidly declining reserves though, forest dwelling populations, and the growing industrial capital of Tarakan.

To the south of Balikpapan the area of Pasir offers little of interest for a tourist, unless you are on your way by car to the South Kalimantan capital of Banjarmasin or to the Barito river reaching into Central Kalimantan.
Lots of information on East Kalimantan is available on the internet. A nice site to start with is the Kutai sultanate pages.

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