Discover the best attractions & things to do in Kalimantan, Indonesia
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anemptytextllineMore popularly known as Borneo, Kalimantan is Indonesia’s 73% share of the world’s third largest island. Just the name Borneo conjures up all sorts of images of early European explorers wearing safari suits and pith hats whilst plying jungle rivers in dugout canoes. Yet for a place with so...
anemptytextllineRecently nominated for UNESCO world heritage listing, the Sangkulirang-Mangkatihat Karst area in East Kalimantan is an extraordinary wonderland of towering karst nodules, caves and lakes. As word spreads, the region is bound to receive worldwide acclaim but until then only a privileged few will experience the wonders of the...
anemptytextllineEncompassing coastal mangrove swamps, several lowland lakes, a swathe of alluvial plains rolling into gentle hills then deep jungle, the Kutai National Park has an amazing array of flora and fauna. Originally designated a game reserve back in the 1970’s before gaining national park status, it didn’t prevent large...
anemptytextllineFrom its watershed in the Muller Mountains deep in the heart of Borneo, the Mahakam River flows 980km to Samarinda on the East Kalimantan coast where it disgorges into the Makassar Strait. Along its course, it is met by the Kedang Pahu River before diverging into a series of...
anemptytextllineLocated just off Berau in East Kalimantan out in the Malacca Strait, the Derawan-Sangalaki Archipelago is undoubtedly the pick of the bunch when it comes to beaches, islands and diving in Kalimantan. Comprising of 31 islands nestled within a 1.27 million hectare marine park, the archipelago is widely regarded...
anemptytextllineTanjung Puting National Park is arguably Kalimantan’s best known attraction and deservedly so. Even after years of travelling through SE Asia, it still ranks as my families favourite adventure. Tanjung Puting, or Camp Leakey to be specific, was where orangutan conservation started when a Canadian researcher Dr Biruté Galdikas set...
anemptytextllineNamed rather unfortunately after a mythical ghost of a woman who died during childbirth, Pontianak is the capital of West Kalimantan. In Indonesian animist beliefs, pontianaks disguise themselves as beautiful women and go around murdering unwary men, pregnant women and eating babies. Legend has it that when the first...
anemptytextllineSpilling into the South China Sea via a vast swampy delta just south of Pontianak, the 1,143km Kapuas River is Indonesia’s longest and one of the world’s longest island rivers. From its source in the Muller Mountains in the deep interior of Borneo, the Kapuas churns through dense mountainous...
anemptytextllineThe Muller Mountains sit almost smack bang in the middle of Borneo, straddling the provincial borders between West, Central and East Kalimantan. A relatively small range with a high point of only 1,700m, geographically the Muller’s aren’t particularly significant other than being the watershed for two of Borneo’s mightiest...
anemptytextllineThe Karimata Islands are a chain of small islands located off the West Kalimantan coast about 100km west of Ketapang or 160km south of Pontianak. Sitting squarely in the Karimata Strait, the wide strait that divides the islands of Sumatra and Borneo and connects the South China Sea to...
anemptytextllineDanau Sentarum National Park is located deep in the heart of Borneo, just inside Indonesia’s border with Malaysia, about 600km east of Pontianak. The park comprises of a series of interconnecting and seasonally flooded lakes fed by the Kapuas River, islands and vast tracts of freshwater swamp and peat...
anemptytextllineFirst impressions of Banjarmasin are mixed. From the air, it looks watery but not so unlike many other SE Asian cities. The faded Dutch colonial era buildings in the downtown area…interesting. The pumping central market and swarming becaks…curiosity rising. The ‘wow’ moment comes when you take to the water. This...- anemptytextllineAn absolute ‘must see’ when in Banjarmasin is the Lok Baintan floating market on the Martapura River. Held daily for over 500 years, this vibrant, colourful market is widely regarded as the most authentic of its kind in SE Asia and few who have seen it would argue.At sunrise...
anemptytextllineRather than heading straight back to town after your floating market experience, consider heading a little further downstream to Pulau Kembang (Monkey Island) and Pulau Kaget (Shock Island) located in the middle of the Barito River. Pulau Kembang actually translates as “Flower Island” but over the years it has become...
anemptytextllineAccording to historical records, Nagara was once the capital of the first kingdom of South Kalimantan and was renowned for its sword making artisans. These days, the town’s prominence has faded somewhat and it’s another of the town’s inhabitants that are finding fame – the swimming buffalo of Nagara. This...
anemptytextllineThe Meratus Mountain range rises just north of Banjarmasin and runs in a north-south arc that almost bisects the South Kalimantan province. To the east the mountain range extends almost to the coast forming a vast tract of lush tropical forests interspersed with karst mountains, narrow valleys and meandering...
anemptytextllineThe Muara Kuin floating market takes place between 5-9am every morning on a wide part of the Barito River by the Kuin Estuary, only 10-15min by boat from downtown Banjarmasin. Unlike its counterpart Lok Baintan, which is an informal gathering of villagers trading and bartering their own products to the...