:: Tanjung Puting National Park - Central
Kalimantan Travel Guides ::
Tanjung Puting is one of the
natural wonders of the world! You may not believe this after
you have been there only one day or two days or three days,
but a
fter the fourth or fifth day something happens. You are
captivated completely by the purity of the air, the openness
of the night sky with the most remarkable view of the Milky
Way, the magnificence and dignity of the gentle orangutans,
the thundering downpours that instantly cool the air, and
the clarity of the brilliant crimson sunsets. Tanjung Puting
is the largest and most diverse protected example of
extensive coastal tropical heath and peat swamp forest which
used to cover much of southern Borneo. The area was
originally declared as a game reserve in 1935 and a National
Park in 1982. While the Park has checkered history of weak
protection, nonetheless, it remains substantially wild and
natural.
Tanjung
Puting is covered by a complex mosaic of diverse lowland
habitats. It contains 3,040 sq km2 of low lying swampy
terrain punctuated by blackwater rivers which flow into the
Java Sea. At the mouth of these rivers and along the sea
coast are found Nipa/mangrove swamps. Mangroves teem with
animal life. Tanjung Puting also includes tall dry ground
tropical rain forest, primarily tropical heath forest, with
a canopy of 40 meters (120 feet) with "emergent" exceeding
50 meters (150 ft) in height, seasonally inundated peat
swamp forest with peat in layers two meters deep, open
depression lakes formed by fire, and open areas of abandoned
dry rice fields now covered with elephant grass and ferns.
The tropical heath forest which is called "kerangas" in
parts of Borneo, is only found on very poor, typically
white-sandy soils and is characterized by medium-sized
trees.
The best known animals in Tanjung Puting are the orangutans,
made famous through the efforts of Orangutan Research and
Conservation Program, which is based
at the landmark Camp Leakey research station. Tanjung Puting
also boasts the bizarre looking proboscis monkey with its
"Jimmy Durante" nose as well as seven other primate species.
Clouded leopards, civets, and Malaysian sun bears cavort in
the park as do mouse deer, barking deer, sambar deer, and
the wild cattle known as banteng. Tanjung Puting hosts over
220 species of birds, including hornbills, deep forest birds
and many wetland species. Tanjung Puting is well known for
its "bird lakes, " seasonal rookeries for a half a dozen
species of endangered water birds, including the only known
Bornean nesting grounds for white egrets. Tanjung Puting
also has two species of crocodiles, dozens of snakes and
frogs, numerous threatened species, including the
fortune-bringing and highly endangered "dragon" fish also
known as the Arwana (bony-tongue). Among the most flamboyant
of these animals are the many species of colorful birds,
butterflies, and moths found in the Park.
How to get to Tanjung Puting
Entering t
o
Tanjung Puting National Park,Home of rainforest animals on
arrival at the pangkalan bun airport
Tanjung Puting National Park located at both region,
Kotawaringin Barat known which is Pangkalan Bun as capital
city and Kotawaringin Timur with Sampit as the capital city.
Pangkalan Bun part of Tanjung puting is the only part of the
areas for tourist destination. How to get Pangkalan Bun???
Pangkalan Bun is devoloped city, the oilpalm agriculture as
the main econimic targeting as before wood industry take 75%
of the econimic. To get here is not difficult, all type of
transportation are provided, air, sea and land.
From the air :
There
are two different airline serve everyday, TRIGANA, KAL STAR
and DERAYA. They fly to most main destination in java and
between Kalimantan it self. Semarang, Surabaya, Jakarta,
Bandung even Denpasar. For Bandung, Jakarta and Denpasar is
connecting flight.
Flight between Kalimantan serve also everyday to Pontianak,
Banjarmasin and Balikpapan, you could get connecting flight
to Jakarta, Denpasar, Ujungpandang and other flight
destination in Indonesia even the have international flight
as well.
From the sea : 4 time in week the Pelni and Ferry serve from
and to Semarang or Surabaya, This is an other cheap
alternative way to visist Orangutan. It will take between 18
until 23 hours cruising but they provide different class to
choose for, also music entertaiment, cafe etc.
By the Road : You could take bus from Banjarmasin to
Pangkalan Bun, transit at Palangkaraya and Sampit. it take
18 hours ride with really bad road at few spot. If you have
sense of OFF ROAD this is the best way to take.
When you get Pangkalan Bun
There are
saveral good hotel in Pangkalan Bun and many of them over
inexpensive price if you want spend a night at Pangkalan Bun
or You can go directly to Kumai boat stage but before that
have to arrange police permit and National Park entrance
permit at Pangkalan Bun. Take only 20 minutes from Pangkalan
Bun to Kumai where you will rent for the traditional wooden
boat or KLOTOK that will take you to the park to visit our
encester ORANGUTAN.
relaxing on the boatOranghutanTours could arrange all of
them easily, from your first step entering Indonesia until
meet Orangutan then say good bye and arrange next
destination, you will be on the first hand service. Please
contact us should you need more information about Orangutan
tour or Borneo adventure tour packages or other destination
, day to day itinerary, special price, special request. We
will be very happy to help you orgganized your tours during
in Indonesia " Free of Charge"
Come and Discover Indonesia Islands with us!
