INDONESIA ADVENTURE
SAMBOJA AND MAHAKAM RIVER
7 days – 6 nights
Start: Balikpapan (East Kalimantan)
End: Balikpapan (East Kalimantan)
Day 01: BALIKAPAPAN – SAMBOJA
Upon arrival at Sepinggan Airport, Balikpapan, our guide will welcome you then direct transfer to Samboja. Balikpapan is a seaport city on the eastern coast of the island of Borneo, in the East Kalimantan province. The population is a mixture of people from the Indonesian archipelago with Dayaks and Kutai as indigenous ethnic groups living in rural areas. East Kalimantan has Borneo’s richest and most diverse natural resources, its oil, coal, timber fuel coastal development. Samboja is a small village, located about 35 km north of Balikpapan, it is base of The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation. Orangutan Reintroduction Program here was established to protect Bornean orangutans and support the research and education activities. Orangutan is the only member of the world's great apes family in Asia. There are two species of orangutans, the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) distributed over Sumatera Island and the Borneaen orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) distributed in Kalimantan Island (Borneo).
Meals included: dinner
Day 02: SAMBOJA
In the morning you will enjoy the tour in the rehabilitation centre. It is the place where the handed over or rescued orangutans can undergo quarantine and rehabilitation processes and then they can be released back to their natural habitat. Some orangutans live on man-made islands, a special class of chronically ill, blind or severely disabled orangutans and that are not release candidates. In Samboja you can find also Sun Bear Sanctuary, brought in from all over Indonesia, confiscated from the trade or from people who kept them as a status symbol or handed over by people voluntarily. Afterwards you will drive to Bukit Bangkirai forest and conservation parkland for short trekking and unique experience of walking through canopy bridge. Later drive to Black River area for boat tour to observe proboscis monkeys. The proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) or long-nosed monkey, is a reddish-brown arboreal Old World monkey that is endemic to the island of Borneo. The monkey also goes by the Malay name monyet belanda ("Dutch monkey") as Indonesians remarked that the Dutch colonisers often had a similarly large belly and nose.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 03: SAMBOJA – TENGGARONG – MAHAKAM RIVER
In the morning you will depart to Tenggarong, the point of departure for inland boat travel on the Mahakam River. The Mahakam River – the largest river in East Kalimantan, approx 920 km-long – and its tributaries reach far inland in East Kalimantan, providing access to relatively remote Dayak villages. There are many lakes spread in the Mahakam area including the three main lakes: Jempang, Semayang and Melintang. The Dayak are a people indigenous to Borneo. There are over 200 ethnic subgroups, located principally in the interior of Borneo, each with its own dialect, customs, laws, territory and culture, though common individual traits are readily identifiable.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 04: MAHAKAM RIVER – TANJUNG ISUY
In the morning you will arrive at Muara Muntai. Built on mud flats, it is a lively market village in the heart of Mahakam lake country, with boardwalks for streets and many wooden buildings. After short village sightseeing you will continue your trip by motor canoe passing wetlands, shallow lakes, villages built on a flooded mud flat. In Mancong village you will see rebuild longhouse that gives an idea of past grandeur, the building now is reserved for folk dances and ceremonies. Longhouses are the traditional communal houses of the local people, one building may accommodate as many as 100 families. The chief area of a longhouse is the common veranda, which serves as a social area. Next you will continue to Tanjung Isuy, village located on the shore of Jempang Lake where you can observe local village life.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 05: TANJUNG ISUY – MAHAKAM RIVER
You will back to Muara Muntai by motor canoe. You will continue cruise to Lekaq Kidau.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 06: MAHAKAM RIVER – TENGGARONG – BALIKPAPAN
Continue cruise to Tenggarong, the former capital of the Kutai sultanate. You will visit Mulawarman Museum, which is located on the site of the old palace, and honours the Kutai sultanate that ruled for 19 generations. You can see royal remnants, including puppet theatre with gamelan, royal porcelain, historical statues and antiquities. You will visit also Wood Museum to see collection of wood found in Kutai Kartanegara regency. Afterwards you will drive back to Balikpapan.
Meals included: breakfast and lunch
Day 07: BALIKPAPAN
You will have free time until transfer to the airport for the flight to the next destination.
Meals included: breakfast