Kalimantan Region
Kalimantan is the Indonesian two-thirds of Borneo - a vast, wild expanse of ancient rainforest, mighty rivers and orangutans, home to indigenous Dayak cultures and some of the planet's oldest jungle, far off the standard tourist trail.
Kalimantan at a Glance#
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The Indonesian two-thirds of Borneo - a vast, wild expanse of ancient rainforest, mighty rivers and orangutans, home to Dayak cultures and some of the oldest jungle on Earth, far off the standard tourist trail.
Why go / don’t miss: the orangutans of Tanjung Puting National Park (by traditional klotok riverboat), the Dayak longhouses and river journeys of the interior, the vast rainforest and wildlife, and the up-and-coming new national capital (Nusantara) in the east.
Areas: the south (Pangkalan Bun / Tanjung Puting) for the orangutan river cruises; the interior (the Mahakam River, Dayak country) for longhouses and jungle; and the west (Pontianak, on the equator).
Getting around: flights to the main towns (Pontianak, Banjarmasin, Balikpapan, Pangkalan Bun); riverboats (klotok) and longboats are the way into the jungle.
When to go: the drier Jun - Sep is best; it’s hot, humid and rainy much of the year.
Where to stay: a klotok riverboat through Tanjung Puting (sleeping on deck) is the classic experience, or the river towns.
Dining: Banjar and Dayak river fare - freshwater fish, and the famous floating markets of Banjarmasin.
Local tips: the orangutan river cruise in Tanjung Puting is the highlight, it’s a wild jungle-and-river destination rather than a beach one, and Indonesia’s new capital is rising in East Kalimantan.
