Visit
Isolated Apokayan Dayak Kenyah & Kayan
The
Apokayan region is isolated, due of it's remote condition, the Apokayan
kept away loggers, miners, and tourists
from the area. Apokayan is cut off from the downstream part of the
Kayan river due of rough water rapids. The best way to reach
the
Apokayan is overland from
the Upper Mahakam, via the Boh River, from here it is a trekking of
three to four
days to
Sungai Barang. Western influance arrived at the Apokayan early 1930,
The fundamentalistic
missions, which has been active for over 80 years now, influanced a
part of the traditional Dayak culture here, while most still belief in
their animism beliefs. The ecology of the Apokayan region is still in
tact. Who wants to watch
wildlife in the untouched forest, can best visit one of
the side rivers of the Kayan downstream of Data
Dian, plenty of wild pigs and deer including the barking deer
are often seen here.
The Kenyah Dayak and Kayan Dayak tribe who live in
the Apokayan believe that their
ancestors originally inhabited the area of the Belaga River in
Malaysian Sarawak. Records says that the Dayak Kenyah moved to the
Apokayan region early 19 century, as they feared
the headhunting Iban Dayaks. The Dayak Kayan communities had
already settled earlier in the area and small wars between the new
arriving Dayak Kenyah tribe with the original Dayak Kayan population
were inevitable. Finally, the Kayan
had to subject themselves to the Kenyah, which overruled them in
number.
The Migration out of the Apokayan
Searching for better life, the
population of Apokayan decreased dramatically in the late 20th
century, and has left now-a-days only a few
thousand inhabitants spread over several villages. The number of
inhabitants in a village varies
between several dozen to several hundred. Some of them settled around
Long Betaoh and Long Musang downstream the Kayan River, which is about
three days trekking to the border of Sarawak. Others
migrated to villages along the
middle-Mahakam River and her side-rivers. Some settlements of the
Apokayan migrated Dayaks are Ritan Baru,
Bila Tabang, Muara Wahau, Long Segar, Muara Ancalong, Rukun Damai, and
Data Bilang, And about twenty years ago about 200 families migrated to
Pampang, a village about 40km north of Samarinda.
Apokayan Today
The Dayak people who left behind in
the Apokayan
became hopefull for improvement of their situation when airstrips at
Long Apung and Long Dian were built in the 1970's. Pilots of the
Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF) started to flew the routes
regularly. But
goods stayed unaffordable. Regular commercial flights are still not
available. Changing Airline Services are flying the route for
both freight as well as passengers.But it's hard to get the available
seats, and flights can be canceled for weeks even months, a reservation
one month in advance is recommended but still give no guarantee for a
seat. Even chartered flights are no guarentee to fly at the date wished
Like everywhere in the interior of
Kalimantan,
there is a big shortage of teachers, doctors and medicine at the
Apopkayan region. Financial support of the Indonesian government, gave
a start of
economical development. Roads are planned to be build to support the
development of the Apokayan in the future. Governmental offices are
staffed with locals and the 'road system', normally just wide
footpaths, is
extended and improved. Probably the most important issue to stop the
exodus are the subsidized flights to the most remote places of
the
island.
Daily Activities (Planting a
ladang)
The Apokayan has a Dry
rice-culture,and often large amounts of rice harvest are seen.
But rice is a delicate product and drought or
early or late rains can devastate the entire harvest. Starvation is
unknown here, because strong crops like yam and maniok, as well as the
sago from the wild sagopalm, will replae rice in times of need. Pepper
Plantations are developed by government for the locals. Income
comes from exports of forest products: damar-raisin (a maximum of ten
tonnes a year), the aromatic aloe-wood (gaharu; about six tonnes a
year) and gold (three kilo's a year). There is more than enough ratten,
but because of transport problems it's hardly exported. The
population of these areas have a hard time buying daily needs like
soap, salt, gasoline, baking oil, because they are a lot more expensife
than in the coastal areas. The Kayan River can be used in the
mountains, but it turns into one big row of rapids downstream.
Apokayan Tourism
The Apokayan Region is an isolated
area in the mountain range with the border of Malaysian Borneo. Tourist
who are visiting Apokayan region are a few, time and costs are the
case, flights to and from Apokayan are a few (ask for the latest
updates of flight schedules)and done by small six seats cesna
planes.Reservations for flights have to be done at least one month in
advance.Other possibilties to reach Apokayan area are by trekking from
the Mahakam or Kayan river, estimated travel time is up to two weeks.
Tour
Destination :
Apokayan, East Kalimantan,
Indonesia
Main
Interest & Things to do :
Dayak
Culture Safari Tours and Jungle Trek Expeditions
Jungle
Trek can be done in the whole Apokayan area, recommended visit
time is 4 or 5 days
Dayak
Kayan, and Dayak Kenyah Culture are still intact, Rainforest and
traditional farming can be found around almost each village the area of
Apokayan
Jungle
Trek Expedition Tours can be done between villages
Culture
:
Dayak
Kayan, Dayak Kenyah, Dayak Punan
Flora
& Fauna :
Rainforest & excotic
tropical wild life
Starting
Point :
Balikpapan or Tarakan East Kalimantan,
Indonesia
Tour
Transport Possibilities :
by
Public Bus from Balikpapan to Samarinda airport, continue by flight
( booking has to be done one month in advance, for reservation or
schedules please contact us, or see the "How To Get There" site ) to
Long Apung.
By
speedboat from Tarakan to Malinau, continue by flight ( booking has
to be done one month in advance )to Long Apung.
To
Reach Apokayan Overland, from Samarinda, cruise up Mahakam River by
public ferry or chartered houseboat till Long Bagun, from here
chartered long boats have to be used to get to the Boh River, and
cruise up as far as possible, another 3 to 4 days trekking through
tropical rainforest and mountains to Sungai Barang, from where you can
navigate by chartered motor canoes or hikking to villages in the
Apokayan area, estimated travel time to reach Apokayan overland is 8 to
10 days from entry point Balikpapan.
Tour
Ending Point :
Malinau,
Tarakan or Balikpapan, also possible to Trek via Long Nawang
to the area of Kayan River and Long Bawan, trekking time is between 1
and 2 weeks upon weather conditions and destination
Travel
Distance to enry point :
1200
Km to from Balikpapan Airport East Kalimantan Indonesia
1400
km from Tarakan Airport East Kalimantan Indonesia
Area
Information :
Kayan River
The
Kayan river with its tributaries stretches from the border area
between Indonesia and Malaysia along the Muller mountain range to its
estuary on the south coast of east Kalimantan. Tanjung Selor, at the
estuary of the Kayan river, is the capital of the Bulungan regency and
New North Kalimantan province.
The Kayan river has a tributary called the Bahau river.
The
upstream region of the Kayan river, especially the plateau
(400-1,700 meters above sea level), is called Apo Kayan, inhabited by
Kenyah Dayaks, who live in the villages of Long Sungai Barang, Lindung
Payau, Long Uro, and Long Apung. The plateau is covered with forest and
dry rice fields, pepper plantations. The Dayak settlements are found in
areas 400 to 800 meters
above sea level.
Generally,
the Kenyah live in longhouses and are divided into several
sub-tribes or umaks. The Tukung occupy
the furthest upstream village on the Kayan river, Long Sungai Barang.
The Tao live in Lindung Payau and Lonh Uro, and Jalan in Long Apung
village.
The
umak, or longhouse, has many compartments. Each is called a lamin,
used by one family. The length of a lamin is five meters. The length of
longhouse is between 100 and 300 meters. In the past, there were
longhouses 400 meters long. There are flights from the Long Apung
airstrip to Samarinda, a 75 minutes flying distance away. Nawang Baru
and the umak dado longhouse are not far from Long Nawang, about three
kilometres away. The original arts and culture of the Kenyah, and
rattan handicraft items, can still be found here. Besides beautiful
jungle and mountain scenery, the Apo Kayan region has a refreshingly
cool climate and spring.
Long
Bawang and Long Berini, in the upstream regions of the Bahau
river, a tributary of the Kayan river, can also by reached by plane
from Tarakan, or by motorboat from Tanjung Selor to Apau Ping from
where it is a seven days Trek through the most dense forest found at
Borneo Island into the Krayan Hulu area before reaching Long Layu.
The
river journey up the Kayan river from Tanjung Selor is a rather
lengthy one, as it must go through the villages of Tanjung Palas, Long
Penjalin, Muara Hilir, Antutan, Mara, Long Beluah, Long Pesok and Long
Bia. Giram Raya is a big rapid near Long Pasok, with a length of 275
meters and a width of 55 meters, and gorge with whirlpools and granite
rocks. Boats must be carried over land, to avoid the rapid.
There
is a row of old graves in the shape of houses with statues
serving as pillars in Long Panjungan. The roofs are decorated with
wooden figure dragons. Sometimes dances are performed around the
village. The people wear masks during the rice planting.
Tour
Duration :
Short Get Through Visit 5 to 6 Days
by Flight and 14-18 days trekking Overland
Tour
Grade :
Challenging
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Flight
to Long Lunuk ( Data Dawai Airport ) at the Upper Mahakam
River, cruising up to Long Apari as the last Dayak village of the
Mahakam River, here you can enjoy the exotic virgin Rainforest
of Borneo, wild traditional huntings can be done with the Dayaks who
already do this for centuries as their daily activity to
provide themself. This is totaly an ecological kind
of life, and it's just to you to explore this kind of harmony between
the Dayak people and the Nature....full
itinerary
..............................................................
A
trip up the Mahakam River, with
exotic scenary of the ecological wealth and daily activities of the
citizen at both sides of the River. Sight seeing at Muara
Muntai wooden village, crossing jempang lake,
passing rainforest wild life at Ohong Creek like
Long Nose monkey's and several birds species. Visit Mancong
Dayak village,
with one of the Oldest Dayak
Longhouse of East Kalimantan. a Dayak Welcome
Ceremony could be held. At Muara Pahu a visit to the Fresh
Water Dolphins Information center, and when lucky spotting can
be done at the Delta of the Bolowan River. In Melak
village visit the Dayak Tunjung
Longhouse at Eheng
and the National
Park Kersik Luwai where
you can find wild orchids, and when lucky you can see the "Black
Orchid".At
Data Bilang and Rukun Damai the Dayak Kenyah with the Long Ears and art
full Longhouses can be found, before we continue to the Upper
Mahakam, for a forest trek in the virgin prime jungle....full
itinerary
...............................................................
Trek through the prime Rainforest of the
isolated area called Apokayan
and visit the traditional Kenyah and Kayan Dayak
tribes, explore their art full Longhouses, and traditional way
of life, if time has stopt, and you are back in the stone
age, places as Long Uro and
Sungai Barang surrounded by beautifull forest, jungle
trekking, colide with the host indigenous Dayak culture here....full itinerary
NOTE : Flight for an
Apokayan Tour Expedition has to be booked ONE month in advance.
 .
Trek
through the primary Rainforest of the isolated area called "Apokayan"
and visit the traditional Kenyah and Kayan Dayak
tribes, explore their art full Longhouses, and traditional way
of life, it feels as time has stopt, and you are back in the stone
age, places as Long
Uro and Sungai Barang
surrounded by
beautifull forest, jungle trekking, colide with the Dayak
culture here. From Sungai Barang we will trek through the mountains to
Long Lebusan or Mahak Baru village, from where we continue cruising the
Boh River into the Mahakam River, we will crossing the
dangerous rapids between the High Rocky Mountains,
visiting Eheng Dayak Tunjung Village, and Kersik
Luwai Nature Reserve where you can find the beauty of the
tropical flora and fauna of Indonesia East Kalimantan Provice,
including the Black Orchid plant.
.... full itinerary
NOTE
; Flight for an Apokayan Tour Expedition has to
be booked ONE month in advance.
...................................................................................
Cruising up to the end
of the Mahakam River, you can enjoy
an exotic scenary at both sides of the river. You will get through the
amazing and dangerous Rapids, between the high Rocky Mountain walls.
Our Longboat will bring us to the start point for the trek
crossing the Muller Mountains to the Indonesia Province of West Kalimantan. During the Trek you will get
Through the unhabitated primary virgin Rainforest, we will fish and
hunt meat for our meals. Overnights are in a jungle camp, till we reach
Tanjung Lokan village, and cruise down the Kapuas River,
passing Putusibau, to reach Pontianak city as the end of this
challenging trek "Cross Borneo". ...
full itinerary
The
indigenous
Dayak settlements along the Rivers of Kalimantan is an ideal
way
to
experience the incredible culture, where village elders practice
traditional medicine and mark their status with intricate body tattoos
and remarkably heavy ear adornments, you will be a
welcomed guests in their
longhouses. ...read
more
.............................................................
Dayak
Longhouses are
various in art, Differant tribes have differant Longhouses, and can be
found all over Kalimantan island. From The Mahakam River Area, to the
Upper Kapuas River Region.....read
more
...................................................................................
The Most Spectacular Dayak
Events at Kalimantan. Various rituals and ceremonies are held each
year, from Erau, Tiwah to more local harvest and rain dances
as expressions of gratitude, designed to mark important moments or
cultural Dayak traditions of many years......read
more
..................................................................................
Kalimantan
National Parks are
various, The Adventures Jungle of Kayan Mentarang, to the soft Kersik
Luway Orchid Reserve. Orangutans
can be
found at Tanjung Puting, Wehea,
and Kutai National Park. Derawan Maritime National Park with it's
Manta's and coral reefs
....read
more
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