Indonesia Nusantara: East Kalimantan, a Surface Note

As a major producer of oil and timber, East Kalimantan at this moment is the most industrially advanced province in Indonesia. Oil, mining and logging bring prosperity to this province. Seasoned travelers might still be able to find adventures in relatively untouched places, and visitors who prefer comfort will find that most of the area here are pretty modernized.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 separate tribal names such as Iban, Funan and Banuaq. Local tribes traditionally live in the communal longhouses called Lamin or Limaq Daru.

Dayak People
The Dayak or Dyak or Dayuh /'da?.?k/ are the native people of Borneo. It is a loose term for over 200 riverine and hill-dwelling ethnic subgroups, located principally in the interior of Borneo, each with its own dialect, customs, laws, territory and culture, although common distinguishing traits are readily identifiable. Dayak languages are categorised as part of the Austronesian languages in Asia. The Dayak were animist in belief; however many converted to Christianity, and some to Islam more recently. In the past, the Dayak were feared for their ancient tradition of headhunting practices. Coming of Christianity, with education where Dayaks are taught that headhunting is murder and against the Christian Bible's teachings.
If you go expecting to see head-hunters in loinclothes and feathers living in rustic longhouses you'll be sorely disappointed. All Dayaks wear modern clothing nowadays, and most of them live in modern houses.
But much of their culture remains alive and well, which is best witnessed during traditional festivals and ceremonies when they still don traditional garb, play traditional music and perform traditional dances. Weddings, harvest, illness or even New Year can be occassions to host such festivities.
Of course, seeing an authentic festival requires time and luck - though along the Mahakam River it is possible to arrange payed performances.
An important thing to realize is that the culture doesn't get more traditional the further inland you go.
The regions near the border have been heavily influenced both by fundamentalist Protestant missionaries and by the proximity of more developed Sarawak where many Dayaks go to work. In both East and West Kalimantan the more traditional areas are actually downriver.

Places
Mancong and Tanjung Issui Village These two village inhabited by Dayak Banuaq living on a long-house. Most visitor take a house boat on Mahakam River beginning from Loajanan the area just before Samarinda City from Balikpapan. Tanjung issui has a very well preserved long house, remodeled on the inside as a museum and hotel in the back with great rooms and a lovely view. Down the road from Tanjung Issui, Mancong's two story long house is inhabited by families and there are regular dance performances. it is very well decorated outside with many traditional banuaq style wood scupltures.

Tering Village where Dayak Tunjung and Kenyah with long ear woman are worth to visit. Next to Tering is Melak Village, the location of Black Orchid garden, it is called Gersik Luai it is a good 20 or 30 minute drive deep into the wilderness. Black Orchid season is late spring through autumn but you can see other species throughout the year.Two other longhouses worth visiting in this region are in Aheng (up the road from Melak) and Bigung (between Tering and Kutai Barat).

Labuan Cermin Lake Labuan Cermin, a cove in Biduk-Biduk district, Berau regency, East Kalimantan, is famous for its unique two-flavor lake water, fresh on the surface and salty at the bottom, with different types of fish coexisting alongside one another. It is also believed to have been a bathing place for Berau kings. For a better view of oil palm estates on hundreds of hectares of former forestland, you may chose to travel by land along the Berau–East Kutai route. The gorgeous views of Labuan Cermin or the Mirror Lake, likened by some to the beach Thai Phi Phi Leh Island where Leonardo DiCaprio starred in the film The Beach, is worthy of the four-hour trip.

Kutai Sultan’s Palace also known as Mulawarman Museum is situated in Tenggarong, the capital city of Kutai Kartanegara district. Mulawarman Museum is well-maintained that it provides convenience for visitors when taking museum tour to see the history of sultanate and its historical items. The museum looks strong and is dominated by white color.In this museum, various collections of Kutai Sultanate are presented e.g., royal throne, statues, jewelries, war attributes, beds, gamelan, ancient ceramics from China etc.

Skull Cave The skull cave located in the middle of a straight white chalk cliffs . The height of the cliff about 50 meters , and the niche it is at an altitude of about 30 meters .Goa was actually just a niche in the cliff , with a room about 1.5 meters high , 2 meters wide , 3 meters long . But , in the end it is still a niche narrow passage that no matter how long into the cliff . Karst cave in the mountains could be outside the visible small , but is actually a hole into the belly of the Earth are big and long . GOA contains dozens of human skulls and bones . Currently there are 35 skulls and 170 bones and bone fragments number . According to Derom , village residents to the river , this time there is one skull is kept in the State Museum of East Kalimantan ( Kaltim ) in Tenggarong .According to residents , human bones are neatly organized it is the bodies of their ancestors .The journey to this tourist spot is very easy because it is located in a village located on the edge of the trans - Banjarmasin Kalimantan Balikpapan . Precisely located to the right of the road from the direction of Balikpapan to Banjarmasin .A small clue board mounted on the side of the road . Distance from the main road to the cave about four kilometers by dirt road , but passable automobiles to the village river.

Melawai Beach This beach has a charm of a beautiful sunset , and romantic , this is the beach or Hammel Hammel beach is located along the road suderiman , precisely in East Kalimantan Balikpapan , Balikpapan city itself is mengadapat to Makassar Strait ( east ) and is famous for its mineral resource potential of the drilling first oil in Indonesia . Although the east-facing beach Hammel able to offer the charm of a sunset or the perfect sunset balikpapat because it is located in a small bay.

Samboja Lodge Located just 40 minutes from Balikpapan, Indonesian Borneo, Samboja Lodge is easy to be reached. Even with confirmation, the staff may even arrange for you to be picked up from the airport. there are many opportunities to get involved with the project (Create_Rainforest), which aims to reforest a large area of land that had been devastated by logging, fire and the subsequent spread of the alang-alang grass, with the long term goal of being a natural sanctuary for orangutan and other wildlifeOnly a few minutes walk away you can spend hours watching orangutans living on the protected islands, which cannot be released back into the wild due to certain blood disorders. Samboja Lodge is part of BOS International (Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation) and is most concerned with creating rainforest and protecting and reintroducing its natural wildlife, so even by staying in the luxurious suites, you can be safe in the knowledge that the profits are going to a worthy cause.

Derawan is a perfect tropical paradise . Warm sunlight combined with beach , white sand smooth , swaying coconut trees and crystal clear sea that changes color from green to cobalt blue . Underwater life here is incredible , you 'll find giant turtles , dolphins , manta rays , dugongs , barracudas , and stingless jellyfish . Shark Derawan here is one of the precious biodiversity . With a wealth of underwater it is not surprising that later Derawan known as one of the best diving destinations in the world .Was not far from the mainland Berau regency , East Kalimantan Derawan archipelago consists of 31 islands and the most famous of which is the island Derawan , Maratua , Charitable , and Kakaban . Here nesting green turtles and hawksbill turtles rare . You can watch turtles lay eggs every day in the sand or swim with the sea turtles.

Art

Hudoq Dance Some 50 people, all wearing masks decorated with red-knobbed bill bird (enggang) feathers, emerged from one end of the Telivaq village by a tributary to the Mahakam River. Their bodies covered with tassels of banana leaves, each of them carried a wooden stick and a mandau (dagger). They walked towards the customary stilt house, which is 2-meters high and 12-meters by 20-meters square. As soon as they arrived, they danced round the house, led by the customary chief. The sound produced by their sticks when struck against the ground and the stamping of their feet, coupled by the long whining of the hudoq dancers, made your hair stand on end. After dancing collectively for about an hour, people began to dance individually. After the hudoq dance performance was completed, the audience could enjoy other cultural shows. In the Dayak Bahau language, hudoq means a mask. Except in Telivaq, the hudoq dance performed by the Dayak Bahau community in all other villages along the Mahakam (or Mekam in the Dayak Bahau language) river basin is the same.

Mandau Mandau is the traditional weapon of the Dayak people of Borneo. The blade is mostly made of tempered metals, with exquisite vine-works and inlaid brass. The hilt is made from animal horns, such as deer's horns, although some variations with human bones and fragrant wood also have been found. Both the hilt and scabbard are elaborately carved and plumed. Ambang is a term used for Mandau that is made from common steel. Often it is also made as souvenir.

Sampek In the Dayak language, Sampek literally means “Plucking with fingers”, therefore, it is a string musical instrument that is played with the fingers – not unlike the classic guitar. The name of this unique instrument itself varies across several sub-groups of Dayaks. Sampek or Sampe is a term used by the Dayak Kenyah, while the Dayak Bahau and Kanyaan call it : Sape. The Dayak Mondang recognize the instrument as Sempe, while the Dayak Tunjung and Banua call it kecapai –similar to kecapi, a string instrument found in West Java.A Sampek is shaped like the traditional boat with a hollow stern –thus it is also known as a boat lute instrument. The front part is decorated with black and red plakat paint in traditional Borneo tribal patterns. Unlike a regular guitar, the neck and body are one, carved from a single tree trunk. If the tuning head of a Dambus of Bangka is carved in the form of a deer head, the Sampek’s tuning head is decorated with carving of the head of the Hornbill Bird. The Hornbill bird, known in the local language as ‘Temengan’ is an icon of the Dayak and is held sacred.

Food

Variety of food gifts including unique KaltimAmplang (snack crackers made from a mixture of fish, tapioca flour and spices spices), abon crab, abon fish, and shrimp crackers. There is also Gabin, a kind of dry bread which is also often hunted tourists. Porridge Samarinda and various crab dishes also one of the mandatory sights for visitors who come to the East Kalimantan. You will not be hard to find these foods in City of Balikpapan and Samarinda. Cempedak is the one of special food from this city. Banana clamp.Kepok banana (banana Studios) is burned, and then pinned by two board-scissors and cut into small pieces. Served with coconut milk and sprinkled with sugar Java cheese on it.

So far, the most recommended place to buy souvenirs is in East Kalimantan Center, and surrounding places, since East Kalimantan is a big province and you might hard to find specific place to buy all different types of souvenirs other than this place.

GOOD BYE BOREDOM

DO YOU THINK YOU'VE SEEN EVERYTHING?

CHECK IT OUT BELOW!!