East Kalimantan

A resource-rich province in eastern Borneo, where the Derawan Islands' turtles, manta rays and the stingless jellyfish lake are diving highlights.

East Kalimantan lies in eastern Borneo, with Samarinda as its capital, and has the Mahakam River and large tracts of tropical rainforest; Indonesia's new capital, Nusantara, is also being planned and built in this province. The tourism highlights are the Derawan Islands in Berau Regency in the north, where you can swim with turtles and manta rays, and the lake on Kakaban Island, home to jellyfish that don't sting. Upstream on the Mahakam you can visit Dayak villages. Sea conditions are best in the dry season, roughly April to October. The main gateway is Balikpapan Airport; to reach Derawan, connect by flight to Berau and then continue by road and boat.

Destinations

• Derawan Islands
• Samarinda
• Muara Muntai & Middle Mahakam Lakes

Itineraries

• Derawan Islands & Labuan Cermin Lake – Island hop with Derawan Island as your base, then head south to the two-layered lake and Sulaiman Bay, ending in Berau.
• Mahakam River & Mancong Longhouse Waterway – Travel up the Mahakam River from Samarinda, passing stilt water villages and crossing Lake Jempang to visit Dayak longh…