Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Three Weeks
Around Kalimantan
Fly into
Berau
, preferably via hopping
Balikpapan
(where you can get your visa on ar-
rival), and explore the nearby
Derawan Archipelago
, home to some world-class diving.
You can spend the night swapping stories with backpackers on
Pulau Derawan
, or head
to the little-touristed outer islands, like
Pulau Maratua
(backpacker heaven) or tiny
Nu-
nukan Island
, a resort perched on a blackened reef. Once back in Berau, head south to
unspoiled
Wehea Forest
where you will find virgin rainforest at its very best. Look for
rare wildlife and stay overnight in an ecolodge on a rushing stream. From there it's on to
exotic
Samarinda
, gateway to the
Sungai Mahakam
and home to an eye-popping
mosque. Head upriver to
Tenggarong
, with its resplendent
keraton
(palace) and golden
lembuswana
(mythical winged creature with an elephant's trunk); take a gaily-coloured
ces
(longtail canoe) on an unforgettable journey through the marshes and waterways
around
Mancong
; and overnight on a
kapal biasa,
a river ferry that acts like a floating
hostel. Side trips to
longhouses
reveal local Dayak culture past and present. Don't miss
fascinating
Jantur
, a large town with riverside boardwalks on the edge of an enormous
