East & North Kalimantan
East Kalimantan (Kal Timur) holds many of those exotic notions you’ve been harbouring about Borneo: riding the kapal biasa (public boat) up the Sungai Mahakam in search of the heart of Borneo, diving with manta rays and whale sharks off the Derawan Archipelago and getting lost in Dayak culture and thick jungle around Merabu or Kutai National Park. But this region also has two of Kalimantan’s biggest cities in Balikpapan and Samarinda, where nightlife, karaoke, shopping malls and the various trappings of modern life come into play.
North Kalimantan is more remote again and little visited, except by travellers making the crossing to or from Sabah in Malaysian Borneo. Note that East Kalimantan is on Central Indonesian Standard Time, one hour ahead of Jakarta and West Kalimantan.
Balikpapan
% 0542 / Pop 701,000
Although not as populous as the capital Samarinda, Balikpapan is Kalimantan’s only truly cosmopolitan metropolis thanks to a long history of oil money and foreign workers, and that makes it worth a look in its own right. It’s still seen largely as a stepping stone to Samarinda, Derawan or Banjarmasin, but a night in Balikpapan’s club scene will give you a whole new perspective on Borneo.
1Sights
Kemala BeachBEACH
(Jl Sudirman)
A cleanish beach lined with a few cafes and restaurants, and a laid-back vibe. If you need a break from the jungle (urban or natural), this is your best local option. Although it gets hot at midday, you probably won’t want to swim in the polluted waters with oil tankers sitting offshore.
Masjid Agung At-TaqwaMOSQUE
(map Google map; Jl Sudirman) 
F
An impressive sight, this mosque is adorned with a complex sheath of Islamic geometrical patterns, and is lit up in multicoloured splendour at night.
TTours
Rimba Borneo KalimantanTOURS
(%0542-738569, 0812 5331 2333; www.borneokalimantan.com; Jl Mayjend Sutoyo 33A)
Pak Rusdy has been guiding throughout the island for 20 years and knows the land well.
4Sleeping
Balikpapan is not a budget city but strong competition among midrange hotels means you can get some excellent deals, particularly online. This is a place to splurge a little.
oMy HomeGUESTHOUSE$
(%0542-720 3999; www.myhomeguesthouse.com; Jl Sudirman; s/d 220,000/250,000Rp; 
a
W)
Billing itself as a boutique guesthouse, this newish place in a superb location near the Ruko Bandar restaurant strip is hard to beat. Rooms – like the guesthouse itself – are compact but stylish and well equipped with cable TV, spring mattresses, air-con and hot-water showers. Excellent value.
Hotel Gajah MadaHOTEL$
(map Google map; %0542-734634; Jl Sudirman 328; s/d 185,000/205,000Rp, with air-con from 270,000/290,000Rp, all incl breakfast; aW)
Sneaking into the budget category thanks to its good-value fan rooms, Gajah Mada is a dated but popular and very central cheapie right in the thick of the action near Balikpapan Plaza. A breezy rear deck overlooks the ocean and a tatty beach.
Wisma Polda KaltimHOTEL$
(%0542-421260, 0812 5490 2392; Jl Sudirman 6; r 200,000-320,000Rp; a)
The main reason to stay in this former police residence (the top cop now lives next door) is the location backing onto Kemala Beach. The 12 motel-style rooms are reasonable value for Balikpapan, but don’t come expecting luxury (there is no hot water). It can feel a little forlorn and quiet when there are no other guests around.
Ibis HotelHOTEL$$
(map Google map; %0542-820821; www.ibishotels.com; Jl Suparjan 2; r incl breakfast 440,000Rp; a
iW
s)
One of Balikpapan’s great bargains when you consider that you can use the considerable amenities (pool, gym) of the adjoining five-star Novotel. The cosy, design-conscious rooms are all the same: stylish and sophisticated, with funky space-station bathrooms. The buffet breakfast may cost extra if you book the lowest rate online.
Hotel PacificHOTEL$$
(map Google map; %0823 5225 8599, 0542-750888; www.hotelpacificbalikpapan.co.id; Jl Ahmad Yani 33; d incl breakfast 365,000-550,000Rp, ste from 750,000Rp; aW)
An excellent, classic old-world Asian hotel with very accommodating staff and a convenient location for dining options. The wooden floor and dark trim are dated, but manage to be warming and plush rather than foreboding. Spotless bathrooms all come with bathtubs.
Novotel BalikpapanHOTEL$$
(map Google map; %0542-820820; https://novotel.accorhotels.com; Jl Suparjan 2; r incl breakfast 700,000-860,000Rp; aWs)
A family-friendly hotel, with an uber-modern interior and all amenities, including a patisserie, cafe, gym and 2nd-floor outdoor pool. Online rates keep this in the midrange price with top-end service and facilities.
oHotel Gran SenyiurHOTEL$$$
(map Google map; %0542-820211; http://senyiurhotels.com; Jl ARS Muhammad 7; r incl breakfast US$120-148, ste from US$155; aWs)
Unique in Kalimantan, this luxury hotel proves to the younger generic business hotels that experience and wisdom count. Fine woodwork warms spaces throughout, and rooms are priced well for their five-star status. The world-class rooftop Sky Bar is worth a visit even if you’re not staying.
5Eating
Balikpapan has an excellent range of restaurants by Kalimantan city standards. For the best outlook head to the waterfront Ruko Bandar (map Google map; Jl Sudirman) complex or Kemala Beach. In the evening a string of coto Makassar (traditional Sulawesi soup) stalls sets up on the waterfront just west of Ruko Bandar.
oWarung Soto Kuin AbduhINDONESIAN$
(map Google map; Jl Ahmad Yani; soto Banjar 16,000Rp; 
h11am-11pm)
Soto Banjar (chicken soup seasoned with a delicate blend of spices, including cinnamon) is naturally the dish of choice at this popular little warung, but you can also try sate chicken and nasi sop (soup with rice). You may have to wait for a seat or share a table.
Holland BakeryBAKERY$
(map Google map; www.hollandbakery.co.id; baked goods from 8000Rp; h7am-11pm)
It’s hard to miss this landmark corner bakery with the neon windmill on the roof. Excellent fresh bread, pastries and cakes.
BondyINTERNATIONAL$$
(map Google map; %0542-423646; Jl Ahmad Yani 1; mains 25,000-145,000Rp; h10am-9pm)
Dine among sculpted bonsai trees and thriving flowers in a tranquil tiered courtyard at this eclectic eatery in the heart of the city. Popular with locals and expats, partly for its Western delights (burgers and hot dogs, Aussie steaks from 100,000Rp) but mostly for its extensive homemade ice-cream menu (banana split 35,000Rp).
JimbaranBALINESE$$
(Dapur Bali; %0542-419111; Jl Sudirman, Kemala Beach; mains 20,000-75,000Rp; h10am-11pm)
Billowing white curtains and a great beachfront location beckon you to this open-air Balinese-style restaurant. Locals swear by the ayam taliwang, a fried-grilled chicken from Lombok, but like other places on Kemala Beach it’s overpriced and not that high on quality. Come for the atmosphere: cold beer and live music three times a week.
oOcean’s RestoSEAFOOD$$$
(map Google map; %0542-739439; Ruko Bandar; mains 60,000-300,000Rp; h10am-2am; W)
An entire reef’s worth of fresh fish and crustaceans (the menu is a book in itself), along with steaks, burgers, pizzas and Indonesian dishes, all served in a fine open-air waterfront space. Ocean’s anchors a row of cafes along the waterfront, and is (deservedly) the most popular. If the dining area is full, pull up a stool at the bar.
Open HouseINTERNATIONAL$$$
(%0542-744823; Jl Puncak Markoni Atas 88; mains 75,000-300,000Rp; h11am-11pm)
Balikpapan’s most romantic place to blow your last rupiah on a date is defined by architecturally dizzying spaces atop a prominent hill. Reserve your puncak (summit) table for two at the top of the spiral staircase. The above-average food blends Mediterranean, international and Indian menus, from Australian lamb chops to chicken biryani; bring your own wine.
WORTH A TRIP
ATTRACTIONS AROUND BALIKPAPAN
Some interesting wildlife and conservation attractions are an easy day trip from Balikpapan, or can be visited on the trip between Balikpapan and Samarinda.
Samboja Lestari (%0821 4941 8353; www.orangutan.or.id; Jl Balikpapan-Handil Km44; adult/child 500,000/250,000Rp; hguided tours 8am-noon & 1-5pm) Samboja Lestari houses more than 150 orang-utans on a series of islands, along with a separate sun bear sanctuary. Half-day morning and afternoon tours include lunch or dinner (reserve ahead) and show off the centre’s residents and accomplishments. For a more immersive experience, stay overnight at the stunning eco lodge. Samboja Lestari is part of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (%0811 5200 0366; www.orangutan.or.id; Jl Cilik Riwut Km28, Nyaru Menteng Arboretum; admission by donation; h9am-3pm Sat & Sun).
KWPLH Sun Bear Conservation Center (%0542-710 8304; www.beruangmadu.org; Jl Soekarno-Hatta Km23; h8am-5pm, feedings 9am & 3pm) This informative sun bear conservation centre is surprisingly straight to the point about the heartbreaking plight of all of Kalimantan’s animals. Seven resident bears reside in the 1.3-hectare walled enclosure; walk the outer boardwalk or wait until feeding time when you can observe them near the clinic. Take angkot 8 to the large gate at Km23 (7000Rp), then walk or hitch 1.7km south. A taxi from Balikpapan should cost around 200,000Rp, including waiting time.
Bukit Bangkirai (%0542-736066; canopy bridge 75,000Rp; hsunrise-sunset) Standing 30m up on the canopy bridge among old-growth dipterocarp trees offers an impressive view and an adrenaline shot, but it’s hard not to feel sad about the countless other trees no longer standing nearby – clear-cut by the very company preserving these relics. Take angkot 8 to Km38 (15,000Rp), then an ojek 20km west.
Sungai Wain Protection Forest (%0812 580 6329; agusdin_wain@yahoo.co.id; guides 100,000Rp; h6am-6pm) In the mid-’90s, 82 orang-utans were released in this protected primary lowland forest, but fires and illegal logging have taken their toll. Get a 6am start to maximise wildlife viewing. Guides (compulsory) can be arranged at the park entrance. Take angkot 8 to Km15 (6000Rp), and an ojek 6km west.
Samboja Lodge (%0821 5133 3773; www.sambojalodge.com; Balikpapan-Handil Km44; r/ste incl breakfast 1,550,000/2,225,000Rp; aW) This stunning jungle lodge at the Samboja Lestari orang-utan reserve offers an immersive experience. The lodge is designed and built using local material and with eco principles, mod cons and large windows for jungle viewing. Rates include guided tours and transport.
6Drinking & Nightlife
Balikpapan’s expat community has fuelled a more relaxed attitude towards alcohol and nightlife than is found in other parts of Kalimantan. Upper-end hotels have bars and nightclubs serving wine and spirits. To get the pulse of the local scene, the waterfront Ruko Bandar complex should be your first stop.
RPM BarBAR
(map Google map; %0857 6478 0888; h4pm-2am)
Our favourite Ruko Bandar music bar, intimate RPM (Retro People of Music) has live music most nights on the ground-floor stage and DJs on the 3rd floor. It’s a fine place to sit with a drink and mix with a young local crowd.
Seventh StreetIRISH PUB
(%0821 5496 8203; Jl J Sudirman 7, Aston Balikpapan; h5pm-1am Mon-Sat)
We’re pretty sure this is Kalimantan’s only Irish pub and it works hard at authenticity with snug booths, pool tables and beer taps – no Guinness on tap though (bottles only). Mingle with locals and expats, down a Jagermeister shot and listen to live music in a space that will soon make you forget you’re in Borneo.
Sky BarROOFTOP BAR
(map Google map; Hotel Gran Senyiur, Jl ARS Muhammad; hnoon-midnight)
Take the elevator to the 8th floor of the Hotel Gran Senyiur for awesome rooftop views from the Sky Bar. Drink prices aren’t completely stratospheric (until they add the taxes) and there’s a sophisticated grill restaurant.
7Shopping
Pasar Kebun SayurGIFTS & SOUVENIRS
(h9am-6pm)
An eclectic market for local handicrafts, gemstones and souvenirs. North of the city centre on yellow angkot 5.
Balikpapan PlazaMALL
(map Google map; http://plaza-balikpapan.com; cnr Jls Sudirman & Ahmad Yani; h9am-10pm)
Balikpapan Plaza shopping mall anchors the town centre with a Hypermart, Time Zone and food court.
8Information
IMMIGRATION
Kantorimigrasi Kelas (%0542-443186; http://balikpapan.imigrasi.go.id; Jl Mulawarman 94, Sepinggan)
TRAVEL AGENCIES
Aero Travel (map Google map; %0542-443350; Jl Ahmad Yani 19) Airline tickets.
New Sedayu Wisata (map Google map; NSW; %0542-420601; Jl Sudirman 2B) Best source for all things ferry.
Totogasono Tours & Travel (map Google map; %0542-421539; www.totogasono.com; Jl Ahmad Yani 40; h8am-5pm Mon-Sat) Efficient English-speaking agent for airline bookings. Has contracts with Rimba Borneo Kalimantan for trips up the Mahakam and beyond.
8Getting There & Away
AIR
Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Airport (%0542-757 7000; Jl Marsma Iswahyudi) is 9km east of the city centre. Airlines with offices in Balikpapan include the following:
Citilink (%0542-764362; airport)
Garuda (%0542-766844; airport)
Lion Air (%0542-703 3761; airport)
SilkAir (%0542-730800; Jl Sudirman 37, BRI Tower 6th fl; h9am-4pm Mon-Fri, to 3pm Sat)
Sriwijaya Air (%0542-749777; www.sriwijayaair.co.id; airport)
FLIGHTS FROM BALIKPAPAN
| DESTINATION | COMPANY | DURATION | FREQUENCY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banjarmasin | Garuda, Lion Air, Wings Air, Sriwijaya Air | 50min | 6 daily |
| Berau | Garuda, Sriwijaya Air, Wings Air | 50min | 8 daily |
| Denpasar | Citilink | 1½hr | Mon, Fri, Sun |
| Jakarta | Cililink, Garuda, Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air, Batik Air | 2hr | 18 daily |
| Makassar | Citilink, Garuda, Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air | 1¼hr | 7 daily |
| Singapore | SilkAir | 2¼hr | Mon, Wed, Fri |
| Surabaya | Citilink, Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air | 1½hr | 15 daily |
| Tarakan | Garuda, Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air, Batik Air | 1hr | 6 daily |
| Yogyakarta | Citilink, Garuda, Lion Air | 1¾hr | 6 daily |
BOAT
Semayang Harbour, at the entrance to the gulf, is the main cargo and passenger port. Ferry operators:
Dharma Lautan Utama (%0542-442222; Jl Soekarno-Hatta, Km0.5)
Jembatan Nusantara (%0542-428888; Jl Sudirman 138; h8am-8pm)
Pelni (%0542-422110; www.pelni.co.id; Jl Yos Sudarso, near Pelabuhan Semayang)
Services include Makassar (213,000Rp, 24 hours), Pare Pare (197,000Rp, 18 hours), Surabaya (424,000Rp, 40 hours) and Tarakan-Nunukan (278,000Rp, 12 hours, three weekly).
BUS
Local buses to Samarinda (35,000Rp, three hours, departing every 15 minutes 5.30am to 8pm) and minibuses to other points north leave from Batu Ampar Terminal on angkot route 3 (light blue).
Kangaroo Premier (map Google map; %0812 555 1199; http://kangaroo.id; Jl Ahmad Yani 34, Hotel Budiman Balikpapan; h5am-11pm) Comfortable air-con minibuses depart every 10 minutes between Balikpapan (airport and Hotel Budiman) and Samarinda.
Pulau Indah Jaya (%0542-423688; www.pulauindahjaya.com; Jl Soekarno-Hatta, Km2.5 No 58) The best of several companies for Banjarmasin (150,000Rp to 205,000Rp, 15 hours, eight times daily noon to 8pm).
8Getting Around
Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Airport is 9km east of the city centre. A taxi to the city centre costs 70,000Rp. Alternatively, walk 150m to the road and hail a green-and-white angkot 7 heading west (5000Rp). From Batu Ampar bus terminal take blue angkot 6.
City angkot run regular routes converging at Balikpapan Plaza, and charge 5000Rp a ride. Useful routes include blue 6 north to Batu Ampar, blue 3 west to the port and green 7 to the airport.
Gojek and Grab ride services operate in Balikpapan.
Samarinda
%0541 / Pop 843,000
With its position at the end of the mighty Sungai Mahakam, Samarinda feels like it should be exotic. But other than the spectacular new Islamic Center, Kalimantan’s most impressive mosque, the city lacks much in the way of genuine charm. Sprawling on both sides of the river – though the city centre is a relatively compact area of the north bank – Samarinda’s land has been opened for coal mining, resulting in numerous health and environmental effects, and causing hotels to advertise their ‘flood-free event halls’. Meanwhile, a proliferation of monster malls has been gutting the city centre, leaving some streets eerily vacant; take a taxi after dark.
Samarinda has a decent range of accommodation and services, so most travellers spend a day or two here preparing for their river adventure or jungle treks to the north.
1Sights
oIslamic CenterMOSQUE
(Masjid Baitul Muttaqien; Jl Slamet Riyadi; mosque/tower free/10,000Rp; htower 10am-noon & 1.30-5.30pm)
The western skyline of Samarinda is dominated by this must-see complex containing an ornate and colourful mosque with adjacent observation tower. The latter is the highest point in the city, offering panoramic views up and down a great bend in the Mahakam. The muezzin’s sunset call is a captivating moment.
TTours
De’Gigant ToursTREKKING
(%0812 584 6578; www.borneotourgigant.com; Jl Martadinata Raudah 21)
De’Gigant specialises in trips in East Kalimantan, including houseboat tours up the Sungai Mahakam, and has safely shepherded dozens of clients through the renowned Cross-Borneo Trek, which is a 17-day tour.
SuryadiTOURS
(%0816 459 8263)
Even after guiding for almost 30 years, wise Pak Suryadi is probably still in better shape than you are. Speaks German as well as English.
AbdullahTOURS
(%0821 5772 0171, 0813 4727 2817; doe1L@yahoo.com)
Friendly, resourceful and realistic, Abdullah speaks excellent English and understands backpackers. Also a Dayak antiques agent.
4Sleeping
oKost SamarindaHOTEL$
(map Google map; Samarinda Guesthouse; %0541-734337; www.kostsamarinda.com; Jl Pangeran Hidayatullah, Gang Batu 6; s/d 100,000/120,000Rp; aW)
You can’t beat the price at this excessively accommodating family guesthouse: a clean, cheap, friendly, no-frills place strategically located close to the central action. Rooms share three clean common bathrooms with cold-water shower. The icing on the cake, if you’re comfortable in Samarinda traffic: motorbikes for rent (50,000Rp per day). It’s down a small lane signposted off Jl Pangeran Hidayatullah.
Akasia 8 GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$
(map Google map; %0541-701 9590; Jl Yos Sudarso 34; s/d incl breakfast 145,000/180,000Rp, d with shared bathroom 160,000Rp)
The overly small mandi (bathroom) at this clean and bare dockside losmen will torment your inner claustrophobe; spring for the en-suite option to buy some wiggle room. Handy riverfront location.
oAston SamarindaHOTEL$$
(map Google map; %0541-732600; www.astonsamarinda.com; Jl Pangeran Hidayatullah; r/ste incl breakfast from 700,000/850,000Rp; aWs)
Samarinda’s best city-centre hotel is where you come for pampered luxury. The colonnaded pool with its two-storey waterfall may be ostentatious, but the rooms have just the right amount of style and comfort. Some superiors have grand river views, while others have no windows but extra space. Fine dining, superb buffet breakfast and an in-house spa round out the scene nicely.
Horison SamarindaHOTEL$$
(map Google map; %0541-727 2900; www.myhorison.com; Jl Imam Bonjol 9; r/ste incl breakfast 560,000/990,000Rp; aWs)
This chain hotel adds a touch of class to the otherwise standard business-hotel market. The fresh rooms all have work desks, flat-screen TVs and bone-chilling central air-con. The top-floor indoor pool has expansive views, while the bottom-floor lobby has batik demonstrations.
5Eating & Drinking
Rumah Makan AmadoINDONESIAN$
(map Google map; %0813 5166 1119; Jl Pangeran Hidayatullah; mains 15,000-25,000Rp; h8am-11pm)
Widely regarded as serving the best soto Banjar in town, Amado is always busy. Cheap, cheerful and speedy service.
oWaroeng Sambel JogjaINDONESIAN$$
(%0541-743913; Jl Gajah Mada 1; mains 22,000-75,000Rp; h10am-11pm)
Serving eight very different varieties of sambal (salsa) designed to knock your socks off, this large complex opposite the riverfront is packed on weekends. The house speciality, the oniony sambel bawang Jogja, and the sambel tempe are worth the trip.
Hary CrabSEAFOOD$$
(Jl Pahlawan 41; crab 80,000Rp; h6-10pm)
A unique local institution, these streetside outdoor benches set up in the evening and are generally packed with people who believe dinner should be a fully immersive affair. Wear your bib and check prices, which are generally by weight, in advance.
Sari Pacific RestaurantINTERNATIONAL$$
(map Google map; Jl Panglima Batur; mains 35,000-135,000Rp; h9am-10pm)
Features a selection of New Zealand steaks (from 110,000Rp) as well as burgers, chicken, fish and Japanese dishes. The house favourite, ikan patin bakar (grilled fish), is pure greasy deliciousness. Bonus: fried ice cream!
MuseCLUB
(map Google map; Jl Mulawarman; h5pm-3am)
Muse is the most sophisticated nightlife venue in central Samarinda, with several floors of karaoke, DJs and live bands, as well as a chilled rooftop lounge-bar called the Beer House.
7Shopping
Citra NiagaMARKET
This daily market contains several souvenir shops offering batik sarongs and Dayak carvings. Food stalls serve amplang (crunchy fishy puffs) and standard Indonesian fare.
Pasar PagiMARKET
(map Google map; Morning Market; Jl Sudirman)
A wonderfully chaotic morning market.
8Getting There & Away
AIR
Samarinda’s new international APT Pranoto Airport (https://aptpranotoairport.com) officially opened in May 2018, replacing the relatively tiny Termindung Airport. At the time of writing only Xpress Air and Susi Air were using the airport for flights to Melak, Berau and Balikpapan, but several airlines, including Garuda and Lion Air, have planned additional routes when the new airport is fully operational.
Angkasa Express (%0541-200280; Plaza Lembuswana D3; h8am-8pm Mon-Fri, to 1pm Sat) Air tickets.
BOAT
Mahakam public ferries (kapal biasa) leave at 7am from Sungai Kunjang ferry terminal, opposite the bus terminal, 6km upriver on green angkot A (5000Rp). Arrive early and pay on board.
Pelni ferries no longer serve Samarinda.
BUS
Samarinda has three main bus terminals:
Sungai Kunjang bus terminal (Jl KH Mas Mansyur) Serves Mahakam river destinations (as far as Melak) and Balikpapan. It’s 6km west of the city on green angkot A.
Lempake bus terminal Serves all points north, including an irregular morning bus to Berau. Taksi gelap (unlicensed taxis) for Berau troll the terminal, effectively killing the public bus market. It’s 8km north of the city on red angkot B.
Terminal Seberang Serves Banjarmasin. It’s across the river via water taxi.
Minibuses for Tenggarong leave from the east side of the Mahakam Bridge. Cross it on angkot G and head south 500m where buses gather opposite the PLTD electric station.
Kangaroo Premier (%0812 555 1199; www.kangaroo.id; Jl WR Supratman 7A) sends minibuses to Balikpapan airport every 10 minutes (150,000Rp).
BUSES FROM SAMARINDA
| DESTINATION | TERMINAL | FARE (RP) | DURATION (HR) | FREQUENCY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balikpapan | Sungai Kunjang | 35,000 | 2 | every 10min, 6am-8pm |
| Banjarmasin | Samarinda Seberang | 175,000-235,000 | 16 | 25 daily 7am-5.45pm |
| Berau | Lempake | 200,000 | 15 | one daily |
| Bontang | Lempake | 35,000 | 3 | every 25min, 7am-7pm |
| Kota Bangun | Sungai Kunjang | 35,000 | 3½ | 6 daily, 7am-3pm |
| Melak | Sungai Kunjang | 110,000 | 9 | 2 daily |
| Sangatta | Lampake | 45,000 | 4 | every 25min, 6am-5pm |
| Tenggarong | roadside across bridge | 25,000 | 1 | regular when full |
8Getting Around
Samarinda’s new airport is in Sungai Siring, around 25km northeast of the city centre. Allow an hour by taxi.
Angkot (5000Rp) converge at Pasar Pagi market.
Cross-Mahakam ferries (Jl Gajah Mada) to Samarinda Seberang (5000Rp, or 20,000Rp to charter) leave from the boat dock on Jl Gajahmada.
Sungai Mahakam
The mighty Mahakam, the second-longest river in Indonesia (after Kapuas), is a microcosm of Kalimantan. As you float upriver in search of the heart of Borneo, you’ll pass countless barges hauling it downriver to sell to the highest bidder. You’ll see centuries-old villages just around the bend from coal mines and logging camps, and impossibly tall trees looming next to oil-palm plantations. You’ll pass imposing government offices with flash SUVs parked out front on your way to haggle over the price of a hand-carved mandau (machete) with a man who’s barely keeping his family fed. This is Kalimantan in all of its conflicting, powerful, confusing and compelling beauty. And there is no better way to see it than on a trip up the Mahakam, a journey you’ll remember for a lifetime.
1Sights & Activities
Travelling up this major artery of Kalimantan is a journey in the fullest sense of the word. As you head away from the industrial centre of Samarinda you slip deeper into the interior, and into Borneo’s past. You won’t be alone (there is a daily public boat, after all), but you won’t see many other foreigners – if any.
Opportunities for exploration abound from towns and longhouses, to huge lakes, wetlands and tributary creeks. Wildlife is abundant, but elusive. Heading up the main river gets you into the interior, but taking any tributary will open up a whole new world of adventures and experiences.
WORTH A TRIP
PAMPANG DAYAK CEREMONIES
Every Sunday at 2pm, the Kenyah Dayak village of Pampang (relocated here from the highlands in the 1970s) puts on a show (25,000Rp) of traditional dances aimed squarely at camera-toting tourists. Enjoy it for what it is: an engaging, staged performance that allows a long-marginalised group to benefit economically from its rich heritage. It is also one of the last places to see women with traditional long earlobes (photos 25,000Rp). Take a public minibus (15,000Rp, one hour) from Lempake bus terminal to the intersection 25km north of Samarinda (ask for Desa Budaya Pampang). A taxi for a return day trip should cost around 250,000Rp.
Stages of Travel
The Mahakam stretches from Samarinda to the highlands through several distinct regions:
Lower Mahakam: Samarinda to Kota Bangun Many travellers opt to cover this fairly developed stretch by land. Otherwise it is an eight-hour journey from Samarinda by kapal biasa, which depart Samarinda every morning at 7am. Notable stops include the former Kutai sultanate in Tenggarong city.
The Lake District: Kota Bangun to Melak This diverse section of rivers, lakes and marshes is full of wildlife and dotted with villages, each completely unique in its own way. Base yourself in Muara Muntai for day trips to Lake Jempang, or take creative side passages upriver to Muara Pahu.
Middle Mahakam: Melak to Long Bagun The upper reach of the kapal biasa begins to feel like the wild Kalimantan you’ve dreamed about.
Upper Mahakam: Long Bagun to Tiong Ohang The most exhilarating and most dangerous part of the river includes two major sets of rapids that claim multiple lives each year.
Note that kapal biasa reach Long Bagun when water levels permit. Otherwise they stop in Tering or Long Iram, at which point speedboats will surround your boat looking for passengers for Long Bagun.
Guides
As you head further upriver, the need for Bahasa skills becomes more obvious, as English is almost nonexistent. You can get by with rudimentary phrases and travel safely without a guide, but if you’re interested in visiting and staying in Dayak villages or learning more about the local wildlife and ecology, a good guide becomes extremely useful.
Most guides prefer package trips with pre-set costs, though some may agree to a more flexible itinerary for a daily fee, with you covering their food, lodging and transport as well. Independent guiding fees range widely, from 150,000Rp to 350,000Rp per day depending on experience, skill and demand. The best guides will look out for their client’s financial interests, negotiating on your behalf and making savings that may defray their fee.
Take the time to find a suitable guide in Samarinda or Balikpapan, where they are relatively plentiful. A meeting is essential to confirm language skills and identify personality (in)compatibilities that can make or break a long trip together.
THE LAST IRRAWADDY DOLPHINS
Once common along the Mahakam, the population of the critically endangered freshwater Irrawaddy dolphin (pesut) has declined precipitously in recent years. Today there are fewer than 70 left, and they must dodge gill nets and ship rotors in an increasingly murky river polluted with coal-mine and oil-palm-plantation run-off. The playful, round-faced survivors can often be seen in the Pela/Lake Semayang area and downriver between Muara Muntai and Kota Bangun.
YK-RASI (Rare Aquatic Species of Indonesia; %0541-744874; yk.rasi@gmail.com; Jl Kadrie Oening) is a Samarinda-based conservation NGO engaged in protecting the Mahakam ecosystem, especially the Irrawaddy dolphin. If you’re interested in volunteering or learning more about local conservation issues, contact Danielle or Budiono. They can also recommend local guides for Sungai Mahakam trips.
8Getting There & Away
Samarinda is the usual starting point for the Mahakam river trip, though some travellers get on at Tengarrong or Long Bagun. The only airport along the river is at Melak.
Tenggarong
%0541 / Pop 75,000
Once the capital of the mighty Kutai sultanate, Tenggarong has been attempting to re-create its past glory, with mixed results. Flush with mining profits, the government has invested heavily in infrastructure – good. However, development largely focused on turning Kumala Island from a local wildlife haven into a gaudy tourist attraction, plagued by a corruption scandal – bad. In 2011 the 10-year-old bridge across the Mahakam, dubbed ‘Indonesia’s Golden Gate’, suddenly collapsed into the river, killing 36 people. It has since been replaced.
1Sights
Mulawarman MuseumMUSEUM
(Jl Diponegoro; 15,000Rp; h8.30am-4pm Mon-Thu, to 11.30am Fri, to 4.30pm Sat & Sun)
The former sultan’s palace, built by the Dutch in 1937, is now a decent museum chronicling the culture, natural history and industry of Indonesia’s oldest kingdom – as evidenced by 5th-century Sanskrit engravings (the originals are in Jakarta). The ornate Yuan and Ming Dynasty ceramics are compelling, while the wedding headwear from around Indonesia is entertaining. The architecturally incongruous building is itself an attraction, with strong parallel lines reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright’s work.
zFestivals & Events
Erau International Folk & Art FestivalCULTURAL
(EIFAF; www.facebook.com/EIFAF)
Originally held in celebration of a sultan’s coronation, the Erau (from the Kutai word eroh, meaning joyful, boisterous crowd) became a biannual, then annual, gathering to celebrate local Dayak culture and custom. It’s usually held in August, occasionally in June, and the main venue is the former royal palace. Book accommodation in advance.
4Sleeping & Eating
Hotel Karya TapinHOTEL$
(%0541-661258; Jl Maduningrat 29; r incl breakfast 250,000Rp; aW)
Spotless lavender-striped rooms at this small hotel include high ceilings, TVs, showers and homely touches. Head west on Jl Kartini along the south bank of the creek beside the keraton (walled palace) to Jl Maduningrat. If it’s full, Hotel Karya Tapin 2 is further south on Jl Patin.
Grand Elty Singgasana HotelHOTEL$$
(%0541-664703; Jl Pahlawan 1; r incl breakfast 490,000-600,000Rp; aWs)
Tenggarong’s best hotel is perched on a hillside south of town with views over the Mahakam. The stately wood-trimmed rooms are fading, and staff seem surprised to discover someone is actually staying here, but there’s a a lot to like about the light-filled restaurant, garden and outdoor pool with a view. There’s even a nightclub here.
Etam Fried ChickenINDONESIAN$
(%0541-665701; Jl Muchsin Timbau; mains 15,000-30,000Rp; h11am-10pm)
The local recommendation for tasty fried (and more) chicken, 2km south of the museum.
8Getting There & Away
The kapal biasa dock (Pelabuhan Mangkurawang) is 2.5km north of town, with angkot (5000Rp) service to the centre. Boats pass heading downriver to Samarinda (25,000Rp, two hours) around 7am daily and upriver for Kota Bangun (50,000Rp, six hours) at 9am daily.
Timbau bus terminal (Jl Belida) is 400m south of the bridge and about 4km south of the museum area, with angkot service to the centre (5000Rp). Buses depart hourly from 9am to 4pm for Samarinda (25,000Rp), but you’ll need to hail passing Kota Bangun–bound buses (30,000Rp) or Kijang buses (150,000Rp) on the street.
CHARIOTS OF THE MAHAKAM
Several types of boat ply the waters of the Mahakam, each with their own appealing character.
Kapal Biasa These bilevel riverboats are the long-haul workhorses of the Mahakam. Two boats depart daily from Samarinda, one bound for Long Bagun, the other for Melak. The open lower deck holds short-distance passengers sharing floor space with the cargo, motorbikes and fuel cans. Aft is a simple kitchen (meals 20,000Rp) and simpler toilets (visualise a hole in the deck). Long-distance passengers occupy the enclosed upper deck on a first-come, first-served basis, where 60 people or so bed down, side by side, on thin mattresses (provided). If you’re making an overnight journey, head directly upstairs to stake a claim near an electrical plug, fan and window. The secret treasure is the foredeck balcony directly over the captain’s chair, which provides the perfect elevated viewing platform. As the boat chugs deeper into the heart of Borneo, you can sit there serenely for hours in shaded comfort, munching on strange fruit from the last stop.
Longboats Also called spid (pronounced speed), these long motorboats with canvas tops and rows of seats are armed with racks of off-board horsepower, necessary for handling the rapids in the upper river. Epic front-seat views are paid for in spine-compressing bounces.
Ces Narrow wooden canoes powered by a lawnmower engine attached to a propeller via a long stalk – the same longtails seen elsewhere in Asia. These stylish crafts with their upturned snouts, raked sterns, cushioned seating and colourful paint jobs provide access to the narrow byways and shallow marshlands. There is nothing like exploring the jungle on a beautiful day in one of these: a private journey fit for a sultan (just bring earplugs).
Kota Bangun
This small town is where many Mahakam journeys begin, since it’s easily accessed by road from Samarinda. From here, take the kapal biasa direct to Muara Muntai on the river, or hire a ces to get there via the northern scenic route through Lakes Semayang and Melintang. You’ll twist and turn through narrow channels, cross endless marshes and pass through forests of silver-barked trees, pausing to see the odd monkey or some of the last Irrawaddy dolphins.
4Sleeping
Penginapan MukjizatGUESTHOUSE$
(%0541-666 3586; Jl A Yani 5; s/d 50,000/100,000Rp)
The chill rear balcony above the river is a plus. Its proximity to the megaphonic mosque, not so much. The unsigned green wooden building is 150m downriver from the kapal biasa dock.
Penginapan BarokahGUESTHOUSE$
(Jl HM Aini H 35; r with fan/air-con 60,000/130,000Rp; a)
If you enjoyed visiting your grandmother’s house, you’ll enjoy staying at this friendly upstairs guesthouse. Enjoy the foot-massaging floors in the clean shared mandi. It’s 100m upriver of the kapal biasa dock.
8Getting There & Away
Kapal biasa pass in the afternoon (after 3pm) heading upriver, and in the predawn heading downriver. Buses to Samarinda (35,000Rp, four hours) leave at least three times daily between 7am and 2pm. Regular ces service runs to Muara Pela (30,000Rp), Semayang (50,000Rp) and Melintang (65,000Rp). Charter a private ces for dolphin watching, for the back-channel journey to Muara Muntai (400,000Rp) or for a day of sightseeing (750,000Rp). Pak Darwis (%0852 5065 0961; 2hr guiding 200,000Rp) is a recommended guide based here.
Muara Muntai
Considering the price of ironwood these days, the streets of Muara Muntai might as well be paved with gold. This riverside town’s nearly 20km network of richly weathered boardwalks clack loudly with passing motorbikes, adding to the rich Mahakam soundscape and giving the impression of a floating village. The sound of money has also caught the attention of unscrupulous traders who offer to replace the boardwalks at cost, then sell the ‘reclaimed’ lumber to builders in Bali, circumventing restrictions on the trade of new ironwood. Sadly a stretch of boardwalk in the village centre has been replaced with concrete.
Muara Muntai is an interesting place to wander and the best base for day trips to Lakes Jempang or Melintang.
4Sleeping & Eating
Penginapan Sri MuntaiGUESTHOUSE$
(%0812 5336 5605; Jl Surdiman; s/d 50,000/100,000Rp)
Bright-green Sri Muntai, above a ground-level shop on the main (concreted) village strip, wins the award for best front porch: a breezy hang-out above the street. Small fan rooms line a central common area with shared mandi and showers at the rear. It’s not much but it’s the best budget place in the village.
Penginapan AbadiGUESTHOUSE$$
(%0853 4603 2899; Jl Kartini; s/d 200,000/350,000Rp; a)
If you need air-conditioning, Abadi is a decent choice, tucked down a small lane near the village gate. The nine clean rooms all have air-con and TV, but share bathrooms and a front porch.
Warung Makan Yoyok BaksoINDONESIAN$
(Jl Kartini; mains 10,000-15,000Rp; h9am-10pm)
Reliable warung serving excellent bakso (meatball soup), along with nasi goreng, mie goreng and cold drinks.
8Getting There & Away
Kapal biasa pass in the afternoon (between 5pm and 6pm) heading upriver, and around midnight heading down.
A ces to/from Kota Bangun (the nearest bus stop) costs 200,000Rp for the two-hour journey.
Charter a ces (around 500,000Rp) to Lake Jempang country, to visit villages and longhouses, with the impeccably cheerful Udin Ban (%0813 3241 2089). If he’s not around, other local boatmen will find you.
Lake Jempang
Located south of the Mahakam, seasonally flooded Jempang is the largest of the three major wetlands in the lake region. This birdwatcher’s paradise is home to more than 57 species of waterbirds, 12 birds of prey and six kingfishers. The fishing village of Jantur occupies the main outlet (sometimes inlet) on the east end, while the Dayak villages of Tanjung Isuy and Mancong are tucked away on the southwest end. During high water, ces can cut back to the main river at Muara Pahu from the west edge of the lake.
Jantur
Jantur sits at the eastern side of Jempang and, during the wet season, it appears to be floating in the middle of the lake. It is built entirely on stilts in the marshy wetlands, which disappear under 6m of water in the rainy season. During the dry season, floating mats of water hyacinth can choke the channel through town, creating a transport nightmare.
Tanjung Isuy
Tranquil and tiny Tanjung Isuy is the first Dayak village many people visit on their Mahakam journey. A fire took out the waterfront in 2015, giving the new mosque skyline supremacy; the resulting rebuild is more shanty town than traditional village, but the historical longhouse, Louu Taman Jamrud, still stands as a sort of museum/craft shop/losmen and there are other traditional longhouses worthy of a visit nearby.
Few lamin (the local word for longhouse) around here are occupied outside of community ceremonies, but Lamin Batu Bura F, a Benuaq Dayak house, is an exception – you may find resident women sitting on the split bamboo floor weaving naturally dyed fibres of the doyo leaf into beautiful decorative cloth called ulap doyo. Walk or take an ojek 1.5km south of Tanjung Isuy dock, staying left at the fork.
Vacated in the 1970s and refurbished as a tourist hostel by the provincial government, Louu Taman Jamrud (Jl Indonesia Australia; r 110,000Rp) is a stately longhouse guarded by an impressive array of carved totems. Basic rooms have shared mandi (bathroom). If you just want to look around, ask at the shop across the road. The ladies there will happily also show you various carvings and jewellery for sale.
Mancong
The small Dayak village of Mancong is worth a visit for its superb (but uninhabited) longhouse. For optimum jungle drama Mancong is best reached by boat on the Ohong creek from Lake Jempang. You’ll meander past monitor lizards, sapphire-hued kingfishers, bulb-nosed proboscis monkeys, banded kraits and marauding macaques. They’ll see you, but whether or not you see them is unknown. The journey beneath towering banyan trees is as much a part of the experience as your arrival.
The exquisitely restored 1930s Mancong Longhouse is flanked by intricately carved totems. Those with chickens represent a healing ceremony. The souvenir shop across the car park can rustle up blankets and mosquito nets if you absolutely must sleep in the otherwise vacant building (75,000Rp).
You can reach Mancong from Tanjung Isuy by boat or vehicle on an unpaved road. If water levels are high enough, charter a ces (return 500,000Rp, three hours). Alternatively ask in Tanjung Isuy about a Kijang (200,000Rp, 10km, 25 minutes).
Muara Pahu
Lining one side of a big curve in the Mahakam, Muara Pahu district is a collection of villages and the upriver exit point from Lake Jempang when the water is high enough. There’s not much to do here – you can stroll the boardwalk, or sit and watch the tugboats haul coal downriver while waiting for the evening kapal biasa.
Melak
Melak, the last settlement of any size before you hit the upper Mahakam, is surprisingly modern and developed – at least once you leave the harbour area. Sendawar, the regency seat next door, is trying to out-develop itself, with each new government building more massive than the last. It is all very disorienting, and somewhat alarming considering this is likely a preview of what’s to come upriver.
Centuries of culture, however, can’t be erased with a few years of coal money. Spend any time here and you are as likely to find yourself invited to a Dayak funeral as to stumble across a cock fight. Start your wandering with the still-occupied longhouse at Eheng or the orchid preserve of Kersik Luway (h8am-4pm) F.
1Sights
EhengHISTORIC BUILDING
This rough wood-and-rattan Benauq Dayak longhouse is sparsely occupied during the day, but welcomes visitors – especially those interested in purchasing woven handicrafts, bracelets or an ornately carved mandau (machete). You may be able to negotiate a homestay, but be prepared with your own bedding. It’s 30km southwest of Melak.
Sendawar Ethnographic MuseumMUSEUM
(Jl Sendawar 1; h9am-4pm) F
This small museum dedicated to Dayak culture is 17km west of Melak harbour on the road to Eheng longhouse.
4Sleeping & Eating
Hotel FlamboyanHOTEL$
(%0545-41033; Jl A Yani; r 150,000Rp; a)
The only real attraction to this place is that it’s opposite the boat dock – a welcome sight when you stumble off the kapal biasa at 1am. Tiny rooms lining a common hall have dilapidated private mandi, some with Western toilets, all with air-con. Marginally clean, but definitely not flamboyant.
Hotel MonitaHOTEL$$
(%0545-41798; Jl Dr Sutoemo 76; r incl breakfast 240,000-420,000Rp; aW)
Easily Melak’s most comfortable hotel close to the river, but still about 1km uphill from the kapal biasa dock. It’s popular with mining clients, but the 38 rooms, all with air-con and TV and most with hot showers, are rarely full. The restaurant can do dinner with a bit of notice.
Rumah Makan Mahakan PadangINDONESIAN$
(Jl Pierre Tendean; dishes from 15,0000Rp)
The best Padang food in the area.
8Information
There are a number of international ATMs in Melak, including a BRI ATM about 50m from the boat dock.
8Getting There & Away
AIR
Xpress Air flies to Samarinda on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and to Balikpapan Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Susi Air services Samarinda via Data Dawai on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
BOAT
Kapal biasa leave for Samarinda daily between 6pm and 7pm and pass heading upriver at 1am. Charter a ces for around 700,000Rp per day. Speedboats gather near the dock to take passengers downriver as far as Kota Bangun, but not upriver to Tering.
BUS
Two buses for Samarinda depart in the morning (110,000Rp, nine hours).
KIJANG
Shared taxis run to Samarinda (250,000Rp, eight hours) and Balikpapan (300,000Rp, 12 hours). For Tering you’ll need to charter a taxi (300,000Rp, one hour).
Tering
A planned community deep in gold-mining country, Tering is sometimes the last stop for kapal biasa, depending on the water level. It is really two settlements straddling the river: Tering Baru, a Malay village where the kapal biasa docks, and Tering Lama, a Bahau Dayak village on the northern bank, where a magnificent wooden church with intricate painted pillars has a bell tower supported by totem poles.
Kapal biasa arrive around 9am. Even during low water, they sometimes continue to Long Iram, an hour further upriver. Downriver kapal biasa leave around noon. A speedboat to Long Bagun is 300,000Rp for the four-hour journey. Kijang depart from the dock for Samarinda (300,000Rp) and Melak (charter 150,000Rp).
Long Bagun
The misty mountain village of Long Bagun is the end of the kapal biasa route at high water and is a fine terminus for your Mahakam adventure. Somewhere in the village, a local entrepreneur is bent over a grinder, polishing a semi-precious stone into a pendant, a Chinese shopkeeper is sweating over a forge, melting gold from nearby mines to sell in Samarinda, and a group of women is tying intricate beadwork for their children’s next traditional dance performance. Only travellers determined to cover the whole Mahakam get this far, which is reward enough.
Penginapan Polewali (r 175,000-200,000Rp) is the best hotel on the upper Mahakam and a breath of fresh air after the concrete boxes downriver. Rooms are small and bathrooms shared, but a nice breeze on the porch keeps you outside. Find it at the upriver edge of town, across from the longhouse.
Boats pause at Ujoh Bilang, 3km downriver from Long Bagun, where you’ll be required to register with the tourism office on the dock.
Speedboats heading up and downriver troll for passengers along the waterfront in the morning.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
TIONG OHANG
Divided by the Mahakam, Tiong Ohang is united by its creaking suspension bridge, which offers scenic views of the surrounding hills. This is the last stop before starting, or ending, the second stage of the Cross-Borneo Trek: the Muller Mountains. This is where local guides and porters assemble, but these services are best arranged in advance by a tour company.
A longboat from Long Bagun costs 1,000,000Rp and takes around four hours via numerous sets of rapids. The trailhead for the Muller Mountains is a further two hours upriver by ces (1,000,000Rp).
Muller Mountains
The demanding middle stage of the Cross-Borneo Trek, the journey across the Muller Mountains is a very different experience from what precedes it. This is neither a cultural tour nor a wildlife-spotting expedition. In fact, views of any kind are scarce. This is a purpose-driven rainforest trek, and a difficult one.
Most people do the crossing in seven or more long, wet days. The trek follows a narrow path – if that – through a green maze with uncertain footing and near-constant creek crossings, some chest high. Campsites are a tarpaulin, and cooking is done over an open fire. There will be blood – from leeches, if nothing else. They are harmless, but their bites easily become infected in the damp environment.
All things considered, the experience hasn’t changed much since George Muller first crossed his namesake range in 1825. While that first trek ended with the locals cutting off Muller’s head (likely at the behest of the Sultan of Kutai), the primary risk today is breaking a leg or merely twisting an ankle so far from outside help. To that end, heed all the precautions and choose an experienced tour company or guide who has considered the concept of risk management.
The Muller trek is a horizontal Everest. You tackle it for the same reasons you climb. And when you succeed, it is both a lifetime memory and a noteworthy achievement.
Kutai National Park
Kutai National Park has seen its share of troubles. All but abandoned in the late ’90s as a conservation failure ransacked by logging and fires, new studies are showing all is not lost. The wild orang-utan population has recovered to as many as 2000 individuals, and pockets of forest are still relatively intact. The Prevab station near Sangatta offers one of Kalimantan’s best chances to see truly wild orang-utans, and numerous guides and tour companies from Samarinda and Balikpapan know the park well.
From the ranger station, several kilometres of trails fan out through decent secondary forest, where large buttressed trees still provide plenty of hiding spots for orang-utans. The rangers are experts at moving slowly and listening for the telltale rustle of the canopy that betrays a critter’s location. Bring mosquito repellent.
Call the lead ranger, Pak Supiani (0813 4634 8803), before visiting so he can organise your permit and a boat. Park permits are 150,000Rp per day (225,000Rp on weekends). Guides (required) cost 120,000Rp per two-hour trek.
Regular buses run from Samarinda to Sangatta (45,000Rp, four hours). Take a taxi from there to Kabo Jaya, where a park boat will ferry you to the ranger station (300,000Rp return, 15 minutes).
Berau
%0554 / Pop Tanjung Redeb 63,000
Berau is a sprawling East Kalimantan town that serves as a transit point for the Derawan Archipelago to the east and the karst wonderland of Merabu to the south. The main commercial centre on the river is called Tanjung Redeb, which is also used to refer to the town itself. An influx of mine workers and the odd tourist has boosted the amenities, but few travellers hang around here long. Berau is not easily reached by road from the south – most Derawan-bound travellers fly in and arrange transport out.
1Sights
Museum BatiwakkalMUSEUM
(map; Jl Kuran, Gunung Tabur Keraton; admission by donation; h8am-3pm Tue-Thu & Sun, to 1pm Sat)
Located at the site of Berau’s original keraton (royal palace), this 1981 building houses an eclectic collection of sultan-obilia starting from the 17th century. Get here by canoe taxi (5000Rp) from Jl Ahmad Yani.
Keraton SambaliungMUSEUM
(Jl ST Amuniddan, Sambaliung; h9am-1pm Tue-Thu, Sat & Sun) F
This 215-year-old keraton was built after descendants of brothers from other mothers (same father: the 9th sultan) got tired of alternating rule at Gunung Tabor and split the sultanate. The colossal stuffed crocodile outside is an impressive, if somewhat random, addition.
4Sleeping
oRumah KedaungGUESTHOUSE$$
(%0821 5326 6291; rumahkedaung@yahoo.com; Jl Kedaung, Borneo IV, Sei Bedungun; r incl breakfast 385,000Rp; aW)
Located in a quiet neighbourhood between the airport and Tanjung Redeb, this rustic guesthouse in a palm-filled garden is easily the most pleasant stay in Berau. The common areas are decked out with Dayak art, and the rough wood duplex bungalows have a creaky charm. The cafe serves up solid local fare – a plus since there is not much nearby.
Hotel MitraHOTEL$$
(map; %0812 5315 0715; Jl Gajah Mada 531A; s/d incl breakfast 255,000/285,000Rp; aW)
Immaculate, with friendly staff, Mitra is Berau’s best budget choice and feels less like a hotel and more like a large guesthouse. Staff are well used to dealing with foreigners, though there’s still not much English spoken. All rooms have air-con and cold water only. Motorbikes are available for rent (100,000Rp a day).
Palmy HotelBOUTIQUE HOTEL$$
(map; %0554-202 0333; palmyhotel@yahoo.com; Jl Pangeran Antasari 26; r incl breakfast 450,000-750,000Rp; aW)
The original of three Palmy hotels in town, this boutique offering is compact and contemporary with a gym and an inviting ground-level cafe. Free airport transfers.
5Eating & Drinking
oDe Bunda CafeINDONESIAN$
(map; %0812 5176 6811; Jl Pangeran Antasari 5; mains 15,000-50,000Rp; h7am-5pm; W)
This fab little cafe-bakery serves Indonesian staples such as soto ayam and nasi goreng along with unusual dishes such as roast duck and ribs. Good juices and cakes. Owner Ibu Ayu is well travelled and speaks English, though she’s not often around.
Seafood WarungsSEAFOOD$
(map; Jl Pangeran Antasari; mains 20,000-70,000Rp)
As night falls, basic seafood tents with bright banners set up opposite the Palmy Hotel in Tanjung Redeb. Depending on the day’s catch you should be able to enjoy fresh fish, prawns, crab and squid – or fall back on grilled chicken.
Sky LoungeROOFTOP BAR
(map; Palmy Exclusive, Jl Pangeran Antasari; h5pm-1am)
The stylish, partially open-air rooftop bar at Palmy Exclusive is the place to come for a panoramic city view, live music on weekends and pricey drinks.
8Getting There & Away
AIR
There are eight direct flights daily from Berau to Balikpapan (one hour), with connections to other Indonesian cities. Xpress Air flies to Tarakan and Samarinda four times a week. Susi Air flies to Maratua on Wednesday. Airlines include the following:
Garuda (%0554-202 0285; Jl Panglima Batur 396, Hotel Derawan Indah; h8am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-3pm Sat & Sun)
Sriwijaya Air (%0554-202 8777; airport)
Susi Air (%0822 5541 9164; www.susiair.com; airport)
Wings Air (%0811 162 9882; www.lionair.co.id; airport)
Xpress Air (%0852 5514 5344; http://xpressair.co.id; airport)
BOAT
For the Maratua atoll it’s still possible (and quicker) to take a public speedboat directly from Berau jetty in Tanjung Redeb via Sungai Berau (250,000Rp, three hours). These theoretically leave at 11am daily but check at the harbour or with your Maratua accommodation the day before. Maratua resorts also offer this trip as a more expensive charter.
BUS & TAXI
A handful of buses operate from the oversized Terminal Rinding (Jl Ahmad Yani, Km5), on the road to the airport. They include a morning bus to Samarinda (200,000Rp, 15 hours) and a Damri bus to Tanjung Selor (50,000Rp, three hours, 9am).
Otherwise transport is largely handled by Kijang (shared taxi) operators, many of whom are unlicensed. Kijang gather in the morning across from the former bus terminal on Jl H Isa I and require a minimum of three passengers (more for bigger vehicles); you can buy multiple seats to leave earlier. They will also pick up around town, so ask at your accommodation or at the airport. Destinations include Tanjung Batu (100,000Rp, three hours), Tanjung Selor (150,000Rp, three hours), Samarinda (400,000Rp, 14 hours) and Balikpapan (500,000Rp, more than 20 hours).
To charter a taxi from the airport to Tanjung Batu costs 500,000Rp.
Merabu
Isolated between a small river and a fortress of karst pinnacles, the Dayak Lebo villagers of Merabu never worried much about politics or the outside world. So they were understandably shocked the day in 2012 when they found bulldozers clearing nearby forests for an oil-palm plantation, and confused to learn their gardens were soon to become a coal mine.
Rather than be bought off, however, they waged a long (and occasionally ugly) battle for their homeland. Finally in 2014 they became the first village in Berau District to gain official recognition of their village forest, an important step towards securing the rights of indigenous communities. As part of their new forest management plan, Merabu has also opened its doors to ecotourism – an activity the village is particularly well positioned to provide.
It takes a bit of work to get here, but once you do, you may never want leave.
1Sights & Activities
The jagged limestone forest in the village’s backyard is one of Kalimantan’s least-explored and least-accessible regions, meaning its wildlife has largely been spared from overhunting. Orang-utans dwell in the lowlands, while clouded leopards prowl the mountainsides. From the village you can arrange multiday expeditions to Lake Tebo, deep in the interior, or spend an afternoon climbing to Puncak Ketepu before plunging into the vivid turquoise waters of Nyadeng spring. The drawcard site, however, is Goa Beloyot, a cliff-side cavern full of stencilled handprints thousands of years old, accessed by an adventurous half-day trek (bring a torch).
Guides cost 100,000Rp a trip, while a boat to Nyadeng and Ketepu is 230,000Rp. Additionally there is a required 200,000Rp donation to the village, and you can adopt a tree in the community forest for 2000,000Rp for three years. The expenses add up, but remember this is one way the community visionaries demonstrate to their neighbours that the forest has value as it is.
Puncak KetepuHIKING
This climb to the rim of the karst wonderland may be short (about two hours), but you earn every step on the near-vertical ascent. You’ll quickly forget your pain as the fortress of pinnacles and ridges unfolds before you, begging you to continue into the great unknown. Do not even consider this hike in the rain, as the trail turns to grease.
4Sleeping & Eating
Homestays cost a fixed 250,000Rp per night per room and will be allocated to you, or the more modern Lodge Merabu is available at 500,000Rp.
Meals are provided at your homestay for 25,000Rp each
8Information
Before visiting contact the village head, Franly Oley (%0878 1030 3330; franlyoley@gmail.com), who speaks passable English and can arrange homestay, guide and transport. A village donation of 200,000Rp is requested.
8Getting There & Away
The best transport option is to come from Berau to the north. Charter a Kijang (1,500,000Rp) for the four- to six-hour dirt-road journey through Lesan village. Driver Pak Asri (0853 4135 9088) is familiar with the route, or contact Franly Oley in advance.
Coming from the south, it’s about seven hours (2,000,000Rp) from Sangatta. From Muara Wahau the route gets a little tricky, with a 4WD or a motorbike required for the sketchy road. Head 55km north to the Merapun gate (Garpu Dayak Merapun), then turn east into the oil-palm plantation. At the first major fork (15km) head left to Merapun to hire a boat to Merabu (price negotiable, 1½ hours) or turn right to continue 40km over land (impassable when wet) to the Lesan road, where you’ll make a hard right. Just under 4km beyond, you’ll arrive at the river. Merabu is opposite.
Once you arrive at the end of the road, shout across the river for a ketinting (canoe ferry; 25,000Rp).
Derawan Archipelago
The classic tropical islands of the Derawan Archipelago are where you go to trade jungle trekking and orang-utans for beachcombing and manta rays. Of the 31 named islands found here, the most accessible to visitors are the teensy weekend getaway of Derawan and the peaceful paradise of the Maratua atoll, while the uninhabited Sangalaki and Kakaban islands are on every diving itinerary.
The scuba diving and snorkelling here rank among the best in Indonesia, offering an assortment of reef and pelagic species, including barracuda, sharks, mantas and turtles. Travel to and between the islands can be expensive, so plan your trip carefully and find friends to share costs with. There’s a feeling of remoteness too, with no wi-fi or ATMs on the islands. Seas are rough in January and February, limiting diving and increasing travel risks.
Diving & Snorkelling
Most people come to Derawan for the superb diving and snorkelling. Apart from the many dive sites around Derawan, Maratua, Sangalaki and Kakaban, there are locations where manta rays, whale sharks and sea turtles are regularly sighted.The best time for diving is May to July. Note that currents can be strong, particularly around the Maratua atoll.
There are five main dive operators on Derawan and upmarket dive resorts on Maratua and Sangalaki. Expect to pay around US$100 for two boat dives and US$350 for a PADI open-water course. All of the lodges and resorts offer various dive and accommodation packages.
A full-day snorkelling trip costs between 1,500,000Rp and 2,000,000Rp depending on how far you go and the size of the boat. It is four hours of spine-compressing travel from Derawan to the popular snorkelling areas around Kakaban and Sangalaki and back. Count on six to seven hours if you include Maratua dive sites.
Pulau Derawan
POP 1800
The closest island to shore and the main diving and accommodation base, Derawan is just a speck in the Celebes Sea, barely (but just) visible from the mainland. Once a quiet fishing village, the western edge is now tightly packed with homestays, bungalows and timber jetties that seem to get longer each year, reaching out into the sea like tentacles. As a result it can get crowded (by Kalimantan standards) on weekends in high season and litter can be a problem, but the locals still maintain a friendly attitude, there’s decent snorkelling off the stilted boardwalks and you can easily arrange transport to other islands from here.
2Activities
Scuba Junkie SangalakiDIVING
(%0813 3895 6239; www.sangalakidiveresort.com; snorkelling US$50, 2-/3-dive package with equipment US$100/120)
The latest dive operator on the island, Scuba Junkie brings its Sipadan experience to Derawan. Professional staff, decent boats, comfortable overwater lodge and an ecofriendly ethos. A two-day open-water course is US$390.
Derawan Dive ResortDIVING
(%0811 542 4121; www.divederawan.com; jetty dive 550,000Rp, discover dive 650,000Rp, 3-dive package 1,500,000Rp)
Dive from the private jetty or take a three-dive package to surrounding islands at Derawan’s largest dive resort. Also does boat charters.
Tasik DiversDIVING
(%0431-824445; www.derawandivelodge.com; 3 dives US$165, with own equipment US$135)
Established outfit at Derawan Dive Lodge with modern boats, small-group dive trips and PADI courses.
Borneo DiveDIVING
(%0813 1944 7742)
Based at La Pauta, Borneo Dive has three boats and knowledgeable dive guides.
4Sleeping
Overwater bungalows on stilt boardwalks are becoming the norm rather than the exception on Derawan, with more being built each year. Expect to pay a minimum 300,000Rp. There are lots of village homestays (look for signs) back from the shore charging around 200,000Rp for a room with fan and cold water.
Penginapan 88GUESTHOUSE$
(%0813 4660 3944; r with fan/air-con 200,000/300,000Rp; a)
Roughly halfway along the village strip, this waterfront place has 10 simple but good-value rooms and a couple of ‘penthouse’ rooms way out on the end of the pier with unobstructed water views.
La PautaCOTTAGE$$
(%0813 1944 7742; www.lapautaderawanresort.com; d incl breakfast 300,000-900,000Rp, f cottage 800,000Rp; a)
Beside the main jetty and with a relatively clean private beach, this is one of Derawan’s fanciest resorts, with well-designed timber rooms and cottages linked by sandy, palm-filled lanes. All have air-con and most have hot-water showers. Although there’s a dive shop here, it doesn’t feel like an exclusive dive resort. The overwater restaurant is the best on the island.
Reza GuesthouseBUNGALOW$$
(%0813 4795 5950; darjohnturtle@gmail.com; r 350,000-500,000Rp; a)
These compact overwater bungalows are clean and well placed – the more expensive ones have air-con and hot water.
Derawan Dive ResortRESORT$$
(%0811 542 4121; www.divederawan.com; d/tr/ste incl breakfast from 525,000/585,000/1,430,000Rp; a)
The largest dive resort on Derawan, this well-run place has 27 cottages scattered around a private beach, along with a snaking jetty and overwater restaurant. The timber Kalimantan-style cottages all have air-con and range from comfortable standard ones back from the beach, to deluxe ‘floating’ bungalows and suites on stilts with hot water and TV.
Derawan Beach Cafe & CottagesGUESTHOUSE$$
(%0853 4679 7578; r 300,000-500,000Rp; a)
Towards the end of the village strip, this group of waterfront cottages, including two premium overwater bungalows, boasts one of the longest jetties on the island and a small private beach. The best rooms have air-con and hot water.
Sari CottagesGUESTHOUSE$$
(%0813 4653 8448; r 400,000Rp; a)
Centrally located Sari has 22 compact rooms, strung along two parallel piers connected by a footbridge. All have air-con, cold-water showers and private back verandahs with at least partial water views. Turn off the street at the sign for ‘Pinades’, and keep walking the plank.
Miranda HomestayHOMESTAY$$
(%0813 4662 3550; r incl breakfast 300,000Rp; a)
The four clean waterside rooms are good value and four more were being constructed over water at the time of writing, all with air-con and bathroom. Ask about hiring Pak Marudi’s klotok for snorkelling excursions (1,000,000Rp per day).
Derawan Dive LodgeLODGE$$$
(%0431-824445; www.derawandivelodge.com; s/d incl breakfast US$60/80; a)
A small enclave of 10 comfortable, individually designed rooms, with a cosy outdoor cafe and private beach, at the west end of the island. If you want to combine a dive holiday with some intimate island life, this is one of the better choices on Derawan. All rooms are air-conditioned with hot showers. Add an extra US$20 for full board.
5Eating
There are just a handful of warungs on the main village strip, but they open on a whim or when the supplies come in from the mainland. Fresh seafood is the local speciality.
Rumah Makan NurINDONESIAN$
(%0853 4689 7827; mains 25,000-80,000Rp)
Nur’s serves up tasty Indonesian favourites with creative twists such as shrimp and coconut aubergine with rice, or fried tempe with green beans.
Restaurant La PautaSEAFOOD$$
(mains 15,000-120,000Rp; h6.30am-3pm & 5-10pm)
The overwater restaurant at La Pauta is Derawan’s best. Sit inside, or out on the breezy verandah overlooking the main dock. The speciality is local seafood, but all the Indonesian staples are on the menu.
8Information
There are no ATMs or money-exchange facilities on the island. Bring plenty of cash.
There’s no wi-fi on the island, but phone reception and 4G is reliable.
8Getting There & Away
From Tanjung Batu a regular morning boat takes passengers to Pulau Derawan (100,000Rp per person, 30 minutes). If you arrive later in the day you may have to charter a speedboat (300,000Rp, seats four) or ask around about sharing. Boats return from Derawan between 7am and 8am.
On Friday there’s a direct speedboat from Tarakan to Pulau Derawan (300,000Rp, three hours, 10am), returning on Saturday at 10am.
8Getting Around
Derawan is tiny: you can walk the main village strip from end to end in 15 minutes. Several places rent bicycles (50,000Rp per day), which are handy for making a circuit of the island.
Maratua Atoll
If you’re willing to go a little further out than Derawan, Maratua is a slice of little-known heaven. This large (relative to the rest of the archipelago) U-shaped atoll is gradually developing, with a number of high-priced luxury resorts, but it’s still very low key and independent travellers are a rare sight.
Four tiny fishing villages are evenly spaced along the narrow strip of land. Central to the island, the village of Tanjung Harapan offers several homestays, motorbike rental and access to the island’s only upscale lodging options. Bohe Silian, at the southern end of the road and the island, also has a few homestays, pleasant sea views and Sembat cave – the coolest swimming hole on the island.
4Sleeping
Maratua has a handful of village homestays (from 250,000Rp for a room) and a clutch of reasonably flashy dive resorts. Accommodation here is overall much pricier than on Derawan. At the edge of the Maratua atoll and accessed by private boat transfers are three luxury dive resorts – Nunukan Island, Nabucco Island and Virgin Cocoa, owned by German company Extra Divers.
oMaratua GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$$
(www.maratuaguesthouse.com; d & tw cabins US$49-109)
Nestled in a forest between the island’s cleanest beach and an inland tidal pond, and with a house reef out front, this rustic place offers a commanding view of the Celebes Sea from its simple open-air restaurant and shady private cabins. It’s a friendly place with a backpacker vibe only about 3km north of the main dock.
oNabucco Island ResortRESORT$$$
(%0812 540 6636; www.extradivers-worldwide.com; s/d/tr incl full board €136/208/282; aW) 
S
At the edge of the Maratua lagoon, this compact island dive resort packs plenty into a tiny manicured space. Surrounding a central common area, the varnished duplex bungalows each share an ocean-view porch with access to mangroves, a white-sand beach, or a slice of house reef. Dive packages start at €420 for 10 dives.
Virgin CocoaRESORT$$$
(%0811 592 3450; http://virgincocoa.com; s/d with half board €239/318; aWs)
Linked to Nunukan Island by a 1km-long boardwalk, Virgin Cocoa is Maratua’s latest luxury offering. More a luxurious retreat than a dive resort, it has 18 cosy bungalows scattered among the palms, a pool, yoga centre, spa treatments and a sense of isolation. There’s a house reef just off the beach for snorkelling.
Green NirvanaRESORT$$$
(%0812 5003 2622; www.greennirvanaresort.com; Jl Bayur, Payung-Payung; forest/ocean view incl breakfast from 1,300,000/3,000,000Rp, 3-bedroom house 9,500,000Rp; as)
Mainland Maratua’s newest resort is a stylish collection of villas orbiting a pool and deck overlooking a gorgeous stretch of coast and a long pier. The resort is set a little back from the beach (and worryingly close to the airport runway), but it’s beautifully designed in concert with the surrounding environment. Villas are spacious and well appointed.
Maratua Paradise ResortRESORT$$$
(%+60 088 224918; www.maratua.com; beach bungalow/water villa US$92/127; a)
Just south of the main village and jetty, Maratua Paradise is a popular choice for its beachfront and overwater villas – the only ones on the main island. The bungalows are looking a little tired for this price, but overall the resort ticks most boxes with its overwater restaurant, dive shop and opportunities for snorkelling off the beach.
Nunukan Island ResortRESORT$$$
(%0812 340 3451; www.nunukan-island.com; s/d/tr incl full board €136/208/282; aW)
From the long jetty welcoming you across the 4km house reef, to the common areas hovering over razor-sharp limestone, there is nothing typical – and everything exotic – about this island resort. The 22 luxurious beachfront bungalows have spacious porches with sofa beds begging you to soak in the serenity. House-reef dive packages start at €360 for 10 dives.
8Getting There & Away
Maratua’s airstrip has been open since 2016, but currently has only one scheduled weekly Susi Air flight on Wednesday from Tarakan and Berau. A weekly (Saturday) Garuda charter flight from Balikpapan can be booked through Nunukan Island Resort.
A chartered speedboat to Maratua from Tanjung Batu is 1,500,000Rp for the 1½-hour journey, or 1,000,000Rp for the one-hour trip from Derawan.
A daily public speedboat direct from Berau jetty in Tanjung Redeb via the Sungai Berau (250,000Rp, three hours) theoretically leaves at 11am, returning from Maratua’s main jetty at 9am. Check schedules with your Maratua accommodation. Island resorts also offer this trip as a more expensive charter.
TURTLE CONSERVATION
Sea turtles are a common sight swimming beneath the boardwalks of Pulau Derawan or on diving and snorkelling trips, but the green and hawksbill turtles of Derawan archipelago are constantly under threat from poaching.
A long-running turtle conservation project on Pulau Sangalaki, currently administered by BKSDA Kaltim (bksdakaltim.menlhk.go.id), seeks to protect the nesting sites on Sangalaki, monitor turtle numbers and habitat and clear the beaches to minimise disturbance. Ranger-guided trips to see turtle nesting sites can be arranged on Pulau Derawan or through Sangalaki Resort.
Pulau Kakaban & Pulau Sangalaki
Kakaban and Sangalaki, two undeveloped islands 40 minutes southwest of Maratua and an hour southeast of Derawan by boat, are on every diving or snorkelling day-trip itinerary, and for good reason.
Pulau Kakaban is famous for its inland lake (admission by donation) where bizarre stingless jellyfish have evolved. It’s a 10-minute walk through the jungle along a boardwalk to reach the lake jetty, from where you can snorkel (don’t use fins) in shallow waters amid an ethereal swarm of jellyfish, some as tiny as your fingertip. If tides permit, snorkel through Kakaban’s tidal-cave tunnel to a hidden outcrop of protected pristine coral.
Pulau Sangalaki is a real castaway island with decent diving and a small resort, but is known primarily for its consistent manta-ray spotting. Trips to Manta Corner will usually result in numerous sightings.
4Sleeping
Sangalaki ResortRESORT$$$
(%0813 2011 8833; http://sangalakiresort.net; Pulau Sangalaki; s/d from US$200/250)
Reopened in 2017, this resort is a surprising find on an otherwise pristine marine-park island. It’s still fairly low key with 14 standalone cottages (raised on stilts so as not to hinder turtle movement). The bar and restaurant provides a focal point and there’s an on-site dive shop and private boat, but nothing else on the island.
8Getting There & Away
Divers and snorkellers visit Sangalaki as part of a longer trip. If you’re staying here the one-hour speedboat trip from Tanjung Batu costs around 1,000,000Rp; contact the resort to arrange a charter.
North Kalimantan
Because of its isolation, North Kalimantan contains some of the most pristine forests on Borneo, making it one of the last, and best, frontiers for hardcore jungle trekking. For the same reason, this is one of the most challenging and inaccessible parts of the island.
1Sights & Activities
The 13,600-sq-km Kayan Mentarang National Park represents a significant chunk of the heart of Borneo, and contains a dizzying diversity of life, with new species still being discovered. When it comes to travelling here, the rewards are returned in direct proportion to the level of difficulty.
The two best places from which to access the park are Long Bawan to the north, and Long Punjungan to the south. Many of the ecotourism initiatives developed by WWF (www.borneo-ecotourism.com) have been left fallow, but the information they provide is a great orientation to the area.
In Long Bawan contact English-speaking Alex Balang (0852 4705 7469, alexbalang@hotmail.com) to get the lay of the land and to arrange treks further afield.
To the south the path is even more untrodden, and Bahasa Indonesia is essential. Start your journey at Tanjung Selor, where sizeable longboats powered by multiple outboard engines load wares for the long haul upstream to Long Punjungan. Pak Muming(0812 540 4256) at Hotel Asoy and Pak Heri (0822 5053 8995) both regularly make the trip.
8Getting There & Away
The Tawah border crossing is a reasonably well-travelled route between Malaysia (Sabah) and Indonesia (Kalimantan). From Tawah there are numerous options for moving on by boat, while Nunukan and Tarakan have reasonably good transport connections, though navigating deeper into North Kalimantan can be difficult.
AIR
Tarakan is the main air hub, while Nunukan has a small airport.
There are flights from Tarakan to Berau (400,000Rp, 30 minutes), Balikpapan (400,000Rp, one hour), Nunukan (360,000Rp, 25 minutes), Jakarta, 1,400,000Rp, three hours), Long Bawan (450,000Rp, one hour) and Makassar (1,300,00Rp, 1¾ hours). Coming from Malaysia, there are three weekly flights between Tawau and Tarakan (RM280, 40 minutes).
BOAT
A variety of speedboats and ferries can get you between Malaysian and Indonesian Borneo. Services include Tawau (Sabah) to Nunukan (RM80, 1½ hours, two daily) and Tarakan (RM130, four hours, 10am Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday), Nunukan to Tarakan (240,000Rp, 2½ hours, five daily), Tarakan to Derawan (300,000Rp, three hours, 10am Friday) and Tarakan to Tanjung Selor (120,000Rp, one hour, daily).
BUS & TAXI
An air-con Damri bus departs from Tanjung Selor at 11am for Berau’s Terminal Rinding (50,000Rp, three hours). Kinjang (shared taxis) also go to Berau (120,000Rp), leaving when full and dropping passengers in Tanjung Redeb.
There’s also a Damri bus from Tanjung Selor’s Pasar Induk to Malinau (130,000Rp, five hours).
GETTING TO MALAYSIA: TARAKAN TO TAWAU
Getting to the border Travelling overland to the border with Sabah (Malaysia) involves a short ferry ride from Tarakan (400,000Rp, four hours, Monday, Wednesday and Friday) or Nunukan (200,000Rp, 1½ hours, two daily except Sunday). Tarakan can be reached directly by air from Berau and Balikpapan.
At the border Citizens of the US, Canada, Australia, most Commonwealth countries and most of Western Europe receive a three-month visa on arrival at the border between Nunukan (Indonesia) and Tawau (Malaysia).
Moving on Tawau has good air and bus connections with the rest of Sabah, including Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan.