Welcome to East Kalimantan, a province of Indonesia located in Borneo, lung of the world and third-largest island on earth. Known for its natural resources, rich biodiversity, lush rain forests and indigenous Dayak culture, East Kalimantan is also soon going to be famous for hosting Nusantara, the future capital of Indonesia.
For decades East Kalimantan is set as a wild nature and sustainable tourism that famous with the world renowned Samboja Lestari Orangutan rescue and rehabilitation center. With its 1,800 hectares tropical rain forest restoration project and Sun Bear sanctuary, this conservation wildlife forms the bar for education. Saving orangutans, Southeast Asia’s only great ape and icon of Indonesian wildlife, has now become an essential mission that requires a sustainable protection of their natural habitat, ground research, forest stakeholders’ education, and public awareness programs. Samboja Lestari was founded in 1991 by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) on land that had been devastated by logging, drought and wildfires. The intention of the park was threefold: to provide a safe place for rescued orangutans and sun bears; to help to restore the natural rainforest; and to offer an alternative source of sustainable employment to local people. By providing a step-by-step program from rescue to release, the community build connection, combined with outreach activities in local schools to ensuring the roots of change are in place for future generations to continue the good work.
For the adventurers, the exploration could continue to go deep into the Kutai National Park and adventure cruises on the Mahakam, a river that flows almost 1,000 km from the highlands of Gunung Cemaru to the Makassar strait. Home to critically endangered Irrawaddy freshwater dolphins and breeding place for hundreds of bird species. Cruising up the Mahakam in a houseboat is the only practical way to explore the rain forest region which passes through some of the world’s richest remaining wildlife and most remote tribal villages on earth.
Meeting Dayak Kenyah tribes is the highlight of any journey to East Kalimantan. In Lekaq Kidau and a few other cultural villages in Kutai Kertanegara, the indigenous population of ancient headhunters perform ritual music and dances while educating visitors to their unique customs and ancestral knowledge of the surrounding jungle. Traditional community longhouses can be seen there too, as large wooden structures built on pillars, sometimes up to hundreds of meters long, that host dozens of families, with common areas for cooking, blacksmithing and ritual ceremonies.
All around the province, some outstanding jungle destinations are open to passionate travelers and conservationists at heart. The Wehea highland forest located in the East Kutai regency is a great example of a successful restoration project. Rewarded by a Kalpataru trophy, Indonesia’s highest environmental honor, Wehea was originally reclaimed from illegal loggers and poachers and has now become a flagship 40,000 hectares reserve managed by a local Dayak tribe. The Kersik Luway Natural Reserve is remarkable too, as a heaven for trekking and orchid lovers, with hundreds of species growing there, including the mysterious Black Orchid (Coelogyne Pandurata).
Besides jungle adventures, East Kalimantan also offers a secret underwater treasure – a world class diving in a Derawan archipelago known for its wealth of coral reefs and marine life. Take a boat trip to Maratua island and meet squadrons of Manta rays, go to Sangalaki and witness giant sea turtles nesting, or head to Kabakan for its unique jellyfish lake.
“East Kalimantan is a paradise for ecotourism, but its rain forests and wildlife need to be sustainably protected as a precious heritage. Tribal communities deserve our respect too, for their culture and traditions highlight the diversity of our Indonesian nation. We invite BBTF delegates to find out more about this amazing destination” said I Putu Winastra, head committee of BBTF 2023 and chairman of the ASITA travel association Bali chapter.Come and join us at BBTF 2023. Learn more and log on to www.bbtf.co.id
