Orangutan - Exclusive Great Ape from indonesia

One of the most inteligent primates is Orangutan and it is the only exclusive Kalimantan's living genus of great ape. The word "orangutan" comes from the Indonesia words (orang = man /people; utan = forest), hence "Man of the Forest". Generally, they are not aggressive and live mostly in solitary life foraging for food. Typically, they have reddish-brown long hair with longer arms than other great apes.

Orangutan height averages from 1 to 1.5 meters, with average weights between 35 - 110 kg or more. They have similar hands with human's hands. They can grasp things with both of their hands and feet. Ficus fruits are their favorite food because it's easier to digest.

Recently, there are two kind of Orangutan's genus that still available : Borneon Orangutan (Pongo pugmaeus) and Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo abelii). According to IUCN Red List of Mammals, both genus are listed as critically endangered animals. The total number of Borneon Orangutan is less than 14% from the recent past. Most of Orangutan were killed because of forest and habitat destruction dueto logging, mining, and forest fires.

A number of organisation are working for the rescue, rehabilitation, and reintroduction of Orangutans. One of the non-profit NGO (Non Governmental Organisation) who has dedicated themselves to the consevation of the endangered Bornean Orangutan is The Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation. Founded by Dr Willie Smits in 1991, this Indonesian company has taking care more than 1,000 orangutans and employing more than a thounsandpeople at a hundred sites in Kalimantan to save orangutan. They operated a lot of large projects, such as Samboja Lestari Forest Rehabilitation Program and Nyaru Menteng Rehabilitation Program. Both program is managed by Lone Droscher Nielsen. BOS can be considered as the biggest primated conservation NGO worldwide.

Samboja Lestari itself is an area that created intentionally by BOS as tropical rainforest. It located Kutai District, near the city of Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. The aim of this rehabilitation is to providing save haven for rehabilitated orangutan, while at the same time providing a source of income for local people. With 2,000 hectares ofdeforested and degraded land,Samboha has become oneof the biggest rehabilitation area for Orangutan and other endagered species of birds and primates.

If you have interest to know more about Orangutan and other rare birds, you can take eco-tourism that bein held by Tourist Department of East Kalimantan. You will see the exotic part of orangutan and the fresh rainforest.

Baksa Kembang Dance - Clasical Dance from South Kalimantan

One of the clasical dance that still live until today in South Kalimantan is Baksa Kembang Dance. It is one of the most precious dance that originally only performed by the princess in front of the King. But now, Baksa Kembang has been performed and being learn by a lot of people in Banjar area.

The Baksa Kembang Dance is a dance to welcoming king's guests, such as kings from other kingdom. But recently, it has been used and performed to welcome Government Official, such as Governor, Minister, or even President.

According to Yurliani Johansyah - the Classical Banjar Dance's expertist - Baksa Kembang Dance has been established more than thousand years. She even recognize this dance has been performed long before the Kingdom of Banjar stand in the 15th century. The main key of this dance is the smoothness of the dancer (Baksa was came from the word of "beksan" which means "smooth" in Banjar's language). Another main key of this dance is the flowers bouquet which become the main property while the dancers performed this dance. The bouquet is the compilation of variant flowers (such as Rose, Jasmine, magnolia, and cananga), and will be presented to the honour guest.

The dance itself tells the story about the princess that playing in the flower park. They pick flowers and make them as a bouquet, then use it as their play-toy. The dancers is wearing a crown called Gajah Gemilang, a silver crown that being decorated using blossom forth. Usually the dancers are in odd-numbers (1, 3, 5, or 7 persons). This dance is accompany with tradisional percussion that played song called Ayakan, Janklong, or Kembang Muni.

This unique dance can be seen in South Kalimantan. So, if you visit there, and have a chance to see this dance, take your time to see it. Because not all the time we have a nopportunity to see this such a beauty dance in South Kalimantan.

Singkawang - Exotic Multi Ethnic City

Singkawang is not a big city. It only has 50,400 hectares wide, divided into 5 districts and 26 villages. Located near beach and surrounding by beautiful mountain view,  Singkawang has become one of the largest tourism object in West Kalimantan.

In the beginning, Singkawang was a small village that became a transit area for gold miner, especially from Monterado. Some of the gold miners were come from China. Besides as a transit area, most of the gold miners were doing the transaction in the city. Because of this, the economy in Singkawang grew. Many of the miners who used to be only stay awhile, finally decided to stay permanently in Singkawang. Based on Government Regulation UU No.12 / 2001, Singkawang has been appointed as an Autonomy District by The President of Republic Indonesia.

There are three ethnics that live in Singkawang : Malayu, Chinese, and Dayak. All of them are living side-by-side in harmony. The combination of their ethnic traditions and cultures, turn Singkawang become a colorful city with the most combination traditions in Indonesia.


WHAT CAN WE SEE IN SINGKAWANG? 
Singkawang as several fantastic beach that you need to see. The water is blue, the sand is white, and the area is clean. One of the most popular beach is Taman Pasir Panjang Indah. It located 17 kilometers from South Singkawang or 128 kilometers from Pontianak City. The view in this beach is fascinating. You can do most if the beach activities : Banana Boat, kayaking, speedboat, beach volley, flying fox, cycling around the beach... you name it.... If you feel like "Well.... why not stay a night or two in this place?", you don't have to bring your own tend. There are several hotels and motels that available for you to stay.

Another nice beach that been well-known since long time ago is Palm Beach (previously known as Taman Impian Pasir Panjang). It closed to Taman Pasir Panjang Indah and have a wonderful view of beach. Very calm, and very refreshing. Try to stay till sunset. You can see how lovely the place when the sun goes down...

Another place that you should never miss is Sinka Island Park. It located in the Tourist Area of Karang Bay / Ma'jantuh Bay, located about 8 kilometers in South Singkawang, this place offered modern tourist facilities for family. The place is surrounding by the beautiful view of mountain and it consists of many kind of rare animals. They also provide tour-car for you who want to see the whole area.

If you are looking for adventure sight-seeing, try to go to Gunung Poteng (Poteng Mountain). It located at the Raya Pasi Sanctuary, and located about 3 kilometers from Singkawang. Besides its beautiful view,it also consist of many faunas and plants, such as Amorphopallus sp (Carrion Flower), Rhizanthes zepelii (Star Flower), Giant Padma Flower (Rafflessia tuan-mudae), and some variants of orchids.

Or you can visit Bagak Sahwa Mountain which consists of some of rare animals such as Honey Bear, Flying Squirrel and Boar. It located about 15 kilometers East Singkawang.

There are many more to see in Singkawang. So... grab your bags. It's party in Singkawang....!!!

Sasirangan - A Beauty Gift from Banjarmasin

If you went to Banjarmasin (the capital city of South Kalimantan), one thing you should not miss is Sasaringan. It is a traditional motif cloth from Banjar ethnic. Literally, Sasaringan means "straight line" in Banjar dialect.  In fact, this cloth is having pictures and colors that made in vertical (from top to bottom) straight line.

Sasaringan has been known since 13th century. In the beginning, this cloth been called Langgundi (yellow weaving cloth) because it usually made in yellow color. The Langgundi cloth had become daily cloth than been wore by people in Banjar when Empu Jatmika become The king of Dipa (Banjarmasin) in 1355 - 1362. At that time, there was a city called Amuntai, that became a central of Langgundi production. Since 1365, people starting to develop Sasaringan. And since then, Langgundi had been replaced by Sasaringan because the the design of Sasaringan weaving is better than Langgundi.

Even not popular anymore, Langgundi is still available until today. Usually it's been used for special healing ritual as wrapper or headband.

The oldest Sasaringan that still available right now is belong to Mrs Ida Fitriah Kusuma, one of the resident of Banjarmasin. She has a 300 years old of Sasaringan which she received from her great-grand mother. On July 24, 1982, Mrs Ida Fitriah Kusuma gathered housewives of Banjarmasin who have intention of Sasaringan, and formed Banawati's Sasaringan Weaver Group (Kelompok Kerja Pembuat kain Sasaringan Banawati). This group has intention to introducing the cloth to younger generations, so the cloth will not extinct and they can keep the cloth as their heritage.

Starting 1985, The Governor of South Kalimantan Ir. HM Said instructed all Governmental officers to wear dress and uniform that made from Sasaringan cloth in every Friday. Until today, the instruction still followed and you still can see all government officers wear Sasaringan cloth uniform in every Friday.

Most tourists that visiting Banjarmasin will look for Sasaringan cloth. Besides the design is nice, you can feel the marvelous softness of this hand-weaving cloth. The cloth is sold widely in a lot of places in Banjarmasin. The price of Sasaringan cloth is depending on the motif and the type of the fabric. The more difficult design that been used, the more expensive the price.

Sasaringan cloth recently has been made in several variants of fabric, such as sateen, silk, cotton, or santung (rough silk cloth). Especially for silk, there are two kinds of it : Grand Silk (second grade silk) and Super Silk (first grade silk). Sasaringan cloth usually sold in pieces. Each piece consist of 2 meters (for top making, such as shirt),3 meters (for pant), 5 meters (for uniform top and bottom), and 7 meters (for complete part of ladies dress). The price of the cloth is between Rp 60,000 to Rp 75,000 / meter (approx. US$ 6,5 - 8 / meter).

But if you have no time to sewn the cloth, you can look for its shirt or dress in well-known mall around Banjarmasin, such as Duta Mall or Citra Sasaringan (near Pasaraya Citra).

If you want to have a long-lasting sasaringan cloth that can kept for years, here are some tips to taking care of this cloth or shirt :
1. Separate Sasaringan cloth from other shirt when you do first time washing, because the color of sasaringan cloth usually faded.
2. Don't dry it in the sun directly.

So...if you visit South Kalimantan, remember to look for Sasaringan. Because if you leave Banjarmasin without it, people won't believe you ever been there. Trust me..... it's true....

The Exotic Foods from Balikpapan

If you are one of the Crabs Lover, then Balikpapan is your heaven. Yeah....!!! Balikpapan has well-known for their crabs-dishes. You can find a lot of restaurants that sell crabs as their favorite menu. Each restaurant offer their special recipes you can't resist. Be prepared.... because in this article, I will "torture" you with the information of the most delicious crabs restaurant from Balikpapan.


OYSTER SAUCE'S CRABS
There is no any other place that serves Oyster Sauce's Crabs better than Rumah Makan Kepiting Dandito (Dandito's Crab Restaurant). Located in Marsma Iswahyudi Street, this restaurant serve their famous crabs in oyster sauce. Besides Oyster Sauce, they also have The Super Delicious and Hot Black Pepper Sauce's Crab and Dandito's Sauce Crabs that will thrill everybody's tongue. The taste is hot, but not so strong, Dandito's Sauce is a combination of special ingredients and recipe. Each once, and you will never resist to add more.....!!!Not enough spicy for you? Add their special mix red hot chilli with vinegar into the crabs. Wow..... the hot sensation is very nice but not burning. Very cool for people who love spicy food. Beware.... if you can't hold yourself to this delicious yummy crab dishes, please don't force yourself to eat it. It will turn you into Crab Addict. Really....!!

SWEET AND SOUR CRABS
Enjoying crabs in sweet and sour combination? Perhaps the crabs from Rumah Makan Kepiting Kenari can be your choice. Same area with Dandito, Kepiting Kenari offers a very special menu that you can't refuse : Sweet and Sour Sauce Crabs. Their crabs is in big size and some parts of the crabs have been filled with delicious sauce.

Besides crabs, try to order their famous lobster. Cook with leek, black pepper sauce and their secret ingredients, it will fill you with heavenly passion feeling. Hmmmm..... so sensual.

CRAB FLOSS
If you are looking for remarkable snack to take home, don't forget to look for Crab Floss (Abon Kepiting). It is also one of the most popular local snack that been hunted by the tourists when they visit to Balikpapan. Crab floss was made from real crab's flesh, content high protein, can be eaten directly, or use it as additional or replacement of meat on your sandwich.

So.... what are you waiting for? C'mon... let's hunt the crab's cuisines in Balikpapan.....

Balikpapan - The City of Oil

One of the famous city in Borneo / Kalimantan is Balikpapan. Refering to its name, Balikpapan literally means "turn the plank upside down". Balikpapan has been a very well-known place since 17th century. F. Valenijn - a writer from Holland - wrote a book about Balikpapan and published it in 1724. According to his book, Bilipapan (the earlier name of Balikpapan) is a very nice place that located three miles from the seashore.

Why people call that place as Balikpapan? There are two version about the origin of the name :
1. Based on the book of F. Valenijn (1724) :
When Borneo was still as kingdom named Kutai in the mid of 17th century, The Ruler - Sultan Muhammad Idris - requested the villagers to donated 1,000 pieces of plank that will be used to build a mosque. However, when the villagers sent the plank thru the river, there were 10 pieces of board that drift away by the river. This accident was soon been known as Balikpapan (in Kutai language, it means "turn back the plank"). And to remembering the accident, Sultan Muhammad Idris used it as the name of the place.

2. Based on the Urban Legend :
There was a legend said that the origin of Balikpapan people was the family of Kayun Kuleng and Papan Ayun. Since most of them were married, their family name mix into "Kuleng Papan" or "Balik Papan". People believed, this name has been used since 1527.

In the past, Balikpapan was an isolated Bugis fishing village. But since the finding of oil in February 10, 1897, Balikpapan become well-known as The City of Oil and a lot of trans migrants from all over Indonesia come to work in Balikpapan. Since then, Balikpapan become one of the largest mix-culture population in Indonesia after Jakarta. Most of the communication is using Indonesian language.

To get to Balikpapan is not an issue because Balikpapan has Sepinggan International Airport, the largest airport on the island of Borneo. It is also the busiest airport in Kalimantan and permits large aircraft. If taking the ferry as sea-transportation, it has sea-port as Semayang and Kariangau. They were serving commercial boats to many destinatinations in Indonesia, such as Surabaya, Makassar, Jakarta, and Manado.

WHAT CAN WE GET IN BALIKPAPAN? 
BANGKIRAI HILL : 
One of the most popular adventurous tour area in Balikpapan. Located about 58 kilometers from Balikpapan City, it is a tropical forest area. In this 15 millions hectares of area, you can smell the fresh air and view the nice forest view. You also can see some of the rare species of birds, such as Drongos (Heaven Birds) and Richoneros (Enggang Birds). Looking for place to stay? It has nice cottage in the area. 


WANAWISATA : 
It is a Arboretum park that located about 10 kilometers from Balikpapan. Inside the park, you can find a lot of variations of rare trees and fruits. It also the sanctuary of Sambar Deer (Servus unicolor). 


AUSTRALIAN MONUMENT : 
Well... definitely it is not mean Balikpapan belong to Australia, but this is the monument to commemorate the Australian soldiers (7th Division Army of Australia) who died helping Indonesian soldiers during the occupation of Japan in 1945. These 725 meters square area is located near the Strand Banua Patra Coast. 


MELAWAI BEACH : 
One of the most exotic beach in Balik papan is Melawai Beach. Located in Jendral Sudirman Street, near Tukung Island. There are a lot of local people who sells exotic fresh fruit and dishes in reasonable prices. People who come to the place can enjoy the meal while watching the beach and the sunset. So nice....!!!




 

New Species in Borneo - Kalimantan

Recently, WWF - The Conservation Organization reported that they found 120 new species of animals in conservative area (called Heart of Borneo) in Borneo. In the area of 220,000 km2, WWF found at least two to three new species every day averagely. This news is truly amaze us. Almost everyday we heard about the extinction of present species, but now new species are appear.

Heart of Borneo itself is a conservative and protected area that located in Borneo island, among the border of Indonesia, Brunnei Darrusalam, and Malaysia. It is the place of 10 primate species, more than 350 birds, 150 reptiles, and more than 10,000 rare floras. WWF was particularly active in the establishment of the area. They have played role in promoting the critical Heart of Borneo initiative and in assisting the trans boundary in its conceptualization, design, and implementation.

Some fascinating new species that been found in the are are Flat-Headed Frog and has been called "Barbourula kalimantanensis". Found in 2008, this species breath using its skin and has no lung at all. Another fascinating species is an insect called Phobaeticus chani. It is the longest insect in the world (with total 36 cm of length body). So far, WWF only found three pieces of this animal. There also have Long-Tail Snail that contain calcium-carbonate at its tail and being use to do reproduction.

WWF also found Java Elephant in that area. This is a truly surprise and a happy news because this species already extinct because has been hunted in the past. In Borneo, when saw this species for the first time, WWF called this elephant as Pygmy Elephany (Bornean Pygmy Elephant) because it is in smaller size comparing with regular elephant. But later on, after do more research, WWF stated that the elephant they found was one kind from Java Elephant species. People believe Java Elephant that appeared in Borneo was being brought by Sultan Sulu - one of the King from ancient Phillipines - from Java Island to Borneo around 1800s.

Brief Introduction Of Borneo / Kalimantan
Borneo itself is one of the largest island in Indonesia and the third largest island in the world, after Greenland and New Guinea. The island is divided among three countries : Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. More than 73% are is belong to Indonesia. People in Indonesia called this island as "Kalimantan", meanwhile people from other country known it as "Indonesian Borneo". Kalimantan is divided into foun provinces :
a. East Kalimantan
b. South Kalimantan
c. West Kalimantan
d. Central Kalimantan

Kalimantan is known with its river. There are three biggest river in Kalimantan :
1. Kapuas River (located in West Kalimantan, with approximately 1,143 km length, made it become the longest river in Indonesia).
2. Barito River (located in South Kalimantan, with 890 km length of river).
3. Mahakam River (located in East Kalimantan, flows 980 km from the district of Long Apari in the highlands of Borneo to the moth of Makassar Strait).
Since known as the Island of River, water transportation such as boat become one of the popular transportation in Kalimantan.

There are a lot of fascinating things and cultures can be found in Kalimantan. Will let you know in other articles....