West Kalimantan - Life of the Rain Forest

A Huge Island | The People of Kalimantan | Life of the Rain Forest | Visiting Kalimantan

Life of the Rain Forest
Life of the Rainforest Although the orangutan is the most celebrated inhabitant of Kalimantan's forests, the region is home to many fascinating creatures-ranging from the beautiful Argus pheasant a relative of the peacock and just as well-dressed to the king cobra, an up to five-meter-long monster that has been reported to attack man. Many of the island's creatures have adapted to the conditions of life in the rainforest canopy. Some have evolved the ability to fly or really glide from tree to tree to escape predators-there are flying lizards, lemurs, frogs, squirrels and even three species of flying snakes. To frustrate the many birds, insects have developed intricate camouflage-resembling a leaf, a twig or fungus-or are poisonous. The island's jungle houses some animals that are just plain weird: the proboscis monkey, the male of which can bring down an insect from two meters above the surface with a startlingly accurate missile of water and a crab spider that has reached an evolutionary pinnace of sorts-it bears a striking resemblance to a glob of bird dung.

Perhaps the most interesting of the island's 600 species of birds are the hornbills, which play an important role in native mythology. One hornbill's call-hoots followed by whooping chuckles building to maniacal laughter-has led locals to call it the "chop-down-you-mother-in-law bird." Plant life includes 70-meter (230ft.) tree some oft which do not even branch until the 30-meter mark and an incredible variety of exotic species-including the rare black orchid. The largest flower in the world is found here. The blossom of the raffles is huge, but instead of the perfume scent of other flowers, it attracts pollinating insects by approximating the smell of rotten meat. The Tanjung Putting Nature reserve in Central Kalimatan is relatively easy to reach and is a rewarding place to view wildlife. The reserve maintains two rehabilitation centers where orangutans that have been kept as illegal pets are readapted to jungle life. This center is the only place where you are guaranteed to see orangutans. Elsewhere, it is a matter of patience and luck to see these huge apes and other shy exotics-which have a most healthy fear of man.

Visiting Kalimantan
Visiting Kalimantan East Kalimantan-Kaltim-receives the greatest number of tourists, thanks to an infrastructure built for the petroleum industry and area promotion. The Balikpapan airport is one of the busiest in Indonesia and the city has Kalimantan's only really international class hotel. The Mahakam River and its tributaries reach far inland in Kaltim, providing access to relatively remote Dayak villages. Tourism here has developed to the point where guided tour groups out of Samarinda to Tanjung Isuy sometimes have to wait in line for the "traditional" welcome-and-dance show. As general rule, the further upriver one goes in Kalimantan, the more traditional the Dayaks. To get a good taste of the Dayak way of life, we suggest traveling to the area around Long Segar on the Kandang Kepala River, and to the Apokayan. The Kutai Game Reserve, although lacking in facilities, provides a n opportunity to see orangutans and other wildlife. For those with little time or knowledge of Indonesia, there are several travel agencies in both Balikpapan and Samarinda, some of which can custom design tours, including ones to the remote interior.

South Kalimantan-Kalsel-is also well organized for visitors. Banjarmasin is the only city in Kalimantan worth a visit for its own sake. It has an interesting floating market and nearby river islands with gibbons and shy proboscis monkeys. Nearby, diamonds are dug out of primitive shafts and traditional cutting and polishing readies them for sale in Martapura. Banjarmasin, in the Loksado area, is a good spot from which make treks into Dayak-inhabited regions. There is one good travel agency in Banjarmasin and plenty of freelance guides, some quite experienced.

Central Kalimantan-Kalteng-has few facilities for tourism, although the regional capital, Palangkaraya, offers decent accommodations. This is the least visited region in Kalimantan, and trips up the various rivers in Kalteng, on your own or with a guide, can be fascinating. Many of the Dayaks in Kalteng follow the traditional Kaharingan faith whose spectacular funerary rituals, lasting for weeks, are open to visitors. This event is only recommended for those with a genuine interest in the culture and a willingness to put up with village living conditions.

West Kalimantan-Kalbar-and its capital, Pontianak, are low on most visitors' agendas, at least partly because there is so little information available on the area. Travel agencies, which once limited their tours to coastal areas, are finally beginning to organize inland trips. From Pontianak it's easy to fly or take a riverboat up the Kapuas River to outposts forms where you can visit the Dayaks of the interior.

Opposite: A Kanyah Dayak Chief. If this warrior's regal bearing were not itself enough to communicate his status, the tattoo motifs, leopard skin poncho, hornbill feathers and other decorations would mark him as an aristocrat.

Opposite: A boy and his family show off their family pet. Above, left A pretty Bahau Dayak Girl from East Kalimantan. Above, right: Longging brings considerable income to Kalimantan, but its long-term environmental impact may be grim.