Betung Kerihun National Park is a protected area in Embaloh Hulu District, Embaloh Hilir District and Putussibau District in Kapuas Hulu Regency, West Kalimantan. It has a long layout and is bordered by Sarawak in Malaysia to the north.

The people around the forest area are generally from Dayak Tribes. The western part of the park is inhabited by mostly Dayak Iban and Dayak Tamambaloh, while in the center is mostly Dayak Bukat, and in the east are Dayak Punan people. For daily life, they built homestays and provide porters, longboats, sold Bornean weaving and doing wood carvings.

Credit: Perpek Media

Forests in the Kerihun Betung National Park area are grouped into eight ecosystem types, which are Dipterocarp Pamah Forest, Alluvial Forest, Swamp Forest, Old Secondary Forest, Bukit Dipterocarp Forest, Limestone Forest, Sub-Montane Forest and Montane Forest. All are occupying the first transboundary conservation area in Asia and has a unique biodiversity. All of which are the first transboundary conservation areas in Asia and have unique biodiversity.

Betung Kerihun National Park is divided into four areas, which are the Embaloh watersheds, Sibau watersheds, Mendalam watersheds and Kapuas watersheds. Each region has its own charm. With this vast and unique landscape, Betung Kerihun National Park holds a great wealth of biodiversity.

The potential of this national park area is very great. Inside of it, there are various types of biodiversity, hydrological as well as tourism services potential.

Credit: Natural World Safaris

There are no less than 1,216 types of flora exist in Betung Kerihun including species that are endemic to the island of Borneo. Of the fauna there are about 48 species of mammals. The big mammal that exists are the orangutan and the sun bear.

Reported by the WWF website, the Betung Kerihun National Park area also consists of various types of ecosystems, including lowland forest, mountain forest and moss forest. The height of this area is between 30-1960 meters above sea level.

In the area there are also various medicinal plants. There are at least 12 types of mushrooms recorded in this beautiful national park. There are 133 species of ferns that have been identified. The diversity of the moss is also complete, if you are lucky you can see the carcass flowers in bloom.

Credit: Tantular

Moreover, there are various types of orchids found in Betung Kerihun. For fauna, apart from orangutans which are the popular animals, other animals can also be found such as gibbons, amphibians, birds, fish and reptiles as well.

Inaugurated as a New Biosphere Reserve in July 2018, Betung Kerihun National Park, Danau Sentarum National Park and Kapuas Hulu Regency were confirmed by UNESCO as a new Biosphere Reserve with the name Betung Kerihun-Danau Sentarum Kapuas Hulu Biosphere Reserve.

The status of a biosphere reserve confirms international recognition and encouragement to Indonesia to continue to preserve and protect the Kapuas Hulu area from human-caused damage. Biosphere Reserve is a site designated by various countries through the Man and The Biospher joint program (MAB-UNESCO). The program designed to promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, based on the efforts of local communities and reliable science.

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Moreover, The Lake Sentarum National Park natural charm is no less beautiful than other national parks in Indonesia, because it is surrounded by rows of hills. Sentarum Lake National Park is a Nature Conservation Area that can be used for research, cultural education, cultivation, tourism and recreation purposes.

Sentarum Lake National Park has been listed in the Heart of Borneo (HoB) initiative which was declared in 2007. HoB is an initiative of three countries, which are Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam to manage highland tropical forest areas in Borneo based on the principles of conservation and sustainable development.

Sentarum Lake National Park Location

Credit: Dream Indonesia

Sentarum National Park administratively is located in Kapuas Hulu district, West Kalimantan Province. The distance of this national park from the largest city in West Kalimantan, Pontianak, is 700 km. The area of Lake Sentarum National Park covers 7 districts, which are Batang Lupar, Badau, Embau, Bunut Hilir, Suhaid, Selimbau and Semitau.

The topography forms are from flat, wavy to hilly. Most of them are located in flat basins, as well as floodplain areas surrounded by mountains, such as the Lanjak Mountains to the North, the Muller Mountains in the East, the Madi Plateau in the South and the Kelingkang Mountains to the West.

Habitat Type of Sentarum Lake National Park

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The Indonesian Institute of Sciences categorizes the habitat types in the Lake Sentarum National Park area based on the knowledge of the surrounding community, which are:

1. Dwarf Swamp Forest
Its vegetation characteristics consist of trees 5 to 8 meters tall and inundated by 8 to 11 months in a year. Several types of plants that live in this area are Putat (Baringtonia acutangula), and Kebesi (Memecylon edule), Mentagis (Ixora mentangis), and Kayu Tahun (Carallia bracteata).

2. Reed Forest
This forest is also called the stunded swamp forest where dwarf plants grow as high as 10 to 15 meters. This area is submerged in water as high as 3 to 4 meters for 4 to 7 months so that the trees that are visible are only the crowns. The vegetation that dominates is Kamsia which is overgrown with epiphytes, Menungau (Vatica Menungau), Kenarin (Diospyros coriacea), and Menungau (Vatica Menungau).

3. Pepah Forest / Upright Swamp Forest / High Swamp Forest
This area is covered with relatively high vegetation, between 25 and 35 meters. When there is an overflow of water or a flood, there will be a puddle of 1 to 3 meters for 2 to 4 months. Examples of existing plants are emang, melaban and kelansau trees.

4. Edge Forest / Riparian Forest
This type of forest is located on the edge of a large river. Because of its location, standing water can reach 6 months. Examples of vegetation that grow in this area are red rengas (Gluta renghas) and tembesu (Fagrarea fagrans).

5. Peat Swamp Forest
Peat swamp is a type of ecosystem that is located in a rather high area and experiences inundation for 1 to 4 months every year, but the puddle is quite shallow, which is less than 1.5 meters. The species of plants in this region are Kapur (Dryobalanops abnormis), Bintangur (Callophylum spp.) and Terindak (Shorea seminis).

6. Lowland Hill Forest
Some of the plant species in this area come from the Dipterocarpaceae family, such as tengkawang rambai (Shorea smithiana), resak (Vatica micrantha), keruing (Dipterocarpus retusus) and coconut (Dipterocarpus spp).

7. Seashell Forest / Heath Forest
Shell forest is a forest that is located on extreme or vulnerable land, and is very sensitive to disturbances such as forest fires. The plants in this forest depend on humus on the forest floor which is very thin, so they grow stunted with thin stems.

Flora & Fauna of Lake Sentarum National Park

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The Danau Sentarum National Park area has an abundance of flora and fauna. Being in the lake area makes the diversity of the species more and more. Ranging from familiar species to endangered species can be found in this area.

1. Flora
It is known that there are about 675 species of flora that grow in this national park area. The flora is diverse, ranging from rare species to protected species. The types of flora in this area can be distinguished based on the existing forest types.

The flora that dominates the Putat Swamp Forest are shrubs and dwarf trees that are always inundated with water. The tree height ranges from 5 to 8 meters. Several types of flora here are the belantik (Baccaurea bracteata), sieving (Croton sp), putat (Barringtonia acutangula), pungu (Creteva religiosa), mackerel (Eugenia spp.), Years (Garcinia sp), and mentangis (Randia sp).

2. Fauna
There are many types of fauna that live in this national park area. Starting from the types of fish and reptiles, mammals to birds. Some of them are wild, endemic, rare and endangered species.

There are two types of fishes that can be found in this national park, those that can be consumed and freshwater fish. There are 265 species of freshwater fishes that have been identified, such as tapah fish (Wallago leeri) and linut fish (Sundasalax cf. mixrops).

Meanwhile, some types of fish that can be consumed include jelawat fish (Leptobarbus hoeveni Blkr), lais, belida, toman fish, and catfish. There are also ornamental fish such as the super red siluk fish which is commonly referred to as the super red arowana (Scleropages formosus) which is an endangered species and has a habitat in this national park area.

Sentarum Lake National Park Tourism Activities and Destinations

Credit: Bisnis Wisata

There are lots of activities tourists can do in Lake Sentarum National Park area. Starting from simply observing the beauty of flora and fauna, to visiting various tourist spots that offer stunning panoramas.

1. The charm of Lake Sentarum
In accordance with the name of this national park, Danau Sentarum has become such an attractive icon. Lake water in wetlands and tropical forests is reddish black because it contains tannins that come from the surrounding peat forests. The depth of this beautiful lake when the tide reaches 6 to 15 meters. The water is reddish brown due to tannin acid from the trees and leaves rot in the water. Meanwhile, at low tide, this lake only leaves a few water points and becomes a source of life for the animals that live behind the bush.

2. Laboratory in Bukit Tekenang
This location is a paradise for visitors who have an interest in getting to know more about Lake Sentarum National Park. Visitors can conduct research on various natural resources in this national park.

3. Bukit Lanjak and Nanga Keneleng
This national park is indeed a paradise for various types of animals. One of them is the various types of birds that can be found in this area. For visitors who have strong interest in birds, Bukit Lanjak and Nanga Keneleng are the right tourist destinations. Both places have the best spots to observe the charm of various types of birds in Lake Sentarum.

Sentarum Lake Community

Credit: Geopark Langit Itera

Most of the people living in the vicinity of Lake Sentarum National Park are Malays and Dayaks tribe. The two ethnic groups live in harmony and mutually protect the preservation of the national park.

1. Malay Society
It is estimated that before the 18th century there were more than 45 permanent hamlets and ten seasonal hamlets around the national park area. Meanwhile, according to royal history, this area includes at least five kingdoms.

The Malay tribe in this area can be distinguished based on their residence, namely the Malay with the traditional lanting house (floating house), the tall house (tall stick house), and the boat house (kelotok).

The majority of the Malay population works as fishermen who still use traditional fishing tools, such as nets, trawls, sentaban or fish traps, cultivating karamba fish and collecting ornamental fish in the lake area.

Apart from fishermen, there are also those who work as farmers of wild honey bees (Apis dorsata) and have been practiced from generation to generation for hundreds of years.

2. Dayak Society
Apart from the Malay community, the Sentarum Lake National Park border area is also inhabited by people from the Iban, Kantuk and Embaloh Dayak tribes. Most of them work as field farmers, hunting, managing rubber plantations and fruit farmers.

Meanwhile, residents who live near the headwaters of rivers or lakes usually work as field farmers, catch fish and hunt turtles. The Dayak people live in betang houses or long houses and a small number build separate small houses.

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There are many things that become the main attraction of this national park, that can attract many visitors. The main attraction lies in the natural conditions and various natural tourist attractions that can be visited. Kutai National Park holds a natural beauty along with the endemic species that is worth to visit.

Even so, as an area that holds a lot of natural wealth, TNK also faces various threats. One of the clear evidence of the environmental threat is the construction of houses or residential areas that encroach on the national park area, thereby reducing the authenticity and natural habitat of the flora and fauna in it.

Credit: EndangeredOrg

A national park is a nature conservation area that has an original ecosystem, managed with a zoning system that is utilized for research, knowledge, education, cultivation, tourism and recreation as well. Based on the results of radar images processed in 2005, Kutai National Park has a flat topography of 92% of the entire region, while a bumpy topography of 8% covers hilly area.

The geological condition of Kutai National Park area is divided into three, which are the coastal area is in the form of coral reefs and alluvial sedimentary rocks, in the middle area is in the form of upper miocene rocks and in the west is in the form of lower sedimentary rocks. Meanwhile, some rivers that flow in this area are Palakan River, Banu Muda River, Teluk Pandan River, Melawan River and various other rivers.

There are several types of ecosystems that can be found in this national park area. First is the mixed dipterocarp forest in the east while in the western part there is the Ulin-Meranti-Kapur forest. Along the coast of the Makassar Strait there are mangrove forest vegetation and coastal plants. Not only that, there are also freshwater swamp forest vegetation, kerangas forest vegetation, and flooded forest vegetation.

Credit: Wartawisata

As a national park area that has rich natural diversity, the Kutai National Park region has various types of flora and fauna. Aside from being the largest Ulin Forest in Indonesia, the TNK region has a rich diversity of flora. For example, the mangrove plants, sea cypress, saplings, simpur, benuang, meranti, lime, various types of orchids, lime, ulin trees as well as three types of rafflesia flowers.

Ulin Tree which is also called the Borneo Ironwood is quite attractive because it is a unique typical plant of Borneo which belongs to the Lauraceae Tribe. The height of the trees can reach up to 30 to 35 meters. The ironwood which has also a long life is often used as building construction.

Credit: KalimantanTours

Kutai National Park has also various fauna. One of them is the primate species such as orangutans, proboscis monkeys, Kalimantan gibbons, monkeys, long-tailed macaques, and slow lorises. There are also ungulate species such as sambar deer, deers and bison. Moreover, several types of carnivores such as the white belly sea eagle, sun bear, king and green goats, stork barrels, golden parrots, partridges and Asian snake cormorants live inside forest.

As an unspoiled area, Kutai National Park also has tourist attractions. Some of them are Sangkimah estuary and Kaba Bay where visitors can observe various types of animals, Sangata estuary and Lombok Bay where visitors can enjoy views of intact mangrove forests, Lobang Angin Cave, Adventure Tours with various types of attractions that can be enjoyed such as suspension bridges, giant ironwoods and tree houses.

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The forest area in this national park lies in the northern part of East Kalimantan Province, namely in the Malinau Regency, Nunukan Regency and Bulungan Regency. As well as directly adjacent to Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia.

Credit: RimbaKita

To visit the Kayan Mentarang National Park, visitors can use an airplane from Samarinda to Tarakan for one hour flight. After arriving in Tarakan, visitors continue their journey using a speedboat or “klotok boat” through the Mentarang River. For your information there are Bahau River, Kayan River and Mentarang River which become the main means of transportation to various points in the national park area. The tours passing the river take around six hours to one day. To reach the southern part of this North Borneo nature tour, visitors can also fly from Malinau Regency to Long Ampung Village.

Various natural vegetation can be found in Kayan Mentarang, ranging from lowland forests, highland forests, even grasslands. There are at least 150 mammals, 300 species of birds, not to mention reptiles, amphibians and insects as well. Some rare mammals that still exist include clouded leopards, sun bears and white-headed langurs. Lucky visitors can find rare wildlife such as the Borneo elephants, which are endangered animals and nearing extinction. The population now is only 25 to 45 elephants left. Borneo elephants are different from Sumatran elephants and Asian elephants. This elephant is a sub-species of Asian elephant.

Credit: RudiDelvaux

Various species of plants also inhabit the valleys area inside. Some have not even been identified. The visitors can also find archaeological findings and prehistoric objects such as ancient graves and stone age relics. Those sites are more than 350 years old and are important relic in Borneo.

Uniquely, the Dayak tribe people who live in this National Park area, also have cultural knowledge of nature conservation which is useful to support their lives. The independent ability of the Dayak Tribe in preserving the biological wealth in their environment can be seen from the way they farm.

Credit: KansRadio88.4FmPontianak

While in the Kayan Mentarang National Park area, visitors can climb mountains, do research, walk along the rivers, waterfalls tour and even enjoy a variety of Dayak Tribe’s arts. This national park is also used for research by students and science teachers, as well as various field studies about environmental and natural preservation. Some of natural attractions around this national park area are Batu Ului stone mountain, U’ung Melu’ung Waterfall and Long Tua Meadow.

Kayan Mentarang also provides lodging facilities that can be occupied by visitors who want to overnight. Moreover, to have a tour along the territorial waters, visitors can rent a speedboat or klotok boat with prices around IDR200,000 per hour. Interested in exploring the Kayan Mentarang? Plan your journey to Borneo with us, Authentic-Indonesia.

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Before transformed into a Taman Alun Kota (City Square Park), there used to be a lot of traders selling various types of goods and foods. So that the park became poorly maintained and dirty because there are too many people who shop and sell their product plus with the lack of public awareness of the cleanliness.

Then the City Government issued a policy to prohibit buying and selling activities at the park to make it more beautiful and clean from rubbish. The Kapuas City Square Park is also decorated with trees and flowers to make it more beautiful and colorful. Moreover, tourist facilities have also been provided to satisfy visitors.

Credit: Mapio

The visitors can take pictures while relaxing in the park during the afternoon and at night. The Kapuas City Square Park can only be visited from 06.00 am to 22.00 at night. Not only for relaxing the Kapuas City Square Park also provides variety of tours and one of them is the Kapuas River Tourist Boat that can be used by visitors to see and enjoy the beauty of the river and local residents activities around the Kapuas River. This attraction is another things you can do while visiting Borneo especially the Pontianak City.

The tourist boats operate during the evening and night. Starting from 16:00 in the afternoon until 10:00 p.m. Usually those tourist boats are enlivened by the presence of many individuals on holidays and during the weekend. The boats are not only filled by the people of Pontianak but the visitors also come from various areas outside Pontianak who go on vacation with family and friends.

Inside the area of the ship there is a small canteen offering local foods and drinks. The foods and drinks in the canteen are also not much different from the food and drinks available at the usual cafes, such as coffee, various juices and snacks that can be enjoyed while looking at the beauty of the sky and lights along the Kapuas River at night.

Credit: PontianakPost

The Tourist Boats operate around the Kapuas River is decorated as unique as possible with colorful lights and other knick-knacks. The design and color of the ship is also made as attractive as possible. So that at night the lights and designs on the ship not only become an attraction for those who boarded the ship, but also an attraction for people on the riverbank who see it.

Seats for visitors are also arranged in such a way and divided into two level which are the main deck and the upper deck. Usually visitors prefer to sit and relax on the upper deck because it is more free to enjoy the views of the Kapuas River bank while taking photos.

Visitors can also see the beauty of the buildings along the Kapuas River bank while the ship is running, such as the mosque, cafe as well as the residents houses along the banks of the river. The light beam from those buildings also become special attraction for tourists.

Credit: HomestayPontianak

The Kapuas Tourist Boats depart from Taman Alun Kapuas going along the toll bridge and back to Kapuas City Square. The duration for a single trip is approximately one hour and throughout the journey visitors are presented with the beautiful lights that illuminate the banks of the Kapuas River.

The boat ticket is around IDR15000 for adult and IDR10.000 for children exclude foods and drinks. There are 10 Tourist Boat docked in Kapuas City Square but only five boats that can operate every day. It is because all ships already have their own schedules to avoid passengers seizure and to be more effective. Another reason is that daily visitors for tourist boat are not always crowded.

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Although not as popular as the island of Bali, Borneo has many unusual tourist attractions. Having a diverse landscape your vacation or journey to Kalimantan will not be bored. These tourist attractions in Kalimantan must go to your next visit list. Here are 10 things to see in Borneo.

1. Kapuas River

Credit: Kapuaskab

Kapuas is the longest river in Indonesia and one of tourist attractions in Borneo you should not miss. The river which is one of the arteries of Pontianak’s people’s lives has many roles. One of them is as a means of transportation that facilitates the mobility of local residents. You can also board on tourist boat to explore the Kapuas River and see its natural beauty.

2. Tanjung Puting National Park

Credit: Steppestravel

When it comes to tourist attractions on the island of Borneo, Tanjung Puting National Park should not be missed. This national park which is located in Central Kalimantan Province has become an icon of nature and wildlife reserves.

Traveling here you can enjoy the unique tropical forests of Borneo coupled with the presence of orangutans that are guarded in this national park. Besides being able to see orangutans from a short distance, if you are lucky, you can also see other animals such as bears, deer, proboscis monkeys and stray cats.

3. Tahai Lake

Credit: BackpackerJakarta

The beauty of Lake Tahai in Palangkaraya City must also be included in your tour list. This natural tourist attractions offers the beauty of an amazing lake. For those of you who like trekking can go around Lake Tahai and capture the moment with nature. If you are lucky, you can meet some typical animals such as monkeys that live around the Lake Tahai.

4. Kelam Hill

Credit: InaKoran

Bukit Kelam is a giant rock mountain located in West Kalimantan Island. Kelam Hill, which become an icon of tourist attractions in Sintang Regency, still holds various mysteries. This giant monolithic boulder is claimed to be the largest in the world.

This hilly region offers a panorama of breathtaking natural beauty. You can go trekking to the top of the hill to see the beauty of Sintang City. Visitors can comfortably do trekking here because ladders have been provided to make easier for climbers.

5. Lok Baintan Floating Market

Credit: InFlash

The Lok Baintan Floating Market has become an icon of tourist attractions that must be visited when visiting the South Kalimantan region. The market which is also commonly called the Martapura River Floating Market is a favorite place for tourists to get to know the traditions of the people of Kalimantan.

Apart from its uniqueness, this floating market can also be a cool photo spot. You can also interact directly with the local people here because shopping at a floating market is one of the traditions that is still maintained today. The buying and selling activity at Lok Baintan Floating Market starts from 6 am to 8 am.

6. White Sand Beaches of Derawan Islands

Credit: KelilingNusantara

Derawan Islands of Borneo is called the hidden paradise on the eastern tip of East Borneo. The charm of the clean white sand beaches has proven to attract many tourists. In Derawan Islands, you can explore several small islands using a boat. One of them is Gusung Island which is famous for its clean white sand. Here, visitors can get many unique spots to take pictures.

7. Haji Mangku Cave

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Goa Haji Mangku, also known as Goa Biru (Blue Cave), has unmatched beauty. Lake with exotic blue water is still maintained its beauty. If you want to see the natural beauty of Goa Haji Mangku, visit Maratua Island, located in East Kalimantan.

The location of the cave is in the middle of a forest surrounded by lush trees. Starting with light trekking through a small forest, visitors must be extra careful in choosing a foothold because of its typical sharp-nosed path. Arriving at the location after about 10 minutes walking through the shady trees, then look to the bottom side. Visitors will be welcomed by the cave’s lips which form like an elongated natural pool with clear blue water.

8. Rian Mountain Waterfall

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The national tourism of Mount Rian Waterfall is located in the area of Safari Rian Village, Sesayap Regency, North Kalimantan. The beauty of this exotic waterfall with a height of 90 meters attracts tourists to visit because it provides beautiful and natural scenery. To get here, you have to go through seven levels that are very steep. Curious?

9. Long Bawan

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The Long Bawan mountain area is located in Krayan Village, Nunukan Regency, North Borneo. This hidden village cannot be accessed by land, only through air. Hidden behind the mountains of wild Borneo makes this place has cool atmosphere.

Here, visitors can explore the forest, explore flora and fauna, enjoy views of rice fields and buffalo farms. Uniquely, visitors can also enjoy Parisanan and Bari Tubing dances played by the Lundaye (Dayak Tribe) who occupy this village.

10. Labuan Cermin Lake

Credit: BatasNegeri

This beautiful lake is located in Berau Regency, East Kalimantan. The Labuan Cermin Lake is one of tourist objects that is often visited by foreign and local tourists. It has a very clear blue water like a glass. The lake has two layers of water, the top layer has a fresh taste, and the bottom has a salty taste. Strangely, the taste of the two waters did not mix at all. This is why Labuan Cermin has also a nickname, Lake Dua Rasa (two tastes lake).

The color of the water is graded from dark blue, light blue, white as well as green in the outer area of the lake. You can also see the bottom of the lake clearly from above the surface of the water even though the depth of the lake is more than three meters. You can swim, dive or snorkeling in this place.

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Kalimantan Island, better known as the Island of Borneo, is a very large island located in the Southeast Asian region. The island is squeezed by the island of Sulawesi and also Java. Borneo is very beautiful with all its uniqueness.

Next, we will present interesting facts about Borneo for your additional information before planning to visit this island.

1. Borneo is the 3rd largest island in the world, after Papua and Greenland.

With an area of 743,330 km², Borneo ranks third on the list of the largest islands in the world. Besides being known as an island rich in natural resources, Borneo is also listed as one of the largest islands in the world.

2. The only island in the world controlled by 3 countries

Administratively, Borneo is controlled by 3 countries, which are Malaysia (part of Sabah and Sarawak), Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia.

3. The oldest tropical rainforest

Tropical Rainforest to exist on the island of Borneo is the oldest tropical rainforest in the world which is around 130 million years old.

4. The safest island from earthquake

Of all the islands in Indonesia, Borneo is the safest island from the earthquake attacks. It is only adjacent to the earthquake plate in the Makassar Strait and only small part of the island could be affected from earth tremor, so the potential for an earthquake in Kalimantan is very small. Volcanoes also don’t exist on Borneo, making the island much more safer.

5. The second largest earth lung in the world

The 88,000,000 hectares rainforest on Borneo is said to be the second largest earth lung in the world after the Amazon Rainforest in South America and is home to 15,000 species of flowering plants, 3,000 species of trees, 221 species of mammals and 420 species of birds.

6. Home to rare species

Tropical rain forests in Kalimantan are the only native habitat of endangered Bornean Orang Utan (Pongo Pygmaeus). Borneo’s forests are also a natural habitat for proboscis monkeys, Borneo elephants, Borneo rhinos, porcupines, deer, tapirs and some endangered species. There are also some rare endemic fruits typical of Borneo as well.

7. Dayak Tribe

The original inhabitants of Borneo are the Dayaks. The Dayak Tribe itself is divided into approximately 200 ethnic groups based on culture, region, law and language. So in this case the Borneo can be considered as an island that has a variety of languages and cultures.

8. The largest jellyfish

In East Kalimantan there is a largest jellyfish lake in the world called Lake Kakaban. This lake has some rare jellyfish that don’t sting. Kakaban is also very famous in the world as a lake that has 4 different types of jellyfish. The four types of jellyfish are moon jellyfish, spotted jellyfish, box jellyfish and upside-down jellyfish. Because of its uniqueness, Kakaban Island is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site nomination which have to be preserved.

9. Sebangau National Park

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Home to the only endangered species on the island of Borneo is located in the Sebangau National Park. To be able to visit this place is not easy indeed. Tourists must go through the asphalt road, then the winding road, through the dense forest and also must take a boat to get to this Sebangau National Park.

10. Home to Rawa Amuntai Buffalo that live on the water

Credit: Steller

The limited land in Kalimantan, which is pressured by the vast oil palm plantations, has forced the people of Danau Panggang Village to raise buffaloes using the swamps. Borneo is touted as the island of thousand rivers. From above, Borneo has more waters than the mainland. Amuntai Rawa Buffalo is actually an attractive tourist destination in Amuntai, Borneo. From the boat you can become the swamp buffalo shepherd. Lead them out of the cage and put them again just before dusk.

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For those of you who doesn’t know, Camp Leakey is located on the island of Borneo, Indonesia and it is a famous rehabilitation center for orangutans which their population is currently threatened to extinct.

Orangutans themselves are one of the species that can only be found in Indonesia (mostly in Kalimantan, and the rest in Sumatra) and in Malaysia (which is close to the Kalimantan region). If you intend to get to know orangutans more closely and see how the animal rehabilitation process is, the Camp Leakey Borneo is the place to go to.

A Glimpse of Camp Leakey

Credit: TimeTravelTurtle

Camp Leakey is situated in the Island of Borneo, Indonesia. The exact location of Camp Leakey is in the Province of Central Kalimantan. Camp Leakey itself was established in 1971 and became part of the Tanjung Puting National Park area.

The origin of Camp Leakey was established from a research location of foreigner students. The student name is Birute M.F. Galdikas, from the United States, who research about the native Indonesian primate. The name Camp Leakey itself was inspired by the student’s mentor, Prof. Louis Leakey.

Activities You Can Do at Camp Leakey

Credit: VaradaBorneoTour

Initially, before being developed, this place was only used as a means for research on orangutans. However, during the research development, Galdikas had more intentions the main one is to save the orangutan population. The threat comes from the deforestation process.

Camp Leakey officially part of Tanjung Puting National Park area in 1984. Currently, Camp Leakey and the management of Tanjung Puting National Park are collaborating with the Orangutan Foundation International. The concept of the cooperation is to rehabilitate the orangutans, which their population is currently under threat (outside the National Park area).

As a rehabilitation center, Camp Leakey has a role to monitor its behavior and growth since entering this place, carrying out the rehabilitation process, until finally, these orangutans are ready to be returned to the wild forest.

Also, Camp Leakey supports various research on orangutans from students both from abroad (the majority from North America) and from Indonesia itself. Camp Leakey also supports research on other primates, for example gibbon, the proboscis monkey and leaf-eating monkey.

Credit: Framepool

Camp Leakey received data and facility support regarding primate ecology and behavior, orangutan cognitive and communication skills, to the behavior and ecology of leeches and river ecosystems in Kalimantan.

Aside from being a rehabilitation and research center, Camp Leakey has also become a tourist place to get to know Borneo orangutans and wild nature more closely.

Here, you will get experience with seeing the behavior of orangutans, from eating to interacting with rehabilitation workers. A visit to Camp Leakey can be obtained from Camp Leakey Tour Borneo program offered by some Travel Agents.

Tour at Camp Leakey

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Traveling on Camp Leakey can be your option for a vacation now. You will get a different experience and gain new knowledge. To visit Camp Leakey, you can follow Camp Leakey Tour provided by several travel agents.

On tours to Camp Leakey, tourists will start from the closest area of Camp Leakey and Tanjung Puting National Park, namely Pangkalan Bun. You don’t have to worry if you are outside the Kalimantan region. Towards Pangkalan Bun is very easy.

There is one airport that serves flights from several cities in Indonesia. The airport is Iskandar Airport. Iskandar Airport has flight routes to and from Jakarta, Semarang, Surabaya, Ketapang, Sampit and Palangkaraya.

There are many packages provided by the travel agencies. However, to get the maximum pleasure and experience, choose the Camp Leakey Tour Borneo package with a minimum time of 3 days 2 nights. Usually, when visiting Camp Leakey, you will visit 2 other rehabilitation sites. That is because these 3 places are in the Tanjung Puting National Park area. The other two places are Pondok Tanggui and Tanjung Harapan. Both of these places are also rehabilitation centers for orangutans and other animals in Kalimantan.

The starting point is from Pangkalan Bun. These starting points can be from Iskandar Airport or your transit hotel in Pangkalan Bun. On the first day, from Pangkalan Bun, you will be taken to Kumai Port. From Kumai Port, you will drive a riverboat.

Yes, touring program in Tanjung Puting National Park is a water trip via the Sekonyer River. During the trip from Kumai Port to the entrance of the National Park, you will enjoy a trip on the Sekonyer River and the beautiful semi-wild forests of the National Park.

Generally for 3 days 2 nights package, on the first day, you will only visit one destination, namely Tanjung Harapan. That is because Tanjung Harapan is the closest point to the entrance of Tanjung Puting National Park. Also, the journey from Pangkalan Bun to the National Park takes almost a day so you will arrive at Tanjung Harapan around noon.

At Tanjung Harapan, you will see the behavior of orangutans from a high platform called orangutan feeding. Towards night, you will be taken to the nearest lodge inside the National Park. There is even an option to stay overnight on board, depending on tour packages and boat facilities provided.

Credit: Meoadventures.com

On the second day, from the lodge or boat where you stay, you will be taken to two places at once, namely Pondok Tanggui and Camp Leakey. The journey will start from Pondok Tanggui first. Just like in Tanjung Harapan, there is an orangutan feeding platform that is used to see orangutans from a height and more clearly.

After 2-3 hours here, you will be taken to the next place, namely Camp Leakey. Of the three orangutan rehabilitation centers, Camp Leakey is the most popular and the main destination when going to Tanjung Puting. Just like the 2 previous places, there is a feeding platform as a tourist observation facility.

After that, you will be taken back to your place of stay. The next day, you will return to Pangkalan Bun to end this tour.

The destination options in the Camp Leakey Tour Borneo can vary depending on the tour agent. For example, in a 3-day 2-night tour, some agents do not include Tanjung Harapan in their itinerary (only Pondok Tanggui and Camp Leakey). Tanjung Harapan will enter the itinerary in 4 days 3 nights package. So, adjust your travel destination based on budget and tourist destination preferences.

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Here is the thing, Kalimantan lays on the island of Borneo which 73% of the island belongs to Indonesia and the rest belongs to Malaysia and Brunei. As Kalimantan is located close to the equator, it is not a surprising thing if Kalimantan can get pretty hot. Also, as one of the main islands in Indonesia, Kalimantan or Borneo is the third-largest island in the whole world.

Here, you will find acres of lush and dense forest along with rivers. Hence, many tourists love to do trekking and hiking in Kalimantan to check out all of the flora and fauna. To help you plan better with vacation in Indonesia, we already prepare a list of 9 best places to visit when travel to Kalimantan.

1. Derawan Island

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The first place you can visit when going to travel to Kalimantan is Derawan Island. For your information, Derawan Island is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Indonesia. Not only that but this island is also located off the coast of the main island. On this island, you will be able to experience good diving.

You can see lots of gorgeous marine life such as scorpionfish, blue ring octopus, ghost pipefish, and also bobbing seahorse. Want something more? You can dive into the ocean and go to the infamous rock named Blue Trigger Wall which is in 18 meters height and located 10 meters below the surface.

2. Balikpapan

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The next place that you can visit when you go travel to Kalimantan is Balikpapan which is located in Eastern Kalimantan. In this city, you will be able to see a more modern life of Kalimantan. If you are already tired of exploring the jungle, diving into the ocean, or going to the countryside, you can go to Balikpapan and spend your weekends in the malls and restaurants and other places. You can also go to the museum and other tourist attractions in Balikpapan.

3. Maratua Island

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The next place that you can visit when you go to travel to Kalimantan is Maratua Island which is located between Indonesia and Malaysia. On this island, you will be able to find the infamous Tanah Bamban Lake and Haji Buang Lake. Not only you can check out those two gorgeous lakes, but you can also spend your days in a resort which has nice rooms that lay on top of the water and you can see all of the fishes and turtles. Besides enjoying your day with seeing fishes and turtles, you can enjoy snorkeling, jet skiing or renting a boat.

4. Banjarmasin

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The next place that you can visit when you go to travel to Kalimantan is Banjarmasin which is located in Southern Kalimantan. In here, you will be able to see the mighty Meratus Mountains. For your information, Banjarmasin is divided by long waterways and with that being said, you can explore the city by taking a canal tour using a small canoe. While you are taking a canal tour, you will be able to visit the famous mosque in the town which is called Mesjid Raya Sabilal Muhtadin.

5. Danau Sentarum National Park

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The next place that you can visit when you go to travel to Kalimantan is Danau Sentarum National Park which stretches for 132,000 hectares. This park is mostly made of a two-level rainforest along with large swamps. If you explore the rainforest and swamps, you will be able to see much local flora and fauna such as orangutans, the probosci’s monkeys, crocodiles, pheasants, and also storks. There are also groups of indigenous people, Dayak Tribes, who live in the park. You can visit Dayak ethnic camp and learn how they live.

6. Kakaban Island

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The next best place to visit when vacation to Kalimantan is the Kakaban Island which is famous for the lake that is located in the center of the island. In the lake, there are lots of jellyfishes which are not poisonous. Meaning, you can swim in the lake with these jellyfishes without having to worry that they will sting you. There are two species of jellyfishes in the lake. The first one is Golden Jellyfish and the second one is Moon Jellyfish. Swimming with these jellyfishes sounds amazing, right?

7. Kutai National Park

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The next place that you can visit when you go to travel to Kalimantan is Kutai National Park which stretches for 198,000 hectares. This national park is covered in pristine ironwood forest and you will see rows of mangroves and also wild orchids. You will also be able to see much fauna such as sun bears, slow lorises, deer as well as the orangutans.

8. Mahakam River

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Another touristy place to visit in Kalimantan is the Mahakam River which is the infamous longest river in the East Kalimantan. This river is crucial to the people around it as the river supplies the people with water and this river also becomes one of the ways for people to travel around. Not only that but this Mahakam River is also the home of Pesut which is freshwater dolphins and other indigenous species.

9. Tanjung Puting National Park

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The last place that you can visit when you go to travel to Kalimantan is Tanjung Puting National Park which is one of the famous national parks in Kalimantan and stretches for 415,040 hectares. In this national park, you will be able to see lots of orangutans swinging from the trees. This national park also designated as UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Fun fact: this national park has a sister which is located in Malaysia. In this park, not only you can enjoy a jungle cruise along the river but you can also do a boat tour and see all of the flora and fauna such as leopards, mouse deer, sun bears and red monkeys as well.

The post 9 Best Places to Visit When Travel to Kalimantan appeared first on Authentic Indonesia.

The meaning of the word ‘dayak’ itself is debatable. ‘Dayak’ means human, while many others say that Dayak means inland. The Iban people use the term Dayak as human, while the Tunjung and Benuaq people interpret it as the river upstream.

Credit: BorneoTourGigant

There are many Dayak Tribes in Kalimantan, some divide the Dayaks into six groups which are the Klemantan or Kalimantan, the Iban family, the Apokayan family, the Dayak Kayan, Kenyah and Bahau, the Murut family, the Ot Danum-Ngaju family and the Punan family.

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The most Dayak Tribes are Dayak Kenyah who use accessories as their body jewelry. Dayak Tribes generally have beads made of natural stones.

Previously, these stones were formed by hand without a machine, so that the color is dull when compared to modern beads made in factories. There are also differences in weight on the stones and beads. If you want to prove that the beads are genuine from the Dayak Tribe or not, then you must do a test by burning them.

Generally, Dayak people especially the men are not familiar with other stone accessories other than beaded jewelry. Accessories that are generally used are those that come from their hunting animals, such as canine and bear teeth and also pig fangs. If in Papua the pig fangs are made into jewels which are stuck in the nose while for the Dayak, the pig fangs become their fruit necklaces.

Credit: MisterAladin

Another unique characteristic of Dayak tribe is the tattoo, where tattoos for them have a very deep meaning. Tattoos for the Dayak are part of tradition, religion, social status of a person in the community and can also be tribal appreciation for one’s abilities. Therefore, tattoos can not be made haphazardly.

Both tattoos on men or women, traditionally made using long orange fruit spines. They can do tattoos using one spines or use several needles at once. Meanwhile the material for tattooing use soot from a black pot. There are some of Dayak customs that are still preserved. This custom is one of Indonesian culture which are:

1. The Tiwah Ceremony

The Tiwah ceremony is one of Dayak traditions. Tiwah is a ceremony that has the purpose to deliver the bones of died people to Sandung. Sandung itself is a kind of small house that is made especially for those who have passed away. The Tiwah Ceremony for the Borneo Dayak Tribe is very sacred. Before the bones of dead people are delivered and placed into Sandung, there are many ritual events such as dances, the sound of traditional instruments and many more.

2. The Supernatural World

One characteristic of Borneo Dayak Tribe is their relationship with their supernatural world. Because of their ritual activities related to supernatural world foreign people called them cannibal. One of their traditions is Manajah Antang. It is the Dayak tribe way to get clues of their enemy using spirits of the ancestors with the Antang bird.

3. Red Bowl

Red Bowl is a ceremony for merging the Dayak Tribe. A red bowl exists if the Dayaks feel threatened by danger. Their leader, called Pangkalima or Panglima, will give alert for dangerous situation or war by spread the red bowl from one Dayak village into another villages.

Before spreading the red bowl Panglima of Dayak tribe held ceremony to determine the right time for war. In this traditional ceremony the spirits of their ancestors will enter the body of the Panglima and he will summon the spirits of the ancestors so all the Dayaks will have the power like their Panglima.

Red bowl made of bamboo terrace. The Red Bowl must be included with acoruscalamus which symbolizes courage, red chicken feathers for flying, bamboo torch lamps, sago palm leaves (metroxylon sagus) for shelter and a knot rope made from crab skin as a symbol of unity. This equipment is placed in a bowl of bamboo and wrapped in red cloth.

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To meet the Borneo Dayak Tribe, you can easily find them in Pampang Cultural Village in Samarinda and during the Capgomeh Cultural Festival in Singkawang. If you want to see directly the life of Dayak Tribe it can take a 2-3 day trip down the river in Kalimantan. Nowadays there are many Dayak tribes who blend in with the modern community.

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