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Travel to Borneo - Indonesian Kalimantan

Want to go off the beaten track? Then Indonesian side of the island Borneo called Kalimantan is your journey. It covers about 3 quarters of the island of Borneo. The Malaysian Borneo is much more visited than the Indonesian Kalimantan. This makes Kalimantan less developed, but also more pristine. Dive deep in the rainforests of Kalimantan. Trekking trails in National Parks and visiting the indigenous villages rich with traditional culture is something that only few backpackers have discovered yet. Experience the pristine Kalimantan before others do!

The geography of Kalimantan

an area is divided into four provinces: Central, West, South and East Kalimantan.

Central Kalimantan is rarely visited by tourists. Its unique feature is the native Dayak. Best time to see this is during festivals and ceremonies! Central Kalimantan is known for the ecologically rich and dense rainforests said to be the "Lungs of the World".

West Kalimantan is often used just as a transporting stop, but West Kalimantan has lots to offer: many huge size National Parks, historical Malay palaces (e.g. Sintang and Ketapang), Longhouses and the best roads. Chinese culture can be seen in this province and especially in the town of Singkawang.

South Kalimantan is the smallest of the provinces. Its capital Banjarmasin, is lovely and offers a beautiful floating market – one of the best in Asia. Experience Malay culture, as well as former royal palace buildings.

The most popular travel destination is East Kalimantan. Its advantage is the offshore islands and virgin forest areas. It has National Parks good for trekking and wildlife spotting. The longest river in Kalimantan is located here. In the North of West Kalimantan, Pasir Panjang near Singkawang, are the only good beaches as the rest of the coastline is much covered with mangrove.

National Parks and reserves

In Kalimantan the national parks such as Gunung Niyut are generally much bigger than on Malaysian Borneo! Coastal parks like Gunung Palung, Tanjung Puting and Kutai are easy to access. You will be able to see amazing wildlife, such as orangutans at The WWF supported Orangutang Rehabilitation Center in Tajung Putting Park, but unfortunately the illegal logging is also very apparent here.

The inland parks like Kayan Mentarang, Betung Kerihun and Bukit Baka Bukit Raya are more difficult to get to, but the forests are very wild and lush, but with less wildlife as these are the hunting grounds for the native people, the Dayaks. Note that in these parks, there are almost no facilities for tourists, so you’ll have to have an adventurous attitude as well as be well prepared.

Rivers in Kalimantan

If you’re pondering what to do during your journey to Kalimantan, the trips up the Mahakam River are a good option. The river is home to freshwater dolphins. You can go by large public boats with sleeping places and longboats.

There are some challenging rivers for those who are into rafting. The stretches from Loksado to Muara Hatip and from there to Batu Laki as well as Gohong Rawai seem to be good for rafting. Check out the grading though.

Amazing underwater experiences

Head to the offshore islands like Derawan-Sangalaki archipelago off Berau in East Kalimantan. It is known for fantastic scuba diving! You can see colorful coral reef, large Manta Rays, turtles and even an inland lake. Watch out for jellyfish though. In the West Kalimantan the Karimata group is also known for great coral reefs, as well as in South the Pulau Laut and Sebuku. These are worth exploring.

Travel tips for Kalimantan

  • January and December are bad times to go to Kalimantan, because of the wet season.
  • If you only have limited time, pick a region and explore that without a rush, because Kalimantan as an area itself is huge!
  • If you travel independently make sure you know some basic terms in Bahasa Indonesian language, because in many regions English is not spoken at all.
  • Also, note that Indonesia is ecologically rich with humid tropical forests, but nowadays the forests are vanishing rapidly because of illegal logging and overexploitation. Be a responsible traveller and don’t contribute to this by buying tropical wood products!

Where is Kalimantan?

Kalimantan is on the Indonesian side of the famous island Borneo. Check out the map below!

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