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The Mahakam River, East Kalimantan - Indonesia
The Fascinating Mahakam River at Indonesia Borneo Island is a intriguing history of Sultan Kingdoms and traditional Dayak Tribes, with a wealth of ecological and cultural treasures that survive deep within the rainforest jungle of Indonesia ’s largest island. It's the highway into Kalimantan ’s dense jungle where you can discover the rich Dayak Culture and their Longhouses. The grand diversity of exotic flora and wildlife from black orchids to fresh water dolphins and orangutans give you an unforgettable trip at East Kalimantans.
The Mahakam River is the most important traffic route in East-Kalimantan. Between the spring in the mountains and the delta along the coast, the river measures somewhere 1.000 kilometers. In between several big rivers mouth in the Mahakam River. Big ships use the big river system until the highlands, where rapids eventually make any progress impossible; from there “longboats” (big canoos with motors) are used.
UPPER MAHAKAM RIVER
The Mahakam springs in the 1500 to 2000 meter high Müller Range, not too far from the border with Sarawak. Before streaming down about 100 kilometers to the first Dayak village, Long Apari, three side-rivers - Apari, Hubung and Kasau - join the Mahakam. After several dozen small mountain villages, the river falls down about 150 meters through several dangerous rapids. Besides several noisy longboat there is no other traffic here. The Dayak along the Upper-Mahakam mainly live from agriculture ( ladang cultures ). Incidental income are gained from birds nests, ratten and washed gold. Because of the hard and dangerous transport through the rapids, basic goods are extensively expensife. Every once in a while a canoo turns upside down: the valuable goods are lost and sometimes also their even more expensife motors. People also get drowned regularly.
MIDDLE MAHAKAM RIVER
The village of Long Bagun, on threehundred kilometers from the spring of the Mahakam, is the final destination of traffic on the river, besides several longbot. The river reaches the small city of Long Iram through several more than 150 km long valleys, this is the final destination of the organised, heavy traffic. A big part of the year, smaller ships will continue the trip to Long Bagun, but a period of drought in the hinterlands can cause the waterlevel to drop very fast and make traffic impossible.
COAST & DELTA OF THE MAHAKAM RIVER
After Long Iram, the river widens. The brown water turns through the endless lowlands to the sea. Slowly the small villages are replaced by small cities. Through the sky, the distance between Long Iram and Samarinda is about 175 kilometers but over water it's about twice that distance. Near Muara Pahu, where a big side-river flows in the Mahakam, the hungry traveller is welcomed by a long row of food stalls. Several hours downstream, the river lingers between four big lakes. After that is streams towards the north to meet it's most important side rivers near Muara Kaman, the Kedang Kepala and Belayan. Most boats will stop for a dinner on Senoni, about 30 km downstream from Muara Kaman. Sometimes there is cold beer or river lobster; after a visit to the inlands, Senoni is the place to be for a culinair trip. Near Tenggarong, the governmental center of the Mahakam beaken, the river becomes a crowded traffic route for ships in all kinds and sizes. This lively crowd is kept until Samarinda, where the seaworthy ships make themselves ready for departure to Makassar Strait, 60 km to the east.
Tour Destination : Mahakam River, East Kalimantan, Indonesia
Main Interest & Things to do :
Jungle trek, and exploring the Flora and Fauna which can't be found anywhere else in the world, as only in along this Mahakam River which is the second longest River in Indonesia, and Third longest in the World, and steams from the Muller Mountains into the Sulawesi Sea. Several Tourism object can be found along the Mahakam River in East Kalimantan as : Muara Muntai, Tanjung Isuy & Mancong, as Dayak Benuaq villages with Longhouses, settled along the Jempang Lake, surrounded with lowland rainforest and wild life. Melak, Kersik Luwai National Park, Eheng and Ombau Asa villages, at the middle pasrt of the Mahakam River, Kersik Luwai as a national Park is famous of it's wild and Black Orchid, Eheng is a Tunjung Dayak village with a Traditional Longhouse, Ombau Asa has a waterfall as nature beauty,Melak is a jump off point for further routes into the Kalimantan hinterland.
Data Bilang and Rukun Damai, are Dayak Bahau and Dayak Kenyah villages with traditional Culture and Longhouses, surrounded by tropical rainforest and jungle.
Long Bagun is the last village which can reached with public river transport, and is a transit place for further inland transportation facilities, from here Longboats here to be chartered, crossing the dangerous rapids, to move on to the upper Mahakam River area or trekking cross Borneo to west Kalimantan either to the Apokayan area.
Long Apari as the last village at the Mahakam River with traditional Dayak Culture and virgin Rainforest, traditional blow pipe hunting and forest trekking can be done here.
Recommended visit time for the Mahakam River is 3 till 15 days.
Culture :
Dayak Benuaq, Dayak Tunjung, Dayak Modang, Dayak Kenyah, Dayak Bahau, Dayak Kayan, Dayak Punan, Kutai
Flora & Fauna : Tropical Rainforest and Wild life
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Watch movie: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GfPGF-1zbo
source: borneotourgigant.com
