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Mahakam
River Dayak Longhouse Adventure
Tours
The
Fascinating Mahakam River at Indonesia Borneo Island is
a intriguing history of
Sultan Kingdoms and traditional Dayak Tribes, with a wealth of
ecological and cultural treasures that
survive deep within the rainforest jungle of Indonesia ’s
largest island. It's the highway into Kalimantan ’s dense
jungle where you can discover the rich Dayak Culture and their
Longhouses. The grand
diversity of exotic flora and wildlife from black orchids to fresh
water dolphins and orangutans give you an unforgettable trip at East
Kalimantans.
The
Mahakam River is the most important traffic route in
East-Kalimantan. Between the spring in the mountains and the delta
along the coast, the river measures somewhere 1.000 kilometers. In
between several big rivers mouth in the Mahakam River. Big ships use
the big river system until the highlands, where rapids eventually make
any progress impossible; from there “longboats”
(big canoos with
motors) are used.
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UPPER
MAHAKAM RIVER
The
Mahakam springs in the 1500 to 2000 meter high Müller Range,
not too far from the border with Sarawak. Before streaming down about
100 kilometers to the first Dayak village, Long Apari, three
side-rivers - Apari, Hubung and Kasau - join the Mahakam. After several
dozen small mountain villages, the river falls down about 150 meters
through several dangerous rapids. Besides several noisy longboat there
is no other traffic here. The Dayak along the Upper-Mahakam mainly live
from agriculture ( ladang cultures ). Incidental income are gained from
birds nests, ratten and washed gold. Because of the hard and dangerous
transport through the rapids, basic goods are extensively expensife.
Every
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once in a while a canoo turns
upside down: the valuable goods are lost and sometimes also their even
more expensife motors. People also get drowned regularly.
MIDDLE
MAHAKAM RIVER
The
village of Long Bagun, on threehundred kilometers from the spring of
the Mahakam, is the final destination of traffic on the river, besides
several longbot. The river reaches the small city of Long Iram through
several more than 150 km long valleys, this is the final destination of
the organised, heavy traffic. A big part of the year, smaller ships
will continue the trip to Long Bagun, but a period of drought in the
hinterlands can cause the waterlevel to drop very fast and make traffic
impossible.
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COAST
& DELTA OF THE MAHAKAM RIVER
After Long Iram, the river
widens. The brown water turns through the endless lowlands to the sea.
Slowly the small villages are replaced by small cities. Through the
sky, the distance between Long Iram and Samarinda is about 175
kilometers but over water it's about twice that distance. Near Muara
Pahu, where a big side-river flows in the Mahakam, the hungry traveller
is welcomed by a long row of food stalls. Several hours downstream, the
river lingers between four big lakes. After that is streams towards the
north to meet it's most important side rivers near Muara Kaman, the
Kedang Kepala and Belayan. Most boats will stop for a dinner on Senoni,
about 30 km downstream from
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Muara Kaman. Sometimes there
is cold beer or river lobster; after a visit to the inlands, Senoni is
the place to be for a culinair trip. Near Tenggarong, the governmental
center of the Mahakam beaken, the river becomes a crowded traffic route
for ships in all kinds and sizes. This lively crowd is kept until
Samarinda, where the seaworthy ships make themselves ready for
departure to Makassar Strait, 60 km to the east.
Tour Destination :
Mahakam
River, East Kalimantan, Indonesia
Main Interest & Things to do :
Jungle
trek, and exploring the Flora and Fauna which can't be found anywhere
else in the world, as only in along this Mahakam River which is the
second longest River in Indonesia, and Third longest in the World, and
steams from the Muller Mountains into the Sulawesi Sea. Several Tourism
object can be found along the Mahakam River in East Kalimantan as : Muara Muntai, Tanjung Isuy
& Mancong, as Dayak Benuaq villages with Longhouses, settled
along the Jempang Lake, surrounded with lowland rainforest and wild
life. Melak,
Kersik Luwai National Park, Eheng and Ombau Asa villages, at the middle
pasrt of the Mahakam River, Kersik Luwai as a national Park is famous
of it's wild and Black Orchid, Eheng is a Tunjung Dayak village with a
Traditional Longhouse, Ombau Asa has a waterfall as nature beauty,Melak
is a jump off point for further routes into the Kalimantan hinterland.
Data
Bilang and Rukun Damai, are Dayak Bahau and Dayak Kenyah villages with
traditional Culture and Longhouses, surrounded by tropical rainforest
and jungle.
Long
Bagun is the last village which can reached with public river
transport, and is a transit place for further inland transportation
facilities, from here Longboats here to be chartered, crossing the
dangerous rapids, to move on to the upper Mahakam River area or
trekking cross Borneo to west Kalimantan either to the Apokayan area.
Long
Apari as the last village at the Mahakam River with traditional Dayak
Culture and virgin Rainforest, traditional blow pipe hunting and forest
trekking can be done here.
Recommended
visit time for the Mahakam River is 3 till 15 days.
Culture
:
Dayak
Benuaq, Dayak Tunjung, Dayak Modang, Dayak Kenyah, Dayak Bahau, Dayak
Kayan, Dayak Punan, Kutai
Flora & Fauna :
Tropical
Rainforest and
Wildlife
Tour Starting Point :
Balikpapan,
East Kalimantan,
Indonesia
Tour Transport Possibilities :
by
public bus or chartered car from Balikpapan to Samarinda and by public
ferry or chartered motor canoe cruising up the Mahakam River
Tour Ending Point :
Balikpapan,
East Kalimantan,
Indonesia
Travel
Distance to enry point : 1400 Km till Long Apari from
Balikpapan Airport
Tour Duration : Short Get Through
Visit 3 to 8 Days |
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Accommodation
& Hotels :
Simple
Hotels, Local Houses or Jungle Camp
Tour Grade : Usual till Challenging
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