Local tribes traditionally live in communal longhouses called Lamin or Umaq Daru. They are built on wooden piles which can sometimes be as tall as 3 metres high as protection against wild animals and flooding. The Punan, however, are nomadic hunter-gatheres, who still move around the jungles and only use the longhouse at the height of the rainy season. Steeped in tradition, the interior of the longhouse is typically divided into separate family quarters with a communal area connecting each of the quarters and therefore each of the families. It is in these communal areas that village meetings are held and ceremonies performed, thereby reinforcing the strong tribal bonds that have kept the Dayaks alive in the face of rapidly advancing 20th century technology.
As a major producer of oil and timber, East Kalimantan is at present the most industrially advanced province of the island and the second largest province in Indonesia. It is also the home of the original inhabitants of Kalimantan, the Orang Gunung or Mountain People. The tribes are collectively called Dayak, although this name is not embraced by many tribes-people themselves, who prefer to be known by separate tribal names such as Iban, Punan and Banuaq.
Guardian statues are normally placed in front of longhouses to protect them against evil spirits who bring disease and bad fortune. Such longhouses, however, are steadyly disappearing and many that remain have been converted into meeting halls or stages for dance and music performances. The more remote and traditional tribes-people have pierced earlobes, which over the years have become stretched by the weight of heavy gold or brass rings, and beautifully elaborate tattoes. Local jewellery and designs are intricate and powerful, often giving messages to be passed down from generation to generation.
The most common starting points for many journeys and adventures inland are Balikpapan and Samarinda, the provincial capital, because of regular flight services to Jakarta. Traveling along the extensive Mahakam river system, which has carved its way through the jungles and flatlands constantly reshaping and nourishing the land, is a fascinating adventure. River boats slide unobtrusively through heavily siltladen waters where plants and animals feed and drink along these nourishing shores, wild orchids drip off trees; Bekantans (Proboscis monkeys), orangutans, crocodiles, clouded leopards, crab eating macaques, giant butterflies and the legendary hornbill all live here.
A 5,000 acre Orchid Reservation close to the village of Kersil Luwai cultivates 27 different species of orchid including the very rare Cologenia Pandurata or black orchid.
PLACE OF INTEREST
Samarinda
Samarinda is known for its fine sarong cloth. The city shows some signs of being the capital of a prosperous province. New government office and public utilities are rising everywhere. Samarinda has a number of modest but comfortable hotels.
Balikpapan
Balikpapan, the center of Kalimantan’s oil industry is also the gateway to East Kalimantan with air and sea connections to Jakarta and other major points in Indonesia. Even the trip to Samarinda, begins in Balikpapan. In accordance with its importance, Balikpapan has a number of good hotels, including one of international standard, as well as recreation facilities. It has the second busiest airport in the nation after Jakarta.
Berau and Marine Tourism on Derawan island
Found here are the remains of a king called the Keraton Gunung Tambur and The Keraton Sambaliung. Historic objects can be seen here. Derawan island is i 3 hours by a long boat from Tanjung Redep (The Capital of Berau Regency) or via Tarakan. There are many rare animals such as the green turtle, the scarlet turtle, star fruit turtle and sea cow. Other things are rare species of marine plants, coral reefs, iguanas, sea birds, crab and the location for a pearl diving. It is also good for scuba diving, fishing, swimming, and other water sports.
Bontang
Located in the regency of Kutai with an area of i 200.000 ha, Bontang has a rare flora and fauna. The Kutai National Park near Bontang is north visiting to see sceneries especially those at Beras Basah.
Bulungan
It is one place for the adventure-seeking visitors. Things of historic value and ancient remains, art collections and traditional ceremonies, with a background of beautiful panoramas of the jungle and mountains are to be found here.
Tanah Merah Indah - Lempake
This is recreational park called Tanah Merah Indah- Lempake with a waterfall, located ± 16 km from downtown Samarinda. It can be reached by car or public transportation
Tenggarong
Tenggarong, up the Mahakam river from Samarinda, is the capital of the Kutai regency and was once the seat of the Kutai sultanate. The Sultan’s palace at the riverside is now a museum where the old royal paraphernalia are kept, as well as an excellent collection Of Dayak Woman antique Chinese ceramics.
Dayak statues can be admired in the yard. A curious thing about the royal paraphernalia is that they display a strong resemblance with Java’s court traditions.
Every 24th of September, the former palace becomes a stage of dance and music performances given to celebrate the town’s anniversary.
Tanjung Isuy
This isle settlement around Lake Jempang in the lake studded East Kalimantan hinterland, has a traditional Dayak longhouse which has been turned into lodges for visitors. The grave of a Benuaq Dayak chief lies aside the hamlet’s only road. Visitors are usually given a traditional Benuaq Dayak welcome. The trip to Tanjung Isuy over the Mahakam river is a long but interesting one past floating villages and forest scenery.
If you are lucky, you can watch a belian, or witch doctor, dressed in his skirt of leaves, cures his patients at night by performing the rites prescribed by ancestors to the frenzied accompaniment of gongs and drums. Many Benuaq Dayaks still prefer the old cures to the modern ones at government public health centers which are nearby.
Melak - Kersik luway
Melak is a little village further ustream on the Mahakam river in the heart of the land of Tanjung Dayak. Not far from the village is the Kersik Luway nature reserve, where the “Black Orchid grows.
Muara Ancalong - Muara Wahau
Dances of the Kenyah Dayak are often performed here for visitors at a traditional longhouse. Also various handicrafts can be seen and purchased.
Source : www.kbri-bangkok.com
February 8th, 2007
You may not believe this after you have been there only one day or two days or, but after the third or forth day something happens. You are captivated completely by the purity of the air, the openness of the night sky with the most remarkable view of the Milky Way, the magnificence and dignity of the gentle orangutans, the thundering downpours that instantly cool the air, and the clarity of the brilliant crimson sunsets.
Tanjung Puting is the largest and most diverse protected example of extensive coastal tropical heath and peat swamp forest which used to cover much of southern Borneo . The area was originally declared as a game reserve in 1935 and a National Park in 1982. While the Park has checkered history of weak protection, nonetheless, it remains substantially wild and natural.
Tanjung Puting is covered by a complex mosaic of diverse lowland habitats. It contains 3,040 sq km2 of low lying swampy terrain punctuated by blackwater rivers which flow into the Java Sea . At the mouth of these rivers and along the sea coast are found Nipa/mangrove swamps. Mangroves teem with animal life. Tanjung Puting also includes tall dry ground tropical rain forest, primarily tropical heath forest, with a canopy of 40 meters (120 feet) with “emergents” exceeding 50
meters (150 ft) in height, seasonally inundated peat swamp forest with peat in layers two meters deep, open depression lakes formed by fire, and open areas of abandoned dry rice fields now covered with elephant grass and ferns. The tropical heath forest which is called “kerangas” in parts of Borneo , is only found on very poor, typically white-sandy soils and is characterized by medium-sized trees.
The best known animals in Tanjung Puting are the orangutans, made famous through the efforts of Orangutan Research and Conservation Program, which is based at the landmark Camp Leakey research station. Tanjung Puting also boasts the bizarre looking proboscis monkey with its “Jimmy Durante” nose as well as seven other primate species. Clouded leopards, civets, and Malaysian sun bears cavort in the park as do mouse deer, barking deer, sambar deer, and the wild cattle known as banteng.
Tanjung Puting hosts over 220 species of birds, including hornbills, deep forest birds and many wetland species. Tanjung Puting is well known for its “bird lakes, ” seasonal rookeries for a half a dozen species of endangered waterbirds, including the only known Bornean nesting grounds for white egrets. Tanjung Puting also has two species of crocodiles, dozens of snakes and frogs, numerous threatened species, including the fortune-bringing and highly endangered “dragon” fish also known as the Arwana (bony-tongue). Among the most flamboyant of these animals are the many species of colorful birds,butterflies, and moths found in the Park.
Tanjung Puting sits on a peninsula that juts out into the Java Sea . The peninsula is low lying and swampy with a spine of dry ground which rises a few feet above the omnipresent swamp. Towards the north of Tanjung Puting is characterized by gentle hills and gold- bearing alluvial plains. Maps of the region commonly portray a ridge of mountains coming down into Tanjung Puting. This ridge does not exist, in fact, nowhere does the altitude rise above 100 feet in Tanjung Puting.
Tanjung Puting is a veritable hothouse of ecodiversity. The diverse habitat zones shelter slightly different fauna and flora providing a great variety of microhabitats for plants and animals and thus, the opportunity for many species to be present in close proximity. In a Bornean context, tropical heath forest by itself is not representative of the largest trees, the tallest canopy, or the most diverse ecosystem.Tropical swamp ecosystems are little represented in protected areas throughout Southeast Asia but are omnipresent in Tanjung Puting. In the peat swamp forest, many trees have stilt roots or aerial roots as adaptations to frequent flooding.
Aside from its remarkable biological attributes, Tanjung Puting is highly important for the well-being of the surrounding local human population. The wetlands provide vital ecological services such as flood control, stream control regulation, erosion control, natural biological filtration system, and seasonal nurseries for fish which are the major source of local animal protein. Many of these services have an impact well beyond the local area.
For instance, the waters surrounding Tanjung Puting attract fishing vessels from many different parts of Indonesia . In addition, local peoplebenefit from a great variety of forest products including honey, waxes, aromatic woods, fibers for ropes and cloth, medicinal plants, fuel oils, thatching materials, rattan, firewood, incense, wild rubber, edible latexes, resins, natural pesticides, fungicides and possible virocides.
For the above reasons and many other reasons not noted, Tanjung Puting is recognized as one of the most important and outstanding provincial treasures in Kalimantan Tengah. The national government has also made a strong commitment to protect the forest, its wildlife and to manage the park wisely. Tanjung Puting has increasingly gained international prestige and recognition. As a result, more and more visitors from throughout the world are experiencing a fresh new outlook on nature and an appreciation of the tropical rain forest which was humankind’s original “Garden of Eden.”
The following global information about The Park
Excerpts from A Guidebook to Tanjung Puting National Park , Kalimantan Tengah ( Central Borneo ), Indonesia , by Dr. Biruté M.F. Galdikas and Dr. Gary L. Shapiro, published by PT Gramedia Putaka Utama and the Orangutan Foundation International, 1994. © All Rights Reserved. The book is currently out of print and unavailable.
Area: 3,040 sq km- the largest single protected forest in the province of Kalimantan . It is one of the largest protected area of tropical heath forest and peat swamp forest in Southeast Asia .
Altitude: 0 - 30 meters (0-90 feet)
Temperature: range: 16-35°C (62-95°F); average daytime temperature: 30°C (85°F); average night time temperature [dry season: 26°C (77°F); wet season: 27°C (80°F)]. Rarely falls below 21° C (69°F).
Humidity: average Daily Range: 80-100%
Rainfall: average 2,000-3,000 mm/year
Rainy Season Time of Year: October-April
“Dry” Season: May-September (even during the “dry” season months, some rain usually falls)
Trees: more than 600 species
Orchids: over 200 known species (the most beautiful orchids are often hidden in the canopy of the forest)
Birds: over 220 known species with 5 endemic to Borneo (many more species endemic to the Sunda Islands).
Primates: 9 species including one great ape, the orangutan; one lesser ape, the gibbon; five monkeys, one slow loris and one tarsier.
Mammals: 28 species of large mammals including bears, cats, pigs, and deer. A number of bats are found in the area including the famous “flying foxes.”
Tanjung Puting is distinguished by the following:
- blackwater rivers with high acidity (pH 4.0 or less)
- pockets of alluvial gold dust
- major populations of wild orangutans, gibbons, dolphins and dugongs (manatee-like animals that served as the source-material of mermaid stories) in Kumai Bay
- major populations of refuging monkeys, proboscis monkeys and macaques which come to the river to sleep in the trees at night
- large populations of hornbills, primarily including the rhinoceros, pied and black hornbills which are the most commonly seen
- rookeries containing thousands of breeding wetland birds including darters, night herons, white egrets, and lesser adjutant storks
- only known populations of wood ducks in Kalimantan
- major populations of pheasants including the Argus, black, and the crested and crestless fireback pheasants major populations of birds of prey including the crested serpent eagle, Brahminy kites, and falconettes
- major populations of the endangered Dragonfish or Arwana, a “living fossil” which supposedly brings good luck to its owners
Source www.orangutan.org
February 8th, 2007