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Mahakam River
It is located in the
east of Kalimantan / Borneo most popular with major activities of the river
tourism movement specially in exploring the Dayak tribe. The east Kalimantan
or Borneo is
nowadays know as the most industrially advanced province of Kalimantan. Its
population is less than two million, and the density figure of seven people
per kilometre is among the lowest of Indonesia, although relatively high for
Kalimantan. More than 80 percent of the area, or over 17 million hectares is
covered by forest. This is where the "Black Orchid" and many other orchid
varieties grow within the sheltered confines of nature reserves.
The Banjarese and Kutainese are mostly the coastal population, living in
towns and cities. The Dayak peoples form the overwhelming majority of the
population of the hinterland, who live in longhouses called umaq daru.
Samarinda -
Samarinda is known for its fine sarong cloth. The city shows some signs
of being the capital of a prosperous province. New government offices and
public buildings are rising everywhere. Samarinda has a number of modest but
comfortable hotels.
Balikpapan -
Balikpapan, the centre 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. Even the trip to Samarinda, begins in Balikpapan.
Living up to its importance, Balikpapan has a number of good hotels,
including one of international standard, as well as recreation facilities.
It has the second busiest airport in the nation after Jakarta, due to its
strategic position.
Tenggarong -
Tenggarong, up the Mahakam river from Samarinda, is the capital of the
Kutai regency and was once the seat of the Kutai sultanate. The Sultan's
palace on 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 resemblance with Java's court
traditions.
Each year on 24 September, the former palace becomes a stage of dance and
music performances given to celebrate the town's anniversary.
Tanjung Isuy -
This little settlement around Lake Jempang in the lake-studded East
Kalimantan hinterland, has a traditional Dayak longhouse which has been
turned into lodges for visitors. The grave of a Benuaq Dayak chief lies
aside the hamlet's only road. Visitors are usually given a traditional
Benuaq Dayak welcome. The trip to Tanjung Isuy over the Mahakam River is
long, but interesting, passing floating villages and forests. With luck, you
can watch a belian, or witch doctor, dressed in his skirt of leaves, cure
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 government public health centres
which are nearby.
Melak - Kersik Luway
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Melak is a little village further upstream on the Mahakam River in the
heart of the land of Tanjung Dayak. Not far from the village is the Kersik
Luway nature reserve, where the "Black Orchid" grows.
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