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JOURNEY THROUGH KALIMANTAN’S INTERIOR FASCINATING
RIVER-CRUISING AND ENJOYING DAYAK CULTURE
Kalimantan is rich in natural resources; some even say the world ‘Kalimantan’ means ‘River of Diamond”. With its great variety of flora and fauna, including a rare species of the black orchid, and its cultural tourist destination is an excellent subject for promotion. Moreover, given the back-to-nature trend in world tourism, Kalimantan has most to offer in terms of ‘adventure tourism’ than any other island in the Indonesian archipelago.
For travelers seeking more challenge and adventure, Kalimantan, with its many rivers and tropical rainforest, is a great place for river-cruising and mountain-hiking in the interior where the Dayak people live in their traditional environments and sustain their ancient cultural heritage.
Kalimantan is dominated by three great river systems which constitute the essential means of communication: the Kapuas, the longest of the three which flows west to Pontianak; the Barito, which is the widest and flows south to Banjarmasin; and the Mahakam, which has the greatest volume of water and runs east to Samarinda. The sources of the three rivers are in the mountains in the center of the island.
East Kalimantan (Kalimantan Timur, often abbreviated to Kaltim) is one of four Indonesian provinces on the island known in Western history as Borneo. Its capital is Samarinda. The province encompasses a total territory of 210,985 square kilometers, making it the second-largest province in Indonesia, after Papua. The total population was over two million (2.44 million) in the latest census taken in 2000. It is divided into nine regencies and four municipalities. The regencies are Pasir, Penajam, Paser Utara, Kutai Kartanegara, West Kutai (Kutai Barat), East Kutai (Kutai Timur), Bulungan, Berau, Malinau, and Nunukan. The municipalities are Balikpapan, Samarinda, Bontang, and Tarakan.
East Kalimantan was the site of Indonesia’s oldest-known kingdom, the Kingdom of Kutai whose king was Mulawarman in the 5th century. The existence of this kingdom is attested by a stone inscription now stored in the National Museum, Jakarta. The inscription is written in the Pala alphabet and Sanskrit language; Kutai was a Hindu kingdom.
Kutai’s history is a long one, first recorded by foreigners coming to its shores to engage in trade and study or spread religion, and propelled by the quest of the people for better life. The largest ethnic group in East Kalimantan is commonly referred to as Dayak. Amongst them are the Kenyak, Punan, Bahau, Benuaq, Tunjung, Basap Berusu, Lebu, and Modang. Despite some differences, these groups share physical features, architecture, language, traditions and customs, social structure, weapons, agricultural technology, and a similar outlook on life.
Samarinda, as said, is the capital of East Kalimantan. It is the gate to such remote regencies as Kutai Barat, Kutai Kartanegara, and Kutai Timur. To reach them requires river-travel because it is faster, however Samarinda does have an airport, Temindung, and a seaport. The local authority plans to move both to better locations soon.
The international airport is Sepinggan, the second-busiest airport in the country after Jakarta. It is located in the vicinity of Balikpapan oil-port and is the gateway to the provincial capital of Samarinda which is a few hours inland by car. Living up to is importance; Balikpapan has a number of good hotels, including one of international standard, as well as recreation facilities. From both Balikpapan and Samarinda it is possible to fly inland and to coastal destinations, notably Berau and Bulungan to the north and the upper regions of the Mahakam River in a western direction. Other means of transportation are boats—ferries, speedboats, or long boats (ketinting)-and cars.
Hinterland tours, Dayak land adventures
Exploring Kalimantan takes several days. Arrangements can be made through a number of travel agencies offering a variety of tour packages. Below we describe one way to discover Kalimantan’s interior over 5 days and 4 nights.
Arrival is at Balikpapan’s Sepinggan airport. From there one takes a car to Loa Janan, a village about 110 km. to the north, and then a houseboat for an exciting adventure on the Mahakam River. The houseboat departs from Kunjang River quay at 07:00-09:00 a.m. daily; the fare is Rp. 10,000 (a little over US$ 1). The drive from Balikpapan to Loa Janan takes you through beautiful scenery and provides glimpses into the daily activities of the Banjarese, migrant Javanese, and Kuati people. The first night is spent on the houseboat.
After breakfast on board, you will be taken on a sightseeing tour through local villages to observe daily activities of the local people and see floating shops, houses, and eating places. Then you will cross Jempang Lake on a chartered motorized canoe, heading for Tanjung Isuy; the mountain landscape is magnificent.
Tanjung Isuy is the home of the Benuaq Dayak’s who still live in longhouses and weave cloth from a wild orchid fibre called doyo. Upon arrival you will be welcomed with a traditional ceremony will be led by the village chief and participated in by his people.
Tanjung Isuy’s potential to attract tourists has led to its development as a tourist site where visitors can stay in a longhouse. The communal area, the long front verandah of the longhouse, is used by local vendors to sell doyo cloth, wood carvings, and diverse other artifacts. (Not too far away is a two-storey longhouse in Mancong village.) Tourists are entertained with dance performances various ceremonies according to the season or need. One of these is the healing ritual which can be observed by tourists staying over night, while the more adventurous can consult the local traditional doctor on medical problems. Staying overnight at the longhouse is definitely recommended! In the morning. You will have an opportunity to explore the village and get to know the tribal way of life, beliefs, arts, and handicrafts.
The next stop on the tour is Mancong. You get there by canoe or ketinting, crossing Jempang Lake and passing along Ohong River with its beautiful views and wildlife; proboscis and other monkeys and diverse birds. From Mancong, you return to Muara Muntai (Muntai estuary) and Jempang Lake where you hop on a slow boat that will take you to Minta village where you can learn how to make palm sugar. The journey continues to Datah Bilang Ilir village, inhabited by the Kenyah Dayaks. The older Kenyah’s may have beautifully tattooed bodies and greatly extended perforations in their ears as the result of wearing heavy iron rings in them. The Kenyah are adept at making bead necklaces, as they will show you. The price of a long necklace is about Rp. 200,000 (about US$18). If you are a bead-lover, this could be the highlight of your trip, for the beads in Kenyak would satisfy anybody’s dreams.
After arrival at Melak on the next day, you will drive to Eheng village about an hour away. Here, the Tunjung Dayaks live in every old longhouse which is still in its original state, complete with primitive furnishing and ornaments. It is customary for one whole extended family or an entire clan to live in a single longhouse. Each family has a separate compartment, while the chief occupies the central chamber. Guardian statues are normally placed in front of the longhouse to protect it from evil spirits bringing disease and bad luck.
The next stop is the Kersik Luway nature reserve which is not far from Eheng and is the home of the black orchid (coelogyne pandurata). After checking out the orchids, you will return to the houseboat and head down the Mahakam River for Tenggarong, spending the night on board.
The last stop on the journey will be Tenggarong city. After breakfast you can visit the place of the former Sultan of Kutai Kartanegara. The place, which is on the riverside, is now a museum (closed on Monday) where the royal paraphernalia are kept. It also houses an excellent collection of antique Chinese ceramics and Dayak statues carved out of ironwood. You might also want to visit the royal cemetery and the local market. This done, it is back on the houseboat and cruising down the Mahakam River for Samarinda. This is the end of your fascinating tour into the interior of Kalimantan. It is worth a try, a unique and unforgettable experience!
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