Tourists savor East Kalimantan from the deck of a riverboat
By Antoni Tambunan
BALIKPAPAN, East Kalimantan (JP): The charm of Mahakam River has remained East Kalimantan's prime tourist attraction that local travel bureaus have been selling abroad.
A week is not enough to travel along the 720-kilometer-long, one-kilometer-wide river.
The lives of the Dayak people living along the river -- there are 13 subtribal groups -- the wet tropical forests, and coal and gold mining companies are of special attraction to foreign tourists.
Tourist spots in East Kalimantan province, particularly along the Mahakam River, are accessible by boat, usually a houseboat, which can be rented for about Rp 150,000 a day.
The rental period depends on how far upstream one wishes to go, though there is usually a minimum period of three days.
"Traveling along the Mahakam River is a unique experience, something you can't get at other tourist spots in Indonesia," said Santiago Mella, a tourist from Leon, Spain.
Santiago, his wife Juana Munoz and four other tourists, Megalome, Jaime, Pepe and Sarah, recently made a trip along the river which was organized by PT Hofes Adventure, a travel bureau in Balikpapan.
Santiago, a sales supervisor in a pharmaceutical company, and Juana, a junior high school English teacher, have visited Indonesia during their annual leave for four consecutive years.
They particularly like East Kalimantan and have visited the region on each trip. Apart from enjoying the beauty of the Mahakam River, they also trek deep into the East Kalimantan forest.
They said that during their treks into the forest or into Long Apung village, the abode of the Dayak Kenyah tribe which is accessible only by small airplane, they felt as though they had gone back in time to the years when there was no electricity.
"The lives of the Dayak people in the hinterland along the Mahakam River demonstrate the harmony between man and nature. At night, for example, they depend on moonlight and fireflies for illumination," Santiago said.
Jaime, Megalome, Pepe and Sarah said they had always wanted to visit Kalimantan, which they became acquainted with through childhood books.
They said that even though change had come to the region, 90 percent of what they had read still applied.
"Mahakam River is a very pleasing tourist attraction. I feel as if I were on board a yacht, a very natural one from which I can enjoy the beauty of the river night and day," said Megalome, who hails from Madrid.
According to Megalome, during the day they sailed along the Mahakam River, observing the lives of people along the river, the famous wet tropical forests and a number of mining companies operating near the river. At night they enjoyed the beauty of the starry night and the breeze on board a houseboat.
"There are also many other tourist attractions, including fresh-water porpoises which are found only in China, Mexico and Indonesia," Megalome said.
"After spending a day and a night sailing along the Mahakam River, we arrived in the morning at Muara Muntai village, which is famous as a village without a road because its roads are made of wood," Megalome said, adding that in the wet season the overflowing Mahakam River floods the village.
From this village, Megalome went on, they proceeded to Tanjung Isuy village, home to the Dayak Benuaq tribe. They traveled by motorized canoe, locally called a Ces, and had to pass the 5,000- hectare Jempang Lake before reaching the village.
Ibnu Darmawan, head of East Kalimantan's Ministry of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Office, once said that Tanjung Isuy village was one of the most important tourist spots in East Kalimantan. He said nearly all tourist packages offered abroad by travel agencies included this village.
As soon as tourists set foot in the village, the Dayak Benuaq, donning traditional garb, perform a special welcome rite. This rite has become a favorite tourist attraction.
Another attraction of Tanjung Isuy village is that despite the few touches of modernization, the village is still deeply rooted in tradition.
Pepe and Sarah said they found it confusing that people in Tanjung Isuy still believed in traditional cures, such as Belian, even though the village had a hospital.
Belian is a traditional method of treatment. According to Pak Kiwi, an elder in Tanjung Isuy, before a cure can be found to combat an illness, psychics in special attire dance for several days until they get a hint from their ancestors on what treatment to apply.
Quite close to Tanjung Isuy village is another village, Mancong. It is a one-hour walk from Tanjung Isuy, or 15 minutes by motorized canoe along a small river. Mancong is famous for its long houses, called Lamin. The houses are unique to the Dayak people residing there.
Another thing of interest along the Mahakam River is the many species of animals. These include long-nosed monkeys, and birds, among which is the Enggang bird, considered the most sacred bird by the Dayak people.
Further up the river Dayak Kenyah people prospect for gold along the riverbanks.
"Someone prospecting for gold by traditional method from early morning to 3 p.m. will take home at least four grams of gold," said Marta, a tourist guide.
A journey along the Mahakam River usually ends in Tenggarong, an old town in the province that was once the seat of the Kutai Kingdom. Tourists can visit the Kutai Kingdom palace, which was inaugurated as a national museum in 1965. A visit to the palace transports one back to the golden days of the Kutai Kingdom.