Welcome to East Kalimantan Tourist Destination
The Indonesian province of East Kalimantan covers an area of 145,000 square kilometers, making it the largest province on the island of Borneo. It is home to more than four million people, who live in a variety of environments, from coastal areas to dense rainforests.
The newly planned capital city of Indonesia, known as Nusantara (IKN), is located near the port city of Balikpapan, which serves as the main entry point for people and goods arriving at the new capital of Indonesia.
Most of the infrastructure has already been completed, including important government buildings such as the State Palace, ministry offices, residential areas, monuments, parks and International airport. In addition, private projects such as hotels and hospitals are also making progress. Many embassies from different countries are currently being built, and once completed, they will move from the old capital, Jakarta, to this new location in Nusantara.
East Kalimantan also has a few international airport as Balikpapan, Samarinda, Berau and at the new Capital Nusantara, as the main gateway for tourists visiting other parts of Kalimantan Island. Travelers can take boat trips along major river channels to explore the deep interior of Borneo, where they can visit the traditional Dayak settlements. These areas are rich in authentic cultural experiences, surrounded by dense rainforests that are home to a wide variety of wildlife. Additionally, the island's coastal regions, such as Derawan, offer breathtaking tropical beaches with palm trees and clear blue lagoons. Without visiting East Kalimantan, a traveler would not be able to fully experience the diverse tourism attractions of Kalimantan.
The forests of East Kalimantan are home to an impressive variety of rare plants and animals. Some of the unique flora include the black Orchid (Clogena pandurata), Nephents Amularia, and long Rattan vines that can grow up to 200 meters in length. These forests also contain many valuable species of tropical hardwood trees.
In terms of wildlife, East Kalimantan is home to several endemic animals found only in Borneo and Kalimantan.
These include wild orangutans, the critically endangered Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus), the proboscis monkey also known as bekantan (Nasalis larvatus), and the Mahakam River Irrawaddy dolphin, which is locally called 'pesut' (Orius fluminalis). There are also numerous types of waterfowl and jungle birds that add to the rich biodiversity of the region.
The animism cultural and artistic traditions of the islands indigenous Dayak population are still preserved in the hinterland region of East Kalimantan. Sailing with the tourist houseboat you can cruise up the streams of the Mahakam river to almost the Malaysian border of Borneo, to visit the Traditional Dayak settlements in the jungle, that seems to have been little touched by the advent of modernity.
Kutai National Park is located in Borneo island of the Indonesian East Kalimantan region, one of Indonesia's largest islands. This park is a rich and lively area teeming with a diverse range of wildlife. The park is situated deep within a dense rainforest, making it a natural home for many different animal species. Covering an area of 200,000 hectares, it provides a vital habitat for various creatures such as the proboscis monkey, orangutan, honey bear, deer, Kalimantan rhino, crocodile, and over 300 bird species including the hornbill and kingfisher.
Samarinda is the provincial capital of East Kalimantan province, which is planned to become the satellite city for the new Capital of Indonesia. The city is connected by a toll road with Balikpapan and the main Mahakam river infrastructure channel which mark the start for tourist trips to visit the Dayak settlements along the river banks in the deep interior of Borneo ‘s jungle.
Samarinda itself is worth a visit for tourist, with the second largest mosaic artful Mosque in Indonesia, scattered at the Mahakam River bank. The traditional Sarong hand weaving home industry famous of its high quality in Indonesia.
Balikpapan is the modern oil town, located at the sea coast of East Kalimantan, has developed several tourism attractions, as Samboja Lestari park, a rain forest rehabilitation center for Orangutans.
At KM22 a Sun-bear rehabilitation with botanic garden, not to forget Bukit Bankirai hard wooden forest, a jungle hill side with many diverse hard wooden species, and a Tree Top Tower bridge to enjoy the view over the top of Kalimantan ‘s emerald jungle.
The nearby Black River as the mangrove dark water peatland forest river system of the Balikpapan bay, where you can spot proboscis monkeys and various birds with a canoe sail journey through the mangrove forest
Berau, as the entry point for a tropical leisure escape of Borneo ‘s bounty islands Derawan Archipelago. The Derawan island with the nomadic Bajau tribe sea stilt sea houses, Kakaban Island with its fringe jelly fish lake, Sangalaki Island know of its turtle beach and huge manta ray, and Maratua island with its tropical white palm beaches and crystal clear blue lagoon sea scenery. Berau main land region has wide rain forest blocks with diverse flora and fauna as the largest wild orangutan population, and along the rivers many different Dayak tribal settlements can be found.