48 Hours in Balikpapan, Indonesia
Balikpapan, in East Kalimantan on Borneo, grew from a quiet fishing village into an oil hub after Indonesia’s first oil strike. Now near the country’s future capital, it offers lively markets, great coffee and deep rainforest in 48 hours.
48 Hours in Balikpapan, Indonesia
Balikpapan, in East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. In the late 19th century, when oil was first discovered in Indonesia, this quiet fishing village was transformed into a center of oil and mining. A century later, as the city celebrates its 123rd anniversary, Balikpapan is awaiting yet another change as Indonesia prepares to move its capital. It sits right at the doorstep of the country’s future center. Spend 48 hours in Balikpapan, exploring a vibrant downtown where local life takes center stage and deep rainforest that shelters wild animals.
Words Hur Taewoo
Photos Lee Jinwook
Photos Han Sungpil
In collaboration with ASEAN-Korea Centre aseankorea.org
Day 1, 14:00 Feel the Energy of a Local Market
Klandasan Market
Pasar Klandasan
Right next to a modern shopping complex downtown, an old market stretches along the waterfront, and it’s the place to witness the city’s pulse. Pasar Klandasan seems to have collected all of Balikpapan’s bustle in one spot. Its unrefined first impression only piques an outsider’s curiosity. With people hurrying about and stalls lined up everywhere, it may look like just another old market, but an intriguing order runs through it. It’s as if groceries and household goods had assembled for a roll call on a school playground. Inside this mazelike market, everything is neatly arranged by section: tropical fruit such as bananas and coconuts, fish, meat, vegetables, packaged foods, household goods, even jewelry. The way forms and colors are displayed in harmony reveals a sense of design rooted in everyday life. Amid all this variety, locals work quietly and smile warmly. If you’re carrying a digital camera, they may all strike a great pose for you. The market is owned and managed by the government, and a major renovation is reportedly planned starting in 2021.
Klandasan Ulu, Balikpapan Kota
16:00 Mastering Indonesian Coffee
Anonim Kopi
Anonim Kopi
Indonesia is one of the world’s top three coffee-producing countries, and coffee is both the nation’s signature indulgence and part of its culture. Balikpapan is no exception. At Anonim Kopi, you can enjoy a wide range of coffees while watching a lovely sunset. It is highly regarded even on Sungai Ampal Street, where many well-known cafés cluster. The beans come from Balikpapan’s 6th Road Roastery, which blends Arabica and Robusta from famous coffee-growing regions across Indonesia to suit each one’s character. In other words, you can taste only Indonesian coffee here. Anonim Kopi serves more than 20 kinds of coffee: espresso and Americano, filter coffee and cold brew, as well as coffee tonic mixed with tonic water, Malaysian-style kopi susu made with condensed milk, and Indonesian-style kopi tuburuk. In the late afternoon, when the air cools, we recommend the smooth, sweetly rich crème brûlée latte, which suits the tropical scenery.
17,000 – 26,000 rupiah
Sumber Rejo, Balikpapan Tengah
18:00
Ocean’s Resto
Ocean’s Resto
Several travel information sites recommend this as Balikpapan’s best seafood restaurant. It’s in the city center, so it’s fairly easy to find. On the spacious outdoor terrace facing the beach, you can enjoy a wonderful dinner beneath a sky that deepens to dark blue over the Indian Ocean. The restaurant mainly serves a variety of local dishes built around fresh seafood, and the menu also includes Southeast Asian dishes, pizza and hamburgers.
From 60,000 rupiah. Seafood is sold by weight.
Jalan Jenderal Sudirman, Ruko Bandar Blok No. 18
20:00
Four Points by Sheraton
Four Points by Sheraton
This hotel is easily accessible, about a five-minute drive from Balikpapan’s Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan Airport. Its facilities and services suit both business and leisure travelers. The interior is modern and clean, and the fitness center is open 24 hours. The second-floor restaurant, The Eatery, serves a healthy breakfast buffet that skillfully incorporates local dishes. The second-floor outdoor tables are a pleasant place to end the day with a light drink late in the evening.
From 640,000 rupiah.
Day 2, 10:00 Lessons from Borneo’s Nature
Samboja Lestari
Samboja Lestari
Orangutans live in the wild only on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Borneo is making an all-out effort to protect these endangered apes. At the heart of that effort is the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF), an Indonesian NGO founded in 1991 by Dutch-born Dr. Willie Smits.
Samboja Lestari, which BOSF began developing in 2001 in the Samboja area, 35 kilometers from Balikpapan, is a place dedicated to restoring tropical rainforest and protecting orangutans. On 1,800 hectares of forest once badly damaged by logging and farming, the foundation has planted hundreds of thousands of trees and works to bring back a living ecosystem. At the same time, it creates sanctuaries for orangutans and Malayan sun bears and guides them toward living on their own. Thanks to these efforts, Samboja Lestari is on a fairly successful path. The rainforest’s biodiversity has recovered, rainfall has increased, and local residents’ incomes have become more stable.
Samboja Lestari has ten artificial islands where orangutans live and learn. It typically takes about seven years for a rescued orangutan to return to the wild. Today Samboja Lestari cares for more than 120 orangutans, and nearly 1,200 have been released back into the jungle. Once back in the forest, orangutans act like bees, carrying tree seeds far and wide. In other words, Borneo’s jungle can hardly thrive without orangutans. Sadly, orangutans that have suffered severe trauma must spend their entire lives on the islands, because they lack the ability to survive on their own in the wild.
Visitors can join a tour program to observe the orangutans’ daily lives alongside Samboja Lestari’s specialist staff and to learn about the ecosystem. Coming face to face with a creature so much like us is an unforgettable experience. Romeo, Rambo, Annie, Marlon… Each orangutan here has a name and a home of its own. Watching them connect with people and exchange glances, you realize how precious the forest is to their lives. It is also a place to reflect on how humans and nature can coexist sustainably. After all, we are only a part of the ecosystem.
Half-day tour with meals at Samboja Lodge from 500,000 rupiah per person (reservation required)
14:00 Take On a Walk Through the Treetops
Bangkirai Hills
Bangkirai Hills
Bangkirai Hills is a nature park set deep in the rainforest. Trails and canopy bridges wind through a forest thick with tropical trees, including bangkirai, and visitors take in nature with every sense as they walk. A bangkirai can live about 150 years and grow as tall as 50 meters. Inside a jungle crowded with such giants, you can escape the equatorial sun even at midday. About 20 minutes on foot from the forest entrance brings you to the canopy bridge. Connecting five bangkirai trees, the bridge is 64 meters long in total, and it is said to be the first of its kind in Indonesia and the second in Asia. Crossing a bridge suspended 30 meters up takes a little courage, but the reward more than makes up for it. The moment the endless jungle spreads out beneath the blue sky, you may find yourself overcome with a sense of calm. With luck, you may even spot monkeys moving nimbly among the bangkirai. Try booking transportation and a tour through a local travel agency.
Canopy bridge experience 75,000 rupiah
Karya Merdeka, Semboja, Kutai Kartanegara Regency
17:00 Like a Small Pair of Lungs for Balikpapan
Graha Indah Mangrove Center
Graha Indah Mangrove Center
Graha Indah Mangrove Center is another example of local efforts to respect nature bearing fruit. In 2001, environmental activist Agus Bei joined local residents to found the center and began steadily cultivating the mangrove forest. Today the forest covers 600,000 square meters and is home to more than 40 species of mangrove trees. The center also puts great effort into education that raises environmental awareness, and as a result, communities across East Kalimantan have come to recognize the importance of mangrove forests and actively protect them.
The center’s entrance appears at the edge of a quiet neighborhood on the outskirts of Balikpapan. After you board a boat moored at the dock, it sets off toward a tunnel of forest shaded by mangrove trees. As the boat glides along the Somber River, fresh air brushes past and light ripples through gaps in the branches. Even on the river’s broad lower reaches, it stays quiet around you. Now and then, only the laughter of neighborhood children drifts over. After about 30 minutes, just as the sun slowly begins to sink, the boat slows and slips in among the mangroves. This is the best time to watch the endangered proboscis monkey. Holding your breath and lifting your head, everyone’s eyes land on proboscis monkeys playing leisurely.
Boat rental (per boat) 300,000 rupiah
Batu Ampar, Balikpapan Utara
19:00
De Bandar Resto
De Bandar Resto
This casual, tidy seafood restaurant is close to Ocean’s Restaurant and has a similar menu. If you can, grab a seat outdoors or at a table with a sea view on the second floor. The thick menu makes choosing hard, but we recommend the fried dishes and the crab.
From 40,000 rupiah; seafood sold by weight
Jalan Jenderal Sudirman, Ruko Bandar blok no. 2
Day 3, 10:00 Melawai Beach
Pantai Melawai
Just about 3 kilometers from the city center, Melawai Beach naturally draws crowds of locals and travelers. There is no white sand, but the road running along the water is just right for a stroll and a slow pass of time. The view from here feels like Balikpapan in miniature. Out on Balikpapan Bay, small fishing boats, huge barges and hulking tankers drift in a line, while offices, government buildings and commercial facilities stand nearby. At the end of the beach, the Semayang port and a petrochemical complex continue on. Open-air makeshift eateries and shops sit there as if they belong, which they do. Meanwhile, a light breeze sways the palm trees and sets a relaxed mood. In the evening, by the way, people crowd in to take photos, because this is one of the few places on the east side of Borneo where you can watch the sunset reflected on the water.
12:00 Dandito Restaurant
Dandito Restaurant
This restaurant specializes in crab dishes built around its signature sauces. You can choose from three kinds of crab, soft-shell crab (kepiting soka), male crab (kepiting jantan) and female crab (kepiting betina), and pair it with the sauce of your choice. The Dandito sauce balances spicy and sweet flavors in a way that whets the appetite.
Male crab dish: 275,000 rupiah
Jalan Marsma Iswahyadi No. 71
