Kalimantan

The Indonesian part of Borneo, crisscrossed by rainforest and great rivers, where you can take a river boat to see wild orangutans, visit floating markets or dive in the Derawan Islands.

This region follows Indonesia's official geographic unit of Kalimantan, assigned by whole province: West, Central, South, East and North Kalimantan, which together make up the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo. Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia and Brunei, in the north of the island, are not part of this region. Indonesia's new capital, Nusantara, is also under construction in East Kalimantan.

Highlights: orangutans in Tanjung Puting National Park in Central Kalimantan, reached by traditional wooden boat (klotok) deep into the rainforest; the early-morning floating market and riverside homes of Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan; sea turtles, manta rays and the stingless jellyfish lake of the Derawan Islands in East Kalimantan; the Dayak longhouse culture of the Mahakam River basin; and the Equator Monument in Pontianak.

Classic itineraries: fly to Pangkalan Bun, then take a 3-day, 2-night river boat trip in Tanjung Puting; 1–2 days at the Banjarmasin floating market; the Derawan Islands via a connection in Balikpapan or Tarakan and then a speedboat, best with 4–5 days.

Getting there: provinces are far apart by land and roads are mediocre, so domestic flights are the main link. Jakarta and Surabaya have flights to Banjarmasin, Balikpapan, Pontianak and other cities, and the interior relies mostly on river transport.

Good to know: the rainforest is hot, humid and full of mosquitoes, so bring repellent and take malaria precautions. When watching orangutans, keep your distance and do not feed them. Flights may be delayed during the haze season.

Destinations

Itineraries