Visiting the Daily Life of Dayak Tribe.

When you visit Palangkaraya city, look down from your window plane then you will see green nature that is split by small river where around it there are many mangrove trees. The river flow is similar to dragon head with a very long body. 

When the forest region looks clearly, the city of Palangkaraya will appear as though this city is out of tropical forest. Central Kalimantan full of tourism destination and potention of natural resources. Start from plantation, forestry, fishery,  mining, and animal husbandry that will make visitors curious. Besides of that, the diversity of ethnic group and a three-major of Dayak tribe that live in this region like Ngaju tribe, Ot Danun tribe, and Dusun Ma'anyan tribe.

Do you curious? If you want, please leave your routinities temporary and run to this place to enjoy the life experience by involving yourself together with they way of life of Dayak tribe. 

What Activities You Can Do ?

If you want to know more about Dayak tribe, please learn the traditional dance of Dayak and its musical instruments. This is the right place!!

Dayak Ngaju tribe is the most popular Dayak tribe, occupy some places around Kahayan and Kapuas river, which famous of its arts. Especially the wooden coffin with grave stage and high memorial statue. 

Betang House

Ot Danum tribe occupy some places around the river in the north of Ngaju and in the south of Schwaner and Muller mountains. Ot Danum tribe live in the ancient house with a height of pillar is about 2 - 5 metres above ground level. One house has +/- 50 rooms. This traditional house is called Betang house. Ot Danum tribe is known has a skill in weaving the rattan, palm leaf, and bamboo. They still live by following the ways of their ancestors. 

A tribe in Ma'anyan village still believe in spirits, agriculture ritual, and complex death ceremony. And they still rely on the ability of shaman whenever they need recuperation. The grave here shows social levels. The funeral of the high caste people is located in headwaters, followed with soldier grave, the grave of usual society is located in downstream river. The funeral for slave is located in downstream river side. 

You can use Garuda Indonesia directly to Palangkaraya, which fly three times a day. From Palangkaraya, you have to book a travel packet that encompass the visit to Dayak village. Even several packets include live together with Dayak people.

For the accommodation, this village provide temporary residence. During you live over there, you can learn how to make handicraft or how to cook traditionally. 

Get Around

You have to back to Palangkaraya to rent the car or book the travel packets that is will adapted with your desire. This guide will give you the prediction how long your travel to the location and what you have to do to make your travel enjoyable. 

Palangkaraya

Palangkaraya, in Dayak language means "holy casket". Palangkaraya is easy reached from Jakarta, Banjarmasin, Samarinda, Balikpapan, and other places in island from the air. This city has became the seat of government, commerce, and education. The local museum of Palangkaraya is filled with important collections about history and culture throughout Central Kalimantan.  Here some places that you can visit after or before visiting Dayak village. 

Kuala Kapuas

Kuala Kapuas is located in Kapuas river, 40 km from Banjarmasin. A famous tourism object over there is Telo island, a fisherman village and enjoyable harbour. For the adventurer, rafting enthusiats and nature lovers, there is Rawai cave where it is known with the beatiful and challenge stream. The gold mining in Teweh and Batu Api, Rungan district is also the interesting places to visited. In this region, the gold mining is a main source of livelihood of society over there, they still use traditional methods to mine the gold. 

Sampit

Sampit is the largest wood harbour in Kalimantan. Orchid park in Pembuangan Hulu is a place for a number of rare and beautiful orchid varieties. If you have a hobby in hunting, you can go to Kotawaringin Barat. 

Pangkalanbun

If you architecture enthusiast, you have to visit Ancient palace of Pangkalanbun, it is built by using ulin (ironwood) This is the only heritage of Banjar kingdom that is found in Central Kalimantan. 

Taman Nasional Tanjung Puting

The national park of Tanjung puting is known with beautiful nature also wild animal that live in low land and forest swamp where it is inhabited with orang utan, owa-owa, Bekantan monkey, and other primates. You also can visit the center of Orang Utan rehabilitation, which is supported by WWF (World Wildlife Fund)

The Daily life of Dayak

If you want, you might follow some fishermans to catch fish. Their fishing technique start from using fishing rod until using unique nets. You will feel satisfy after you enjoy your catch result. 

Then, to complete your travel you can go to hunt deers and wild boar with locals. Dayak tribe fulfill their necessities of life  by hunting around the forest, they also have unique hunt methods. They don't hunt animals by gesit but somehow those animals come to approach Dayak people.

How they can do that? They have unique methods in attract attention of animal. When they hunt the deer, they imitate the sound of young deer. Because of the deer isn't always protecting its children, the female deer directly approach to that sound.In hunting, they use spear. The spear has a function to catch an animals from the far distance by fling it to that animal, or it is also can used with poison needle, which is implanted into the end-spear then blown into the target. 

More information about Palangkaraya, Dayak tribe, and another tourism object in Indonesia especially in Central Kalimantan, please visit Wonderful Indonesia
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Derawan and Sangalaki Island : The Spirit of The East Kalimantan Tourism Object

Derawan island is perfect tropical paradise. The warm atmosphere surrounded by the white and smooth beach sand, tall and green palm trees, the clear water that can be changed from green into dark blue colour. 

The underwater life of Derawan island is incredible where you will find giant turtle, dolphin, stingrays, sea cows, baracuda, and stingles jellyfish. The shark over here is one of biodiversity in the world. Not surprisingly, Derawan island is known as one of the best diving tourism object in the world. 

Located not far from the mainland of east kalimantan in Berau regency, Derawan island consist of 31 islands and the most famous among those islands is Derawan island, Maratua, Sangalaki, and Kakaban. 

Two green turtles swim together in Derawan island

Derawan island is a nest of rare and dangerous green turtle, also hawksbill. Everyday you can witness  turtles spawn in the sand or you can swim in the sea together with turtle. The size of entire region of sea conservation is about 1,27 millions hectare. 

In Derawan island, you can find 460 species of corals and take the second position after Raja Ampat in

West Papua. The management of conservation place and team of international experts also find more than 870 species of fishes here, start from dwarf seahorse until giant stingray. In a few days, a group of stingrays within a number of 50 stingrays eat together around Derawan sea. 

Stingray that sometimes appears around Derawan island

While in Kakaban, you can find the greatest jellyfish lake and the most various in the world, include 4 unique species of stingless jellyfish that can swim backwards. This is the reason why Kakaban is considered to become the nomination of World Heritage Site of UNESCO. 

Derawan islands has a great number of unique and protected species like coconut crab, whale, dolphin, and sea cow. The coconut crab is found near Kakaban island and Maratua island, while you can see whale and dolphin in certain months in Semama, Sangalaki, Kakaban, and Maratua. 

The sea cows swim around Panjang and Semama island, while stingrays is found near Sangalaki. Seahorses is located around Semama and Derawan. Another protected species is baracuda. There are 28 spots of diving here. The divers need at least 10 days to explore all of those places. 

How To Go There ?

The underwater biodiversity of Sangalaki 

To go to Derawan island, youc an fly from Singapore to Balikpapan in east kalimantan. You also can take the flight from jakarta, Surabaya, or Denpasar to Balikpapan by Garuda Indonesia or Mandala Air. Then you take one more flight by KALStar, Deraya airlines or DAS to Tanjung Redep in Berau. From this place, a ship will bring you to Derawan island. 

Many resorts in Derawan provide transportation and diving equipments. For the accommodation, many resorts over there provide cheap bungalow with the kalimantan style that overlook to the beautiful sea. You can rent a ship house that is designed as residence if you want to live on the ship, usually for a far travel. 

The sunset atmosphere in Segah river.

If you want to continue your holiday to Sangalaki island, you can take a flight from International Airport of Soekarno-Hatta in Jakarta to Sepinggan airport (BPN) in Balikpapan that is serviced by Garuda Indonesia, Air Asia, and Lion Air. 

From Sepnggan, you can use Deraya plane to the mother city of Berau regency, Tanjung Redeb. Deraya serve the commuter and rented flight. Along the travel, you can see the life of local society in the hinterland of Kalimantant that is not affected by modernization. 

After arrive in Tanjung Redeb, you can continue your travel by speed boat along Segah river to Sangalaki. Seeing the local society that live in the riverside and children play happily will make you smile after the long travel. So far, it's needed 8 until 9 hours from Jakarta to sangalaki. 

Besides visiting Sangalaki, you can visit other islands like Maratua or Kakaban island. In Sangalaki island is built a resort called Sangalaki Dive Lodge that will prepare the lodging facilities, facilities to dive and some guides to dive. 

For more information about Derawan and Sangalaki tourism object and another tourism objects in Indonesia please visit Wonderful Indonesia

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The Muara Kuin Floating Market : Enjoy the market activity on the Boat.

Floating Market of Muara Kuin

Floating market is a place where you can witness or do activity in river market by using boat directly. The floating market is located in Banjarmasin, exactly at the junction of the river of Barito and Kuin. Floating market in Banjarmasin is a reflection of Banjar culture that has been going on long time ago. 

In the south Kalimantan, there are a hundreds rivers that become the important transportation route until now. The tourism objects focus on the river, like floating market of Muara Kuin in Banjarmasin city. When the sun rises, go to this market that reflect the light in the morning between the transactions of vegetables and crops from villages along Barito river and its tributaries. 

The floating market of Muara Kuin is a traditional floating market located on the Barito river, Kuin river mouth, Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan. Traders and buyers use "jukung", the name of boat in Banjar language. This market is started after morning prayer until 09.00 o'clock. The specialness of this market is the barter system still used between Boating merchant (in Banjarnese called bapanduk). The woman traders (dukuh), which boating, sell their own production result, whereas the second hand that is bought from woman traders (dukuh) for later resel  called "panyambangan" 

Map of Banjarmasin

Banjarmasin as the province mother city is a trade and tourism center. Banjarmasin city got the nickname as the City of Water because of its land location is a few centimetres below sea level.

Banjarmasin city, has an area of ​​approximately 72 square miles or approximately 0.22 percent of the area of ​​South Kalimantan. This city is split by Martapura river that give the thew for the society life especially the utilization of the river as water transportation, commerce, and tourism. Besides floating market in Muara Kuin, Banjarmasin, the other floating market that can be visited is in Lok Baintan, which is located in Martapura river.

In 1526 Sultan Suriansyah built a kingdom in the riverside of Kuin and Barito, which later will become Banjarmasin city. In the riverside, at first thrive a traditional trade center. The traders use small boat made from  wood. These traders mostly is woman that use tanggui clothes and wide hat originally from banjar made from sago palm leaves. 

What Do You Can Buy ?

Sasirangan fabric

Of course the tourism theme here is shopping and enjoying the atmosphere of traditional floating market. There are many goods you can buy here such as sasirangan fabric as a South Kalimantan handicrafts.

Sasirangan fabric at the past is used as laung (headband), also functioned as belt which is used by men or as a shawl, veil, also udat (kemben). This fabric also as traditional clothes, which is used in tarditional ceremony, even used in treating the ill man. Nowadays, sasirangan fabric has a function as daily clothes, no longer used for traditional ceremony and this is a typical clothes from South kalimantan. 

The word "sasirangan" was came from word "sirang", which is means "tied" or "sewn" by hand and pulled its string. Sasirangan fabric is made by using material of mori fabric, polyester that sewn by certain ways. And then colored by many colours you want, so it result a fabric by the colorful  line patterns. So, don't forget to buy it as your souvenirs.

Culinary

Besides the vegetable and fruit traders that sell their goods on the boat, also there are some floating food stalls. Soto banjar is typical food from Banjarmasin where we eat without rice but with lontong (steamed rice wrapped). Enjoy soto banjar from your boat while looking ships and boats passing. . 

In Banjarmasin city, exactly along A.Yani street Km 14, you can try typical culinary from Banjar such as soto banjar, ketupat kandangan, kelepon martapura or nasi itik gambut. Nasi itik gambut has very soft taste. The ingredients that is used is ingredient and seasoning by the quality number one. Nasi bebek gambut can easily found from Syamsudin Noor airport until Gambut. 

What Activities You Can Do ?

Muara Kuin Floating Market in the morning

You can enjoy the atmosphere of floating market together with the society life that live along riverside by the typical atmosphere of Banjar village.

Please come in the early morning to see the society busyness so it will become your own experience. The floating market of Muara Kuin is located in the mouth of Kuin river with Barito river and trading activities are started after dawn until 09.00 o'clock.

You can see many kind of goods like vegetables, fruits, fresh fish, and also culinary. You can rent a boat, which is located along the riverside. The rent price is Rp 60.000,00. You can go around the river or buy something. You can use water motorboat or "kelotok" by the rent price approximately between Rp 50.000,00 - Rp 70.000,00 and it depends on the number of passenger. By using water motorboat you can see the culture of Banjar society that sell vegetables, cakes, original  foods and drinks from banjarmasin like soto banjar.

Besides floating market, try to visit Cempaka, an area of diamond and gold mining, about 47 km from banjarmasin. In this place in 1965 ever been found a dimonds by the weight of 166,67 carats, which is named as Intan Trisakti (The diamond of Trisakti). The result of diamond mining is usually traded in Martapura city.  Besides of that, there are Swarangan beach and Batu Lima beach in Tanah Laut regency that you can visit. There are also Haratai waterfall, Riam Anai waterfall, Kilat Api waterfall and Tanuhi hot water.

How To Go there ?

The access to South Kalimantan through Syamsudin Noor airport in Banjarmasin could be taken from Jakarta, Surabaya, and Yogyakarta.

Floating market at the mouth of Kuin river and Barito river can be reached via two routes. The first route from banjarmasin city by using public transport and it needs 15 minutes only. You can start from Veteran street and then take the route of outwards city. Whereas  the second route by using motorboat called kelotok. If you use kelotok boat, from Banjarmasin city to the floating market, it needs one hours.

Accommodation

There are some inns until starred hotels if you want to stay overnight when you want to visit floating market at the dawn. Here are some available in Banjarmasin:

HOTEL MERCURE
Jl. A.Yani Km.2 Banjarmasin
Phone:+62511-3268888
Fax:+62511-3265000
Website:http://www.mercure.com
Email:sales@mercurebanjarmaasin.com

HOTEL RATTAN INN
Jl. A. Yani Km. 5,7 Banjarmasin
Phone:+62 511-3667799,3267899
Fax: +62 511-3267699
Website: www.rattan-inn.com
Email: info@rattan-inn.com

SWISS-BELHOTEL BORNEO BANJARMASIN
Jl. Pangeran Antasari No. 86A Banjarmasin
Phone:+62 511-3271111
Website: www.swiss-belhotel.com

HOTEL GRAND MENTARI
Jl. Lambung Mangkurat No. 48 Banjarmasin 70111
Phone:+62-511 4368944
Fax:+62-511 3353350
Website: www.grand-mentari.com
Email: info@@grand-mentari.com

HOTEL METRO
Jl. Mayjend Sutoyo S. No. 26 Banjarmasin
Phone:0511-3352427
Fax:0511-3360499

HOTEL TEDJA
Jl. Kampung Melayu No. 2A Banjarmasin
Phone:+62 511-3270037

More information about tourism object of floating market and another tourism object in Indonesia, especially in Kalimantan, please visit Wonderful Indonesia

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Lake Kakaban : The Lake with the Richest Diversity in the World.

For all of you who like diving or snorkeling and play safely with non-stinging jellyfish in brackish water lake (only two in the world) you have to visit Kakaban island as your tourism destination.  Kakaban island is one of 31 islands which is joined in a group of Derawan islands and in administratively, this island is included in Berau regency, Derawan island, East Kalimantan. 

If you look at into the map, you can see Kakaban island looks like number 9, where the size of the island is about 774,2 hectare. Number "9" is a group of atoll above sea which is formed a millions years ago. Then for several thousands years ago occurred a lifting process as a result of geological pressure. So the lifting process make atoll lifted into above sea in a height of 50 m then make a number of sea water trapped until it form sea water lake (lagoon). This lake is known as Lake Kakaban. 

In the language of Bajau tribe, Kakaban means hugging. The naming is related to the physical form of Kakaban island where the atoll in the north hug the lagoon and it's separated from the sea water around it. The lake in the middle of the sea looks so beautiful by the clear turquoise colour. Around the lake, there're many lush mangrove plants. 

The presence of Lake Kakaban is one of the tourist reason to visit this uninhabited island. Why? Because of the brackish water lake has unique ecosystem as a result of evolution and it involves the process of chemistry, physic, and biology which complex and long for thousands years.

A lot of researchers from domestic and abroad try to solve the mystery about how an isolated lake ecosystem could be a home of animals and plants which endemic. The endemic lake which about 2,6 X 1,5 km has became a house for millions of jellyfish where they loss their ability to sting, algal organisms which become carpet at the bottom of lake, the white-color anemon which prey jellyfish, fishes, and other endemic biota.

The Jellyfish of Lake Kakaban

Noted that there are only two kinds of this lake (brackish water lake) in the world such as : Lake Kakaban in Derawan islands and jellyfish lake in Palau, Micronesia, in the region of southeast of Pacific ocean. 

There are 4 kinds of non-stinging jellyfish in Lake Kakaban such as moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita, 5-50 cm), spotted jellyfish (Mastigias papua, 1-20 cm), shaped-box jellyfish (Tripedalia cystophora, 7-10 mm), and inverted jellyfish (Cassiopea ornata, 15-20 cm).

The jellyfish species of Martigias papua has the largest population and it is also the agile jellyfish which usually stay in the bottom of lake with the inverted position.  According to the research, the phenomenon of inverted jellyfish is one of form of adaptation (read:evolution) from jellyfish to survive in the isolated lake. The jellyfish is symbiosis with algae to get food. The jellyfish placing algae in their tentacle and move by inverting their body to make algae photosynthesize.

By this way, they can make food. Beside of that, the change of morfology looks clearly at spotted jellyfish (Martigias papua). In this lake, the spotted jellyfish no longer has the spotted and the sting sizes is wane and then the function is lost.  

Regarding to the loss of the ability of a jellyfish sting is caused by there's no predator which prey them in this lake. Naturally, they lost the ability of self-defence system function like the ability to sting. Meanwhile, the anemon who inhabit in this lake change into passive jellyfish predators. The anemon in Lake Kakaban is white-coloured because they don't do symbiosis again with algae. 

Kind of jellyfish in Lake Kakaban

Besides jellyfish, there are 8 fish species which inhabit in this lake. The four most primary species is serinding fish (Apogon lateralis), puntang fish (Exyrias puntang), coral fry (Antherinomorus endrachtensis) and jarum fish (Zenarchopterus dispar).

Lake Kakaban represent the form of ancient life which its nature is extreme where it's revealed by a researchers named Jonathan Kindon from the Institute of biology Anthropology and  department of animal, University of Oxford. England. The presence of four species of jellyfish make Kakaban island is nominated as area of world heritage site by UNESCO that must be protected. Reportedly, jellyfish lake in Palau has only two types of jellyfish species which are similar. Therefore, we can call Lake Kakaban as the largest jellyfish lake and  the lake which has the richest diversity in the world. 

What Activities You Can Do ?

The dock

The dock made from meranti wood extends along approximately 120 meters and looks contrast with blue-coloured sea water around it will greet you while you arrive in kakaban island.

From the island,  before that you have to climb the wood-stair. After that, you have to climb to arrive in the behind of the hill, a place where Lake Kakaban located.

The green trees and birds singing will accompany your travel to the lake. Mangrove forest which is formed in Kakaban island is a house for animals, mangrove trees, and another tropical trees like tanjang tree (Bruguiera), api-api tree (Avicennia), and pidada tree (Sonneratia).

Snorkeling is a mandatory thing which should not missed when you arrive. Diving in the lake which has mystery of evolution process will become unforgettable activity. Moreover, the presence of brackish water lake is the only one in Indonesia and only two in the world. Besides of that, Lake Kakaban has four kinds of jellyfish, twice as many of the species that inhabit jellyfish lake. You can play with jellyfish where the size is like a tip of the forefinger. They're safe because it dosen't sting like the jellyfish which live in the sea. 

The plants and animals which inhabit the ecosystem of Kakaban lake basically is the same ecosystem which live in the sea water. In Lake kakaban, you can see jellyfish, algae, anemone, sea cucumbers, sponges, crab, and many kind of fish and many more.

Kakaban Dive Point

However, for a thousands years, the isolated lake caused by the lifting process of atoll make the lake occupants passing  the stage of evolution in order to adapt and survive in the environment of brackish water. The lake also accommodate the rain water which later mix with the sea water around that can enter through the coral cracks and create different and rare ecosystem. 

Besides diving in Lake Kakaban, you also can dive and snorkeling around Kakaban island. The sea around kakaban island already famous as a home of a large number of barracuda fish, bluefin tuna, stingray, napoleon fish, even shark.

There are some diving spots which already famous in diving world such as Barracuda Point, The Drift, Cabbage Patch, The Wall, Blue Light Cave, The Plateau, Rainbow Run, Diver's Delight, dan The North Face.

How to Go There ?

To reach Kakaban island, you can use speed boat by the capacity of 15 peoples from Derawan, Maratua, or Sangalaki. It's need 45 minutes from Derawan, 30 minutes from Maratua, and 20 minutes from Sangalaki. The rent price of speed boat is +/- Rp 500.000,00 until Rp 1.000.000,00 that can be used to visit three islands in one day. 

The closest airport to the Derawan Islands is the Juwutan International Airport, in the city of Tarakan, East Kalimantan. International flights to Tarakan are available on Malaysian Airlines from Kota Kinabalu and Tawau , both located in Sabah, Malaysia. Domestically, Garuda Indonesia and Lion Air fly from Jakarta to Tarakan. From here take an internal flight south by either KalStar or Deraya Airlines (DAS) to Tanjung Redeb in the district of Berau. Boats will take you from here to Kakaban and other Derawan Islands.

Alternatively, SilkAir flies from Singapore and Air Asia from Kuala Lumpur to Sepinggan International Airport at Balikpapan, capital of East Kalimantan, then connect by internal flight to Tanjung Redeb.Batavia Air, Merpati and Sriwijaya Airfly domestically to Balikpapan fromJakarta,  Surabaya, Makassar.

Once in Berau you can hire a speedboat for the 2 hour ride to the Derawan islands. Speed boats generally have a seating capacity of 15 people, and can be rented to take you to several of the Derawan islands in one day.Boats can be chartered direct to Kakaban, but as there are no accommodations there, the usual routes go through its neighbouring islands of Sangalaki, Maratua or Derawan. Kakaban is about 20 minutes from Sangalaki, 30 minutes from Maratua and 45 minutes from Derawan.

Travel Tips

Bring some foods and drinks when you visit Kakaban island and around it. Please participate in keep the environment of Lake Kakaban, not allowed to throw the rubbish carelessly and also not allowed to ruin the biota of lake dwellers. 

The sea currents in dive spots around kakaban island is strong enough. Rather than fight the current, you should ask someone use speedboat to pick you up at the end point of the dive. Visit Kakaban island together with many friends will save more your money, for example the rent price of speed boat. The more friends you bring, the less your costs to rent a speedboat.

Kakaban island is uninhabited island. To fulfill your accommodation, you can choose resort in Derawan island , Sangalaki island, or Maratua island. In Derawan, there are many inns or cottages which is located around the beach by the price start from Rp 50.000,00 until Rp 400.000,00 /night. The needs to rent snorkeling tools can be found in the nearest three island with Kakaban island.

Accommodation

Maratua Paradise Resort is the closest resort to Kakaban Island, and is the only accommodation on the island. 8 beach chalets and 8 water villas all come equipped with double or twin beds, hot water, and air-con. Room rates are inclusive of breakfast, lunch and dinner, and coffee and tea throughout the day. Facilities include a restaurant, dive rental equipment and dive courses. 

Maratua Paradise Resort

Ground Floor, Lot 4, Block A, Taman Fortuna Shoplots, JalanPenampang

Email: jworld@pd.jaring.my

Telephone: +60-88-248331, 224918

Website: www.maratua.com

Derawan Dive Resort, on Derawan Island, has 27 traditional Kalimantan style cottages, each equipped with air-con and hot water. Facilities include a floating restaurant with a superb sea view and a delicious selection of international and local delicacies. The resort’s dive center is located on the beach with reliable dive equipment rental and professional dive guides. 7 boats are available for travel around the archipelago and back to mainland Kalimantan. 

Derawan Dive Resort

Balikpapan office: Kompleks Balikpapan Permai

Blok G-1 No. 34, Balikpapan

Telephone: +62 542 7072615 / 7072617

Email: marketing@diverderawan.com

tours@divederawan.com

Website: www.divederawan.com

Derawan Homestay is a much cheaper lodging, nestled amongst the palms trees of Derawan’s sandy beaches. Rooms range from 100,000-150,000 rupiah per night, while the new bungalows on the sea cost from 200,000-250,000 per night. Facilities include a restaurant, and organized fishing trips and diving trips. 

Derawan Homestay

Telephone: +62 813 4795 5950

Website: www.derawanhomestay.com

More information about Lake Kakaban and another tourism objects in Indonesia, please visit Wonderful Indonesia
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Enjoy the Harmony and Togetherness of Dayak Tribe in Betang House, Kapuas River, West Kalimantan

When you manifest your adventure desires by down the longest river in Indonesia, then surely you will find Dayak longhouse. Betang houses is the heart of social structure of Dayak tribe also as a life mirror of daily activities of one of amazing tribe. 

Look at how Betang house which is routine issuing a puff of smoke and then it slowly disappear behind the tropical forest of Borneo. that's a sign of pulse of life still continue in the forest and in the side of Kapuas river. Mothers of Dayak tribe which has prepared coconut water which is used for great meal where the flavour and the scent of those foods will make your saliva out.

longhouse of Dayak tribe usually consists of 50 rooms with many kitchens so that it becomes one of the longest house ever built. Although the longhouse looks very simple but the fact is this house has incredible endurance because mostly it was built centuries ago.

Nowadays, there are some Betang houses stand solidly by using ironwood which well-known strong. Betang house usually built at the top of the pole as high as 5 until 8 metre, whereas to enter into the house, usually it use simple stair. Because of the stair is less sturdy so you must be careful when you climb it one by one.

Dayak tribe is Kalimantan's original tribe, the largest island also known as Borneo. Dayak tribe live in the plateau, jungle, and along the river side of this island. They're famous because of their skill to hunt in the forest and today Dayak tribe live as farmer, they produce forest product. They also skilled in weave and make wood carving. 

Longhouse or also called as Betang house

Longhouse also known as betang house or lamin. Generally, this traditional house is located in the river side and built at the top of sturdy pole to avoid of seasonal flooding. River has importan function for daily life because it has function as source of food and drink. Beside of that, the river also used as liaison to the outside world

Longhouse of Dayak tribe is a residence which inhabited by some core families. However, there is one porch which is used for meeting place, ritual, ceremony, culture shows, and also other general activities. The important things from the life in Betang house is value of togetherness by citizens who inhabit it. You will know that Dayak tribe is a tribe which respect to every ethnic differences, religion, or social background.

Dayak tribe must live in the chambers from a longhouse to make them more organized if one day soon there are joint activities or threats from the outside. 

Longhouse not only as a shelter but also in this house also as a creation place of harmony, closeness, and togetherness continuously between residents of longhouse. But nowadays some Dayak tribe prefer to live in the house smaller than a house which is inhabited by some big families. One of the longhouse example like I said above is in Putussibau where Putussibau is a plateau in Kapuas river. Longhouse here has 54 rooms which is inhabited by some families.

In that traditional house, every family is given a duty to take care of common security. Also each families must be involved in ceremony and ritual.

In this house also there's division of labor but it's more emphasized in team work. However, the differences is still seen between nobles and commoners. The leader is positioned in middle house, whereas the lowest caste is positioned near entrance.

In longhouse, every individual life in household are regulated systematically through mutual agreement which is placed in mutual traditional law where the traditional law which included about criminal cases or sharing food and also human strenght mobilisation to work on the fields.

In this traditional house you will feel the togetherness and brotherhood of Dayak tribe. If one of family member dead then the mourning period is absolutely enforced for one week for all residents. In that time, they don't use jewelery, not noisy, don't drink tuak (alcohol) and also they're prohibited to turn on the electronic tools

Longhouse or betang house are spread in every place, such as in the regency of Sunge Uluk Apalin, Melapi, Semangkok, Utik river, and also in Bukung regency. All of them are in Kapuas hulu or in the plateau of Kapuas. This longhouse have became Indonesian culture heritage and it's very important to protected its existence.

Culinary

Mie Tiaw from Pontianak

There's chinese food such as Mie Tiaw in Pontianak which it has become unique culinary that must be tried. You can find Mie Tiaw Apollo in Patimura street and Mie Tiaw 72 in Antasari street.

There're many option start from Mie Tiaw Goreng and Mie Tiaw Siram and both are very delicious. The food like noodle is presented by beef, innards, eggs, and also blend of savory spice.

When you visit Pontianak, you can enjoy one of culinary snacks such as Pontianak fried banana. This food has became icon of culinary tourism over there with the uniqueness like the crispness of its banana where the crispness is made from special flour. The basic materials are banana kepok which is coated by flour, eggs, and it's fan-shaped.

The materials above is fried until its cooked and it can survive until 4 days, so it's suitable to be your food souvenir if you visit Pontinak. The fried banan will become more delicious if you add chocolate, milk, durian jam, blueberry jam, nuts, jackfruit, cheese, and many more.

What Kind Of Activities You Can Do ?

Enjoy the experience by touching the culture of dayak tribe through learn and fused with their traditional life and absorb their local wisdom. Betang house is a perfect place as a medium of learning and understanding the elements and philosophy of life from Dayak tribe.

In here you will understand the background, philosophy, and the deepest values which is continued by parents to the young generation of Dayak tribe.

Explore along the Kapuas river and the Embaloh river in the upper to see directly the long building in the river side. The residence of Dayak tribe looks like school building which long and consist of many chamber. Look at how the old buildings is sustained by the long poles where its lenght between 10 until 15 metre from ground level. The long poles is made from ironwood which not easy to weathered and it's durable for a hundreds years.

The buildings consist of three rooms. The first room called ruai or pandopo which is not limited by board wall. The first room is public room or common yard for play, chat each other, meeting, discussion, or do traditional ceremony. The second room is rooms for each head family which has been limited by board wall.

The buildings is made at high enough altitude from ground level by the only ladder and entrance. They make like this to avoid of flood and wild animal also threat of attack from other tribes. If you see the architecture model of Betang house, you can try to ask the meanings of every buildings model.

The Office of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture has declared that 5 Betang houses in regency of Kapuas hulu as cultural heritage. The cultural heritage is located in village of Sunge Uluk Apalin, Ngayau village, sub-district of Embaloh Hilir, in Melapi, sub-district of Putussibau in Semangkok, sub-district of Kedamin, also in the river of Utik and Bukung, sub-district of Embaloh Hulu. 

Betang house in village of Sunge Uluk Apalin is one of the oldest traditional house of Dayak tribe in west Kalimantan. The interior still native, both of the shape or building materials. betang house which is built 65 years ago consists of 54 rooms by the lenght of 286 metre, the pole platform from ironwood by the diametre above 50 centimetre and the height is about 8 metre. The location is close relative from Putussibau city, the mothercity of Kapuas Hulu regency, about one hour through road trip so Betang house in Uluk Apalin is quite crowded visited by tourists. you will be greeted kindly and it dosen't have to pay, just fill the guest book.

During the visit, you will be greeted by the citizens where mostly are old man by the polite attitude and friendly. You might also will be presented with tuak, a traditional drink from sticky rice and eat betel as a from of ritual to respect the local culture.

Everyday, the women looks busy to weave and the men are busy to sculpt the wood. See directly longhouse, explore Kapuas river and feel the pure kindness from Dayak tribe is incredible experiences that should be tried.

If you don't have a chance to visit longhouse, a replica of longhouse has been built for the visitors in the centre of Pontianak city, exactly in MT Haryono street. If you stand in and under this house, you can imagine how if you live in the longhouse together with some families and livestock which live under the home. If you interested, you can go to Saham village, about 158 km from Pontianak city. The traditional here has a lenght of 186 metre and a width of 6 metre, which is inhabited by more than 259 peoples.

Travel Tips

When you use boat to explore National park of Lake Sentarum or National park of Betung Kerihun, of course you stop in one of the house in the riverside. The longhouse here can't be found in any other place in Kalimantan because of the lenght of the longhouse can reach nearly 250 metre or even more. 

For the travel to Kalimantan hinterland, suggested you have to use the travel agency services. You can click Travel agent. The packet include transportation, accommodation, and dinner.  A number of travel agent also offer dinner with cultural shows in longhouse together with Dayak tribe. For more information about Dayak's daily life, please visit : www.upperkapuas.blogspot.com. You also can find the next information in http://disbudpar.kalbarprov.go.id/wisata-kuliner.html.

More information about Betang house of Dayak tribe and another Tourism objects in Indonesia, please visit Wonderful Indonesia

May be useful and Thankyou for your visit :)

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