East Kalimantan

Understand

In 2022, President Joko Widodo announced that Indonesia would be moving its capital from Jakarta to a new purpose-built city in East Kalimantan known as Nusantara in attempt to lessen the developmental inequality between Java and Indonesia's other islands. The location would be somewhere between the existing cities of Balikpapan and Samarinda.

Geography East Kalimantan is on Borneo, a large island shared with Malaysia and Brunei. In the east, it is separated from West Sulawesi and North Sulawesi by the wide Sulawesi/Makassar Strait.

People East Kalimantan is one of Borneo's most sparsely-populated regions. With a population of only 3 million people and a land area of 204,534 km2 (78,971 sq mi), the population density is only 17 inhabitants per km2. Most of the population are Javanese. The indigenous Kutai people traditionally inhabit the southern part of East Kalimantan. Another recognized minority is the Dayak people. There has been a lot of immigration, in particular from the other Indonesian provinces. The main religion is Islam, however there is a Christian minority, especially away from the cost.

Economy East Kalimantan is the centre of Indonesia's timber, oil and gas industries. As you might guess, the stripped-bare coastal areas are not a pretty sight, but the province's more interesting sights lie far upriver in areas untouched by the voracious logging companies.

Visitor information East Kalimantan Province Tourism Office, Jl. Jenderal Sudirman no 22, Samarinda, ☏ +62 541 736 850, [email protected].

Getting there

By plane Balikpapan's Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport (BPN IATA) has frequent flights from Jakarta, as well as commercial services from Surabaya, Banjarmasin, Tarakan, Palu, Makassar, Yogyakarta, Semarang and Denpasar, as well as numerous smaller airports in Kalimantan. Samarinda APT Pranoto International Airport (AAP IATA) 1 Kalimarau Airport (BEJ IATA). This airport is in the town of Tanjung Redeb in Berau Regency.

By boat You can access East Kalimantan province from Tawau in Malaysia. From Tawau there is a boat to Tarakan. From there another one to Nunukan in Berau district. You need a visa to enter Indonesia at that port (visa on arrival is not available) but there is a consulate in Tawau which seems to do visas quite quickly.

Getting around

Unlike Java or Sumatra, there is no train network in Kalimantan, so to get around the province you'll be on the road or in the air. There are flights available to a few destinations in East Kalimantan. Susi Air flies light aircraft between Samarinda and Maratua Island. Wings Air flies ATR aircraft between Samarinda and Kalimarau.

See

Visiting Mahakam River hinterland and orangutan or exploring Kutai National Park are the best attractions.

Do

Diving There is quite good diving on the east coast.

Go next

Malaysia, to north, by land. Philippines, to northeast, by sea.