Balikpapan city, Kalimantan and Amazing Places

East Kalimantan is the largest province of Kalimantan island. As a major producer of oil and timber; East Kalimantan is at present the most industrially advanced province of the island and the second largest province in Indonesia. It is also the home of the original inhabitants of Kalimantan, the Orang Gunung or Mountain People. The tribes are collectivelly called Dayak, although this name is not embraced by many tribes-people themselves, who prefer to be known by sepa¬rate tribal names such as Iban, Punan and Banuaq. Local tribes traditionally live in the communal longhouses called Lamin or Umaq Daru. They are built on wooden piles, sometimes 3 metres high as protection against wild animals and flooding. The Punan people are nomadic hunter-gatherers, and only use the longhouse at the height of the rainy season. Steeped in tradition, the interior of the longhouse is typically divided into separate family quarters with communal areas connecting each of the families. It is in the communal areas that village meetings are held and ceremonies performed, thereby reinforcing the strong tribal bonds in the face of rapidly advancing 20th century’s technology.

Guardian statues are normally placed in front of longhouses to protect them against evil’s spirits who bring disease and bad fortune. The more remote and traditional tribes-people have pierced earlobes, which over the year have become stretched by the weight of heavy gold or brass rings, and beautifully elaborate tattoos. Traveling along the extensive Mahakam river system is a fascinating adventure. Ri¬ver boats slide unobtrusively through heavily silt-laden waters, wild orchids drip off trees. Proboscis monkeys signal your arrival to the crocodiles and legendary hornbills. A 5,000 acre Orchid Reservation close to the village of Kersik Luwai cultivates 27 different species of orchild including the very rare “Cologenia pandura” the Black Orchid.

Tourist Office:

Jl. Kusuma Bangsa Balaikota Samarinda 75123 Phone (0541) 741669, 731447 Fax. (0541) 736866


Getting there:

Balikpapan is the gateway to East Kalimantan, Garuda Indonesia Airlines fly from Kuala Lumpur to Balikpapan via Jakarta. Balikpapan can be reach by flight directly from Jakarta, Manado and Surabaya as well as from Tarakan.

Tourism Events

Erau Festival, Tenggarong Mahakam River, East Kalimantan. Catch a rare glimpse of Dayak and their culture during the Erau festival. The event is held on Sept of the year.  To celebrate Tenggarong, Founding as the capital city of an ancient kingdom several centuries ago.

Places of Interest

Samarinda

Samarinda is a capital of East Kalimantan province known for its fine sarong. The Garden of Mulawarman University has the education forest with 62.4 ha arboretum, about 12 km north of Samarinda. A number of modest but comfortable hotels availablein Samarinda.



















Balikpapan

Balikpapan, the center of Kalimantan’s oil industry, is also the gateway to East Kalimantan with air and sea connections to Jakarta and other major points in Indonesia. Balikpapan has a major number of good hotels, including one of the international standard, as well as recreation facilities. It has the second-busiest airport in the nation after Jakarta.














Tanah Merah Indah-Lempake

Tanah Merah Indah-Lempake. This is recreational park called Tanah Merah Indah-Lempake ith a water fall, located 16 km from downtown Samarinda. It can be reached by car or public transportation.

Tenggarong

Tenggarong, up to Mahakam river from Samarinda, is the capital of Kutai regency and was once the seat of the Kutai sultanate. The Sultan’s palace at the riverside is now a museum where the old royal paraphernalia are kept, as well as an excellent collection of antique Chinese ceramics. Dayak statues can be admired in the yard. A curious thing about the royal paraphernalia is that they display a strong resamblance with Java’s court traditions. Every 24th of September, the former palace becomes a stage of dance and music performances given to celebrate the town’s anniversary.










Berau

Berau. Found here are the remains of a king called the Keraton Gunung Tambur and The Keraton Sambaling.

Tanjung Isuy

Tanjung Isuy. This litle settlement around Lake Jempang, in the lake-studded East Kalimantan hinterland, has a traditional Da¬yak longhouse which has been turned into lodges for visitors. The grave of a Benuaq Dayak chief lies aside the hamlets’s only only road. Visitors are usually given a traditional Dayak Benuaq welcome. The trip over Tanjung Isuy over the Mahakam River is along but interesting one past floating village and forest scenery. See the magic dance of the “belian” a Dayak tribe‘s doctor. Dressed in skirt of leaves, cures his patients at night by performing the rites prescribed by ancestors to the frenzied accompaniment of gongs and drums. Many Benuaq Dayaks still prefer the old cures to the modern ones at the government public health centers which are nearby.














Derawan and Sangalaki Islands

 Sangalaki Beach

Derawan and Sangalaki Islands 3 hours by long boat from Tanjung Redep in the north, you can reach Derawan Island. There are many rare animals such as the green turtle, the scarlet turtle, star fruit turtle and sea cow. Derawan and Sangalaki islands hold an amazing marine environment, including fabulous coral formations, canary crabs, green turtles and pearls.

Derawan Island

Belum lengkap rasanya ke Balikpapan, kota minyak di Kalimantan Timur, kalau belum mencicipi kepiting di Restoran Kepiting Kenari di Jalan Iswahyudi, tidak jauh dari Bandar Udara Internasional Sepinggan.

Restoran tersebut, bagi penyuka makanan laut, sangat kondang. Pejabat tinggi negara dari Jakarta yang ke Balikpapan atau yang ke Kalimantan Timur biasanya mampir di tempat itu. Restoran tersebut juga menjadi salah satu pilihan favorit perusahan minyak, batu bara, atau yang bergerak di bidang perkayuan di Balikpapan kalau menjamu tamu.

Datanglah pas jam makan siang. Jika datang terlalu sore boleh jadi kepiting sudah habis dan restoran sudah tutup. Biar aman, lakukanlah reservasi untuk pukul 11.00 hingga 14.00.

Selepas waktu itu, revervasi Anda mungkin akan ditolak. Itulah yang kami, saya dan rombongan dari Tanoto Foundation, alami. Kami baru saja memantau program pelatihan guru di Kabupaten Penajam Paser Utara (PPU), sebelah barat Teluk Balikpapan, Rabu pekan lalu. Dian Lestari dari Tanoto Foundation beberapa kali mencoba melakukan reservasi via telepon untuk pukul 15.00-16.00.

Pihak restoran tidak bersedia menerima reservasi itu. Pengelola punya kebiasaan menutup restoran begitu persediaan kepiting habis, dan itu bisa terjadi pada pukul 14.00 atau sebelum pukul 15.00. Jam operasional restoran tersebut sesungguhnya dari pukul 11.00 sampai pukul 22.00.

Pihak pengelola tampaknya tidak mau ambil risiko untuk sebuah reservasi tanpa uang muka yang kemudian batal. Rencana makan kepiting yang sudah dijadwalkan beberapa hari sebelumnya itu pun terancam buyar.

Meski reservasi ditolak, kami berharap restoran itu masih buka saat kami sampai. Speedboat yang mengantar kami dari PPU ke Balikpapan melaju kencang. Belum genap pukul 15.00, kami sudah sampai di Balikpapan. Perjalanan dilanjutkan dengan mobil. Sempat terlontar rencana untuk mencari tempat makan lain.

Sopir yang mengantar kami mengusulkan, "Coba saja lihat dulu, siapa tahu restorannya masih buka." Kami pun setuju. Restoran itu ternyata memang belum tutup saat kami tiba sekitar pukul 15.30. Aha... itu artinya stok kepiting masih ada!

Kepiting saus lada hitam merupakan primadona di sini. Selain itu ada kepiting rebus, kepiting goreng, tanco dan saus tiram. Ada juga aneka menu ikan.

Kami pesan kepiting saus lada hitam. Porsinya ternyata jumbo, cukup untuk tiga sampai empat orang. Kepiting yang disajikan dari jenis yang besar-besar. Kata Lisa, salah seorang anggota keluarga pemilik restoran tersebut, kepiting-kepiting itu berasal dari perairan Tarakan. Kepiting dikirim dalam kondisi hidup ke cabang restoran di Balikpapan, Samarinda, dan Surabaya. Daging kepitingnya terasa lembut, gurih, dan sedikit manis. Aroma ladanya sangat terasa sehingga terasa panas di lidah.

Harga per porsi kepiting berbeda berdasarkan jenis kelamin. Seporsi kepiting jantan rasa apa saja harganya Rp 105.000 dan seporsi kepiting betina Rp 125.000. Harga tersebut belum termasuk PPN. Mengapa harga kepiting jantan dan betina berbeda? "Karena kepiting betina ada telurnya," kata seorang pelayan.

Anda bisa menjadikan masakan dari restoran itu sebagai oleh-oleh. Beberapa penumpang pesawat jurusan Jakarta yang terbang bersama kami sore itu membawa oleh-oleh masakan kepiting dari restoran tersebut. Kemasannya dari plastik dan kardus yang dibuat sangat rapi sehingga aroma masakan tidak menyebar keluar.

Hemm... kalau ke Balikpapan jangan lupa kepiting ya.