Balikpapan Hotels

Kalimantan or Borneo has a dense forest area although now getting smaller. However, you can still feel the atmosphere of natural forests in East Kalimantan precisely in the Forest Wanawisata .

Wanawisata forest which is a large park with many types of species that are endangered Bornean tree is a popular tourist destination for a family picnic activities.

An attractive layout, making this Wanawisata always crowded, especially during the weekend visit. In addition, nature tourism location that is open every day from 8:00 to 17:00 o'clock this pm, wearing a fairly cheap entry fee, only Rp1.000 per person.

Upon entering the Forest Wanawisata located 300-400 meters from Jalan Airport at mile 10, Coral Joang this, you will see a gravel road. This manghadirkan challenge when slowly entered the forest canopy.

Shade trees are scattered in various corners Wanawisata also provides a cool environment. It's very fitting if you want to feel the serenity in her tone that is natural.

In addition to the local tree species have a collection of rare, Wanawisata also be used to hold various activities the group because a wide space available in this area.

An open field in the middle of the forest can be used to play touch football or a camping site for nature lovers.

For families, Wanawisata provide an interesting playground with various children's games. In addition, you can also see deer, sambar or a monkey in a cage near the playground. Monkey is very interesting, because they will perform various acts funny when approached.

Access to the Forest can be reached via Balikpapan Wanawisata. Although Samarinda is the capital of East Kalimantan, but the airport is located in Sepinggan, Balikpapan.

To reach the location of this tour takes approximately 15 minutes by car from Balikpapan via Balikpapan-Samarinda Trans.

When using public transportation, you can drive the bus number 8 from the terminal Batu Ampar in Balikpapan.

If you are planning to go to Forest Wanawisata, do not forget to bring food, drinks, and mats to sit.

Construction  bridge Balang Island destroying assessed  to Balikpapan Bay area and Sungai Wain Protection Forest in East Kalimantan. The government suggested to move the location of the project to other regions.
The destruction of the environment of both regions was revealed in the workshop on "Safety Status of Biodiversity in East Kalimantan" in Campus Mulawarman, Samarinda, East Kalimantan, on Saturday (22 / 5) then.

Balang Islands Government to build bridges in order to connect the North and the District Penajam Paser-restricted Balikpapan Bay. The bridge is expected to strengthen economic and social relations the two regions. During these two regions to achieve it must use the ferry with a travel time of one hour.

Stanislav Lhota, a researcher at the University of South Bohemia Republic of Chechnya, who became speaker in the workshop, said that a number of mangrove trees on the island and coastal bay Balang Penajam and Balikpapan forced to cut for construction of a bridge pillar. Something similar happened in Sungai Wain Protection Forest in Balikpapan. "The project was destructive," said Lhota disappointed.

Lhota since 2006, examines the lives of primates and wildlife in the Bay of Balikpapan and Sungai Wain Protection Forest.

Another speaker, Chief of the Regional Technical Implementation Unit Development of Nature Conservation in East Kalimantan Forest Service Heranata Widi Wahyu, acknowledge the environmental damage caused by the construction of the bridge. However, extensive damage has not been recorded.

Head of Research Center for Tropical Forest Boer Mulawarman Chandradewana deplores the destruction of ecosystems. According to him, it was due to the attitude that the government was reluctant to consider the suggestion academics, researchers and environmental activists.

Obstructed

Bridge project is running since early 2007, but faltered due to lack of funding. The plan is built in a two-span bridge. Short span of 500 meters connecting the mainland and the island Penajam Balang. The 1200 meter long span linking the island and the mainland of Balikpapan.

Access roads needed along 100 kilometers, but now everything has not been built. The road will split the mangrove area and the Sungai Wain Protection Forest in Balikpapan and mangrove forests in Penajam.

According to Boer, such a government plan also triggered by the encroachment of the mangrove community. "The government should cancel the construction of bridges and access roads, but to optimize the ferry-Penajam Kariangau," he said.

Lhota added, very regrettable if the Bay is over and damaged. "People will lose biodiversity that are still alive, like the proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus), Irrawaddy Dolphin Bay (Orcaella brevirostris), monkeys, a variety of fish and birds, and various types of plants," he reminded

East Kalimantan province has been known to have a number of conservation areas with exceptional biodiversity.
Call it the Kayan Mentarang National Park is the largest in Indonesia, reaching 1.2 million hectares, with tropical forest biodiversity for ecosystem plateau comprehensive on the island of Borneo.

Approximately 60 percent of its territory located in Malinau Regency and the rest. Pillage and smuggling activities threatening the region's timber for direct border with Sabah and Sarawak, East Malaysia.

This region not only become important for ecologists, but also of science, particularly in history and archeology, because in some areas found hominid sites including "lungun" bertangkup coffin stone or like a boat.

In East Kalimantan also have Elephant Hill conservation area is based on research primatologist Berau recently showed its strategic region, namely a habitat that has a population of orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) than most of Kutai National Park (KNP).

In all areas in East Kalimantan (14 districts and cities) there are a number of conservation areas, each with its own uniqueness. Unfortunately, the average damage is severe. One example is the case that struck KNP, when the region was mentioned as the "last bastion" of lowland wet tropical forest in East Kalimantan.

Of the total area of KNP which reached 198 000 hectares, it remains widespread due to various cases, among others, catastrophic forest fires and forest land as well as looting and illegal land clearing, causing the existing natural reserves since the Sultanate of Kutai was now only 4,500 hectares.

In the midst of pessimism toward conservation efforts in East Kalimantan, one factor is the impression of throwing each other of responsibility between local government and the central government, a foreign researcher revealed remarkable biodiversity in Balikpapan Bay.

Stanislav Lhota described the uniqueness, scientists from the Department of Zoology University of South Bohemia, the Republic of Chechnya, it was like a curtain in front of the eye revealed that there are conservation areas near urban areas, but like oblivion.

Bay Area is located just a few miles from the center of the city of Balikpapan, unlike the average in other regions of the conservation area in East Kalimantan which is usually far from the city center.

Stanislav Lhota revealed, conservation of nature in Balikpapan Bay is very strategic because it is still found in dugongs (dugon dugon), whereas there was public perception that marine mammals that are extinct in the area south of East Kalimantan.

"We dugongs in the Gulf of Balikpapan in threatened condition. The main threat is the loss of seagrass which is the main feed mermaids. Seagrass disappeared because of sedimentation and chemical pollution," he said.

He said the actual existence of the most endangered marine animals in Indonesia, Balikpapan Bay is known in some tahum ago by scientists.

"In 1996 has been proposed that the dugong has been extinct in Kalimantan. But four years later, in 2000, rediscovered by Constellation Foundation (Rare Aquatic Species of Indonesia) in Balikpapan Bay," he said.

Dugongs are the main threat to sustainability is the loss of seagrass beds in Balikpapan Bay allegedly caused by sedimentation and chemical pollution. One source is palm oil plantation company, PT Agro Indomas in Sub Pemaluan and Sepaku, North Paser Penajam District.

Oil companies have been planted along the coasts and banks of rivers and creeks that are prohibited by law.

Dolphin and proboscis monkey
Balikpapan Bay Lhota assess sustainability is important since it contains a "magic world", ie not only are there Dugongs, but also suggested to the Mahakam and become an important area for the proboscis monkey, the rare primates in the world.

It is thought Pesut Mahakam been found only in three parts of the world, namely the Mahakam River, Irawady River and Mekong River. This previously unknown animals living in freshwater ecosystems (rivers).

It turns out, is also found in the Mahakam Dolphin Bay, but with salt water ecosystems (sea). Endangered species that became mascot Kaltim it was also later found in Sungai Malinau (East Kalimantan).

Dolphin population at around 60-140 tail Balikpapan Bay. Tempadung estuary is a habitat which is very important to the Irrawaddy, a local search and migration of fish.

Not much different than that of dugongs, Mahakam Dolphin Bay threatened in both
by fishermen, the activity of the company ships, and port construction activities for coal companies and gas companies drilling pipe.

Drilling Oil and Gas pipeline is expected to cause permanent damage to the Irrawaddy ear. In fact, this sense is useful in determining the location in search of food.

"Suggested to locate and capture fish by echolocation (sonar) and, if their ears are damaged, they can not find food. Activities of drilling pipe is very dangerous for the Irrawaddy Dolphin," he said

Translated from : http://travel.kompas.com/read/2010/07/16/06312886/.quot.Keajaiban.Dunia.quot..di.Teluk.Balikpapan

Tenggarong located in East Kalimantan, there are museums that keep track of Kutai Sultanate. The museum is named Mulawarman, originally was the palace of the sultan's residence.

This museum began in 1960. at that time, after the end of Kutai Sultanate. 2270 square meters of the palace was occupied by Sultan AM Parikshit until 1971. Then submitted to the government of East Kalimantan on November 25, 1971.

On February 18, 1976, the provincial government handed over the palace to the Ministry of Education and Culture, to be managed as a museum in the country until today.

Mulawarman Museum, looks well-kept buildings. It's easy to see the history of the empire and historic objects in it.

From the outside, the museum looks sturdy and is dominated by the color white. In front of the museum, there is a statue of the cow. This animal is Suana cow, symbol of the Kingdom of Kutai Kartanegara.

This cow became the mascot of East Kalimantan. So, do not be surprised if many of these cow statues adorn several buildings, including a supermarket in Samarinda.

Inside the museum, you'll see a variety of collections such as the Kutai Sultanate throne, sculpture, jewelry, attributes the war, beds, gamelan, an ancient ceramics from China and others.

In addition, the museum also holds a collection of old photographs and paintings of the Dutch era mosaics. Yupa inscription with the words Pallawa, Sanskrit language, Kutaisi  Martadipura IV century AD, during the reign of King Mulawarman.

You can also see the tomb or gravestone sultan and his family mostly made of iron timber with a bandage Arabic characters.

In the east there is the museum building tombs of the kings of Kutai Sultanate. Some of the sultan who was buried among other Muslihuddin Sultan, Sultan Salehuddin, Sultan Sulaiman and Sultan Parikshit. Only Sultan Alimuddin who was buried in his own land in Gandek Mountain, Tenggarong.

At the rear of the museum there are stalls selling souvenirs or unique souvenir of Borneo, a kind of saber, lampit, stone, and rings, and other accessories.

Mulawarnam Museum is located at Jalan Diponegoro, Tenggarong, East Kalimantan, Kutai Kartanegara district. From Sepinggan Airport in Balikpapan, you can use a local plane to Samarinda. Or, take a taxi to pay Rp250 thousand-300 thousand. takes approximately 60 minutes to reach the Museum Mulawarman from Samarinda. Because it is located in downtown Tenggarong

These last few years the number of hotel rooms in Balikpapan increased quite sharply. Increasing the number of hotel rooms has become the main triggers that make hotels in Balikpapan difficult to raise tariffs.