Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
liant dome rising across the bridge as you enter. Surprisingly, there is no hotel. Rent a boat
across the street to see the swimming cattle (200,000Rp).
To get here from Kandangan take a public minibus (7000Rp, one hour), shared Japan-
ese sedan with four people (15,000Rp per person, charter 60,000Rp), or
ojek
(40,000Rp).
Loksado
Loksado is an absolutely charming hamlet of gingerbread cottages flanking a rushing
stream, Sungai Amandit, with a pedestrian suspension bridge. Set amidst beautiful moun-
tain scenery, it stands apart from the rest of Kalimantan's tropical jungle, a feeling rein-
forced by the wonderful drive in, which curves through green hills until you reach the end
of the road, 40km from Kandangan (great by motorcycle!). You'll find the best backpack-
er pad in Kalimantan here, as well as a vibrant Wednesday market, and numerous hiking
trails for exploring Pegunungan Meratus, a 2500-sq-km mountain range spotted with
Dayak villages. If you're looking for a place to hang out indefinitely, you can't beat this
combination.
Activities
Mountain Trekking
There are innumerable hiking trails in the Meratus combining forest, villages, rivers, sus-
pension bridges and longhouse visits. However, deforestation has taken its toll: it's a good
five hours' walk to get to primary forest these days. The best one-day trek is from Lok-
sado to Bali Haritai (four to six hours, depending on the route), which includes some wa-
terfalls. For first timers, this is an excellent introduction to jungle trekking, with a moder-
ate change in altitude, areas of dense foliage, and a few leeches for company. Multiday it-
ineraries top out (literally) at the summit of Mt Besar (1901m), the tallest peak in the Mer-
atus range (seven days). Be sure to be prepared for your particular route, and don't be
afraid to rein in your guide if the pace or terrain is beyond your skill level. For advice on
advanced jungle trekking,
Click here
.
HIKING
Bamboo Rafting
It's fun to be poled downriver on a narrow bamboo raft, particularly when negotiating
mild rapids. Ask your guide or hotelier for local providers; 90 minutes (250,000Rp)
should suffice.
RAFTING