Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 322 1680; Jl A Yani 87; r incl breakfast 250,000-425,000Rp; )
This hotel's tran-
quil courtyard offers a welcome respite from the city. The best rooms have courtyard win-
dows; some come with rare two-person tubs. Overall good value.
RAHAI'I PANGUN
Unique in Kalimantan,
Rahai'i Pangun
is owned and operated by Kalimantan Tour Destinations (
Click here
)
. It is
the ultimate jungle river cruiser, a 19m traditional wooden boat built from tropical hardwoods, that navigates the
Kahayan and Rungan rivers in high style, like a huge mahogany royal barge. It has a broad, split-level upper deck
with cosy rattan couches, and comfy staterooms below, including two double cabins with shared bathroom, two
twins and one triple. A favourite of Jakarta embassies, the boat docks either in Palangka Raya or the ramshackle
port town of Tangkiling, some 30km west. Short and long cruises are available, offering an itinerary similar to Tan-
jung Puting only more varied, including village visits with longhouses and dance performances, exploring lakes by
canoe, and a rubber plantation. You won't get an arm's length from an orangutan, but you'll see lots of them, partic-
ularly as you circle Orangutan Island, a rehabilitation centre in the middle of the Kahayan run by the Borneo Oran-
gutan Survival Foundation (
Click here
).
Weekend cruises of two nights/three days cost 5,181,000Rp per person for a double or twin cabin; longer four-
day, three-night cruises are 7,058,000Rp per person. Special rates are offered to travellers turning up just prior to
cruise departures, provided there is availability.
Eating & Drinking
Kitchen Restaurant & Bakery $
(Jl Haji Ikap; mains from 20,000Rp; 6am-9pm)
A welcome example of eclectic think-
ing, this two-storey restaurant with its own waterfall is known for having the only pizza in
town, part of a broad Western-Asian menu featuring Thai, Chinese and Indonesian dishes
in big portions. Live music at night.
INTERNATIONAL
Family $
( 322 9560; Jl Bawean 16; mains 20,000-25,000Rp; 8am-9.30pm)
The best
Chinese food in the city, with a standard menu. Known for its
ikan jelawat
(90,000Rp), a
river fish cooked many ways. Serves beer (35,000Rp).
CHINESE
