Kalimantan Hiking & Wildlife

Upon arrival at the airport in Banjarmasin, you will be greeted and transferred to your hotel. After settling in, your guide will meet you and take you on a boat ride through the canals of the city where you can see the local Banjarese people who live along the banks of the rivers. 

Banjarmasin, the provincial capital of South Kalimantan, is the best place to absorb Kalimantan’s urban culture, both on land as on the waters. Located on a delta near the junction of the Barito and Martapura rivers, Banjarmasin has remained an important harbor town on Kalimantan. It has an abundance of wide and mighty rivers, which have always played a significant role in the Banjarese’ (the indigenous ethnic group of Banjarmasin) way of life. To this day, every morning there are floating markets where farmers and merchants ply their goods on boats to trade.

After breakfast, depart for Loksado, a sub-district of the Hulu Sungai Selatan Regency or administrative district. Loksado is set in a lush and stunning natural landscape, with many waterfalls and rushing rivers. It is also home to indigenous Dayak Meratus tribes who occupy traditional houses called Balai.

Enroute, visit the diamond mines of Cempaka in Martapura. You will have an opportunity to explore the town and learn how the Banjar people mine for the diamonds and polish them. Next, stop in the town of Negara where you will board a traditional wooden boat called a klotok. Set sail to see where the old retired buffalo spend their days grazing on lush swamp grass. Return to Negara, and complete the final 1.5-2 hour drive to Loksado.

Today you have the chance to explore the beautiful hills and local villages around Loksado on foot. Walk through bamboo forests, rubber plantations and cross the suspension bridge to a nearby Dayak village. The villagers live off of their land as farmers (mostly cinnamon) and rubber tapping. Discover the traditional family houses called Balai; some are used as a gathering hall to perform rituals and ceremonies.

Continue walking to Haratai waterfall where you can swim and take in the beautiful surroundings before enjoying your box lunch. 

Return to the lodge in the afternoon. The walk is approximately 5 hours in total.

After breakfast, make your way to the banks of the Amandit River for an exciting bamboo rafting journey. This kind of raft is called a Lanting and was the traditional way to transport commodities from Loksado to Banjarmasin. A local guide will maneuver the raft with a long steering pole. There will be a high likelihood of being splashed along the way so be prepared to get wet. You will be outfitted with a life jacket for your safety. Some stops will be made along the way for swimming or to enjoy a snack of fresh coconut. Once you reach the take-out point, a car will meet you and take you to Banjarmasin to check in to your hotel.

Set out early this morning with your guide to visit the floating market on the Barito River. This floating market is a brilliant mix of colors and sights as the Banjar people paddle their canoes around to sell and buy merchandise. Return to the hotel for breakfast and spend the remainder of the morning relaxing before transferring to the airport for your flight to Balikpapan.

Your driver will meet you at the airport in Balikpapan, where you will drive approximately 90 minutes to Samboja Lodge in Kutai Kartanegara Regency.

After breakfast, visit Orangutan Island – six man-made islands – where the orangutans live. The orangutans who call the island home, cannot be released due to handicaps and behavioral issues. Every day, workers bring the orangutans many kinds of fruits, vegetables, and leafy branches. Visitors can help in preparing the orangutans food or help with recording observational data. After lunch, visit Samboja’s sun bear projects; claimed to be the largest in the world. You can help with the maintenance of the cages, behavioral observation of newly formed groups, food preparation and feeding. Return to the lodge for afternoon tea and dinner.

After breakfast, drive for half an hour to take a boat ride along the Sungai Hitam (Black River) where you may be able to see highly endangered proboscis monkeys and other wildlife.

In the afternoon, drive an hour to Bukit Bangkirai forest where you can climb 40 meters/131 feet up into the forest canopy using bridges to a platform. The platform provides a perfect vantage point to observe macaques, leaf monkeys, maroon langurs, gibbons, and hornbills.

After breakfast, you’ll be transferred to Balikpapan airport to catch your flight to the next destination.