Borneo is an island that lies in the northwest part of the Indonesian archipelago. It is the third largest island in the world and the southernmost in the Pacific ocean. Indonesia’s Kalimantan province makes up the southern portion of Borneo, while Malaysia and the Islamic sultanate of Brunei, make up the north.
What sets this island apart, and where it gets its name, is the spectacular Borneo rainforest, which covers the majority of the island, and is the most bio-diverse region on the planet.
A major contributing factor to the biodiversity is the island being equatorial- meaning, the equator runs through it, making the climate hot and humid all year round. The average rainfall is an astounding 150 inches. The flora and fauna of this region are very interesting and unique! The largest flower in the world grows here, suitably named the monster flower (Rafflesia arnoldii). The rainforest is also home to the orangutan, the proboscis monkey, elephants, and there used to be rhinos before they became extinct.
There are records of humans on this island as early as 150 CE, a discovery made through the archaeological uncovering of Roman and Indo-Javanese artifacts. Hindu and Buddhist images have been found in the valleys of Kilamantan, illustrating the ancient roots of these belief systems and ways of life. Coming from such a place, it is clear why these beliefs are so rooted in nature and the spirit. No wonder the people believe in god, whomever or whatever that may be, and how they find this higher power in the natural world. Once you spend some time in places like this, the mysticism really becomes apparent.
The Banjar are the dominant ethnic group of Kilimantan, but the territory also has a population of an indigenous group ccalled the Dayak. The population of Kilimantan is mostly ethnic Malay and Muslim now as a result of migrations and settlements. Kilimantan is divided into districts of north, south, east, west, and central.
Balikpapan is a coastal city on the southeast side of the island in the district of East Kilamantan, along the Makassar straight. This is where I landed from Jakarta, ready to begin the next part of my journey. I flew in as close as I could get to the Sebangau National Park. This park used to be a logging station, but is now a research station for scientists who work in the rainforest.
I must take this moment to reveal a mistake I made in planning, or lack thereof. Most people know that I love (LOVE) to be spontaneous and just wing it most of the time. But sometimes winging it really doesn’t work in out in our (my) favour. But this is alright; there has to be some events that take us in directions we didn’t expect, and show us things we didn’t know were out there to learn from. So anyway, my goal was to go into the Borneo rainforest to do some trekking. I visited this beautiful rainforest six years ago, but through the Malaysian side of the island in Sabah. Ever since that trip, when I saw the orangutans and the trees, I haven’t stopped thinking about coming back. Six years ago was a different time: pre-covid tourism was more open-ended and accessible. Last time my friend and I just flew into Sabah and booked a tour, winging it. But… I didn’t really think this one through. I went in with blind optimism that I could just do this again. First of all, the Indonesian side of Borneo is a lot less developed than the Malaysian side; rugged, with less access, mostly unpaved roads, and only a few safe routes in, so you must use a guide. Combine this with the current monsoon season, it was not an appropriate time of year for this trek. The weather would make it quite treacherous, the locals warned. The tourism industry took a serious hit during the pandemic lockdown. So the prices have soared in efforts to recoup. Once I did find a willing guide, he wanted to charge over a thousand USD (you pay more as a solo traveller)… and while I’d be happy to spend many riches on this kind of experience in different circumstances, right now I’m looking out for longevity on this trip. The time I found myself with here, was converted into a little bit of local exploration, much reflection, and time to research just what is happening to the rainforest. I will come back during the right season, to explore and covert my plans into a more sustainable effort in travel. I seek to engage in some volunteering to contribute to rainforest preservation efforts, which will help to offset the cost and make a difference, even if its small scale.
So long story longer, the city of Balikpapan is what I got in place of this trek. This is a different place than most of you could picture so I will do my best to describe it to you. This city is a port and also a mining city so its quite busy along the coast and in the city centre. Lets just say this was a super local experience, rough around the edges, quite jarring to an outsider, and I count myself lucky to be seasoned by Jakarta before spending a few days here. This is a different side of Indonesia, that most people who travel here do not see or will not quite understand.
The province saw a huge resource boom in the earth 21st century, becoming one of Indonesia's most attractive regions for local and foreign investment. The mining of gold and coal boosted the local economy, but at a steep environmental cost. Landholders are struggling and aren't motivated to maintain traditional farming practices. There is an oil refinery near Balikpapan and there is oil extraction offshore.
Where I stayed and what I saw:
The Airbnb I booked was a room in a house up on a big hill overlooking the city along the coast. It was very basic, not westernized at all, which is fine, I can adapt. It did, however, offer an unbelievable vantage point of the sea, and the mosaic of houses and mosques (this province being dominantly Muslim).
My real luck here lies with meeting my host’s daughter, Olivia, a fourteen-year-old with great English, who became my local tour guide. She was very fun to hang with, taking me around on her motorbike, showing me all the best local spots. Olivia is a very curious girl and we shared lots of stories, dreams and ideas in the time we spent together. She gave me the inside scoop of the happenings of the place she has lived her entire life, and hasn’t left, though she dreams of studying abroad. I hope she makes it out one day.
There’s big wealth here in resources and export, and you can see this displayed in different ways. The houses that the miners live in are fancy and gated. Then the military complexes are on another level, she says they are treated like royalty. This is the island where the new capital is to be, so the military presence will only get stronger. The political buildings are huge and gated as well.
There are also two huge malls side by side in the centre (a strip along the water). The town is still quite rugged, so the malls look strange, like they were dropped in by a giant hand (I guess like a foreign investor’s hand if you can dig it?). They illustrate the changing times that come with money, and offer a place for the locals to spend that money and display the growing wealth through materialism, an inherited value. I’ll leave you to decide if this is good or bad value on your own… Another display of the wealth and turn to modernity is this unbelievable mosque I found, that I do not know the name of. It takes up an entire block, looking staggeringly out of place among the dusty shops and restaurants along this part of road. It is absolutely beautiful in its geometric design and patterns. Taking my shoes off, I went inside and it took my breath away.
This city is not accustomed to having too many tourists or for that matter foreigners walking around. Tourists fly in, and go directly to treks. I could clearly grasp this by the expressions on the locals’ faces when they laid eyes on me, pointing and chatting among themselves. It was a little challenging to spend time here on my own, always standing out. I definitely kept my hair covered to not increase this radar. There is very little English I found beyond Olivia. I just took it in stride, used my few conversational words (mis en place!) and count myself lucky to experience this side of life. It’s not everyday I find myself in a world like this due to distance and privilege. So I sucked it up. And this is actually the famous spot that I discovered bakso (the meatball and noodle soup), thanks to Olivia.
This gave me bonus points later for knowing about it. The warung (local eateries) were not in shortage here, people in Indonesia love to eat!! I also discovered that, being a Muslim territory, it is a dry place, meaning there is no alcohol here - at all. Instead, there are many little milk tea spots (all the rage here) to sit and enjoy the scenery at.
The bigger picture:
So after a couple days with Olivia, I spent my last night here in a different place just to take in another angle and do some reflecting. It was actually a really cool spot, once I found it. I took a 45-minute walk with my pack from the house on the hill, through the centre, and up another hill that actually resembled the kampung I explored in Jakarta. A network of smaller streets and alleys with homes and small shops. When you find a place online, you see pictures, but you never really know what it’s going to be like getting there, especially if you walk. This is part of the excitement and challenge in my experience. The area was very old-school, authentic Islamic: the school kids were in full traditional wear, giggling at me with wide eyes as I walked past. I wound my way up the hill, through the narrow streets in the nearly 40-degree midday heat. Just willing myself forward, reminding myself I did this to myself, so here I am and I must live it as it is. I stepped into this world, so I must and will walk it. I got to the address of the new place I booked, and found a pile of rubble and a plastic chair in the middle of the rubble. Hmmm, okay?
Feeling a little bit confused, I just dropped my bag down, took a breath and sat on a bench in front of the place next to this demolition. I caught my breath, double-checked my map, and yes, I was in the right place according to Google. I couldn’t get reception here so I had no data or way to contact the place. People walked by, but took no interest in me other than a side glance of why are you here. So I just chilled, drank some water, and watched the scene go by for an uncertain amount of time, all the possible scenarios playing through my mind. Once I cooled down, and silenced my mind, rationality re-entered the scene. I decided to take a little wander and actually found another little network of paths that I hadn’t seen on my way around the corner. Around a bend, I saw a sign. It said “KoolKost,” (the name of my guesthouse) with an arrow pointing further into the web. Around here, through there, over this, under that and I find it. All is good.
A young, hipster-like dude was at the desk, and showed me to my room on the top floor. Again, very basic but with an amazing balcony that perched above a little dead-end alley where a few families lived, with young children playing outside. I got settled, took a freezing cold and awakening shower, and took my place happily in the balcony chairs. I like being in a place like this because it feels like I can lean against something solid, take in the scenery with a bird’s eye view. I’m not surrounded, with my senses being assailed from all sides. I was tucked into a corner of the city, with a lookout of my own. Below, a couple is preparing items for a meal, another pair is drinking tea. There was a boy of about six, in full traditional garb, running to and fro down in the alley. They have a tropical bird in a cage. The boy calls out to the bird and the bird calls back. There was a beautiful ornate mosque peaking above the rooftops and trees, just beside us, with a singular voice singing out prayers into the afternoon heat.
Something I’m getting used to at this point. The tropical bird sings the prayers too, a layer I’m definitely not used to, but the quirk strikes a cord somewhere deep within. The bird joins in, as it’s in his nature. No bias, just a mirror. I stepped out on a little wander of these alleys, bought some nice tropical fruit (rambutan and pineapple) and a couple Indonesian snacks, before returning home, sitting on my paradise perch amongst the many potted plants, and taking it all in as the sun sets on our scene, settling into some writing and drawing for a couple of hours. A sense of calm washes over me. There are many things out of our control in this world, and you gotta just let it go sometimes. Focus your attention on what you want to do next, where you want to be, and focus on your energy on getting there. Because many people in this world won’t make it where they want to be in this lifetime.
We are Losing the Borneo Rainforest:
The rainforest is being cleared at an alarming rate. Today, only half of the rainforest remains, with many species now on the brink of extinction. Species like the Orangutan and Borneo elephant need inter-connected rainforests to survive, to support their movements, but the forest is now seriously fragmented. There is destruction to the habitats of wildlife, the homes, livelihoods and traditions of the indigenous people, not to mention the terrible effects on the climate crisis. Deforestation is taking place for the production of commodities like palm oil, rubber, timber, pulp, and minerals. According to the World Wildlife Foundation, illegal logging is also taking place not only by foreigners, but locally, as many people have lost valuable modes of economic development. There is little to no regulation and consequences being implemented. Illegal wildlife trade is another contributor, with remote areas being cleared to create space for this aberrant industry. The new national capital is being built here, so even more forest is being cleared for land conversion. I’ve read materials and watched some alarming documentaries with evidence that the public is being lied to about just how much of the forest is being cleared. There is restricted access to film crews and aircraft who seek to get the bird’s-eye view. This is actually so devastating and it breaks my heart. There is some evidence that the forestation has slowed since 2012 due to decline in palm oil demand and prices, according to the United Nations, which offers some hope. These efforts will be sustained through regulation and awareness building.
Efforts in Preservation:
The Borneo Nature Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that is taking strides in preservation of the Borneo rainforest in different ways. One sustainable practice is offering education and outdoor learning opportunities for students of all ages and levels (primary to university) from scientists and field guides. Educating young people and cultivating passion for preserving the biodiversity of the Borneo rainforest, is where the changes will come, to create awareness, slow climate change, and save what we have left of this important region of the world.
How can you make a difference?
There are many ways to make change and at all levels, from small to grand. Avoiding purchasing some commodity items like palm oil or the products that have it, is a good place to start. Another big contribution is in educating yourself and growing your own, and your circle’s awareness on the importance of biodiversity and forest conservation. Here are some great places to start:
“Deforestation in Borneo is slowing, but regulation remains key”
“The Heart of Borneo Under Seige”
"Borneo has lost 30 percent of its forest cover in the past 30 years"
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