Kalimantan

EAST BORNEO SOUL          


A 10-day journey to encounter the East part of Kalimantan. The indigenous Dayak tribes along the rivers of East Borneo is an ideal way to experience the incredible Dayak culture, where village elders practice traditional medicine  and mark their status with intricate body tattoos and their remarkably traditional longhouses. The great Punan ecological wealth and cultural treasures survive deep within the rainforest jungle of Indonesia’s largest island. Kalimantan’s dense jungle and wide terrain of wetlands have traditionally kept the region isolated from all but the adventurous travellers.

A houseboat or Klotok is a traditional wooden river boat, about 12-metres by 2-metres with an upper deck from where you can view the rainforest. The boat will serve as your transportation, accommodation and restaurant. Simple mattress, pillow, fine meals, bottled mineral water, mosquito net, kitchen and a simple toilet are available on the boat.

The Dayak
The indigenous people inhabiting the dense tropical rainforests of Borneo are collectively called the Dayak, but in fact they comprise many tribes that are diverse in culture as well as in language. The word “Dayak” actually means “inland” or “upriver”, especially where the Indonesian part of Borneo, - called Kalimantan, - is cut by many long and wide rivers as well as many tributaries, which are used as transportation highways. 

In Central Kalimantan live the Ngaju Dayaks, the Lawangan, the Ma’anyan and the Ot Danum, known as the Barito Dayaks, named after the Barito River. The Ngaju are involved in agricultural commerce, planting rice, cloves, coffee, palm oil, pepper and cocoa, whilst, the other tribes still mostly practice subsistence farming through the slash and burn lifestyle. Although many Dayaks have modernized and converted to Christianity and Islam, however, the majority still adhere to the original Kaharingan belief, also known as the Hindu-Bali Kaharingan, which is a state recognized faith. Kaharingan belief focuses on the supernatural world of spirits, including ancestral spirits. The Ot Danum tribe is known for their skill in plaiting rattan, palm leaves and bamboo. Until today they still continue to follow the ways of their ancestors. The Ot Danum live in long houses built on 2-5 meter pillars above the ground. One house has around 50 rooms. These longhouses are locally known as betang. Dayak tribes make a living by clearing forests and hunting for wild animals.

The Punan is egalitarian and non-hierarchical. Their social structure is based on an extended network of obligations, mediated by a host of kin ties and a complex naming system that links the generations even as it aligns the living with the dead. In the absence of social stratification, there are no specialists. Although certain individuals may be more talented than others at specific tasks, the hunting and gathering adaptation demands self-sufficiency, and each person must be capable of participating in every societal activity. For the Punan the forest is alive, pulsing, and responsive in a thousand ways to their physical needs and their spiritual readiness. The products of the forest include roots that cleanse, leaves that cure, edible fruits and seeds, and magical plants that empower hunting dogs and dispel the forces of darkness. There are plants that yield glue to trap birds, toxic latex for poison darts, rare resins and gums for trade, twine for baskets, leaves for shelter and sandpaper, wood to make blowpipes, boats, tools, and musical instruments. For the Punan all of these plants are sacred, possessed by souls and born of the same earth that gave birth to the people

The Derawan Islands (Indonesian: Kepulauan Derawan) are located in the Celebes Sea east of the province East Kalimantan of Indonesia. Administratively they are included in this province. The archipelago consists of the islands Derawan, Sangalaki, Kakaban, Maratua, Panjang, and Samama with a number of small islands and semi-submerged reefs. Located in a biodiversity hotspot, the Derawan Islands feature 872 species of reef fishes, 507 species of coral, and invertebrates, including protected species (giants clam species, sea turtles, coconut crab, etc.). Some of the islands harbour the heavily exploited turtle eggs and yet the largest green turtle nesting site in Indonesia.

- International or Domestic flights
- Lunches and/or dinner
- Daily guide, speaking the language of your choice
- Insurances
- Entrance fees at the sites
- Any other wish to complete your journey