When I grew up in suburban Surrey all these years, I knew little of the East beyond the usual clichés like "magic" and "tropical". I knew of Borneo. For me, Borneo was a land of mystery, jungle stunning and amazing wildlife. OK, so I'm showing my age. Today, when people think of Borneo they think of deforestation, climate change and flora and endangered fauna. I know what image I prefer!
Balikpapan is the main point on the island known in Indonesia Kalimantan input and is home to more than half a million people, including a large expatriate population attracted to work in AC energy and education.
At first glance, the city has little interest people with time on their hands. The main road runs along the coast of the port still Airport coastal landscapes remain hidden behind drab shophouses, government buildings, hotels, shopping centers and others. It certainly lacks the architectural potential of Jakarta or Surabaya, missing their history or heritage dating back centuries. Indeed, Balikpapan, before the discovery of oil and gas to the end of the 19 e century was little more than a fishing village.
Despite his wealth and modern feel, Balikpapan is a quiet town. Traffic, for example, continues to move! I asked a former expatriate shriveled with experience of Jakarta and Balikpapan if the city suffered chronic congestion, the city did. "Yeah, I got stuck once on the road to the airport after a crane 50 tons turned turtle," he said before returning to his beer.
So what do people do for fun? Well, there are the grizzled old hands, of course, who love nothing better than to get to their favorite beach bar north of the airport and shot the breeze with their friends.
For those who have a bent sportier there are a number of activities to participate in, including the ubiquitous Hash that run on different days of the week - see BIWA website for more details
Australian football is well represented with the Borneo Bears (www .. borneobears.com list). Some of their players have recently participated in an international event in the home of the AFL, Melbourne, and despite not winning any games themselves pretty well acknowledged by all accounts. They also organize an annual event that attracts AFL teams from around the region. There is also a rugby team called the Bears Balikpapan (http://balikpapan.bears.over-blog.com) that gets to travel a fair bit.
For the golfer there are a couple of lessons. The Karang Joang Golf Course and Country Club is out of town along the road to Samarinda, while Sepinggan Country Club is perhaps more central. There is also a social golf club called Best Bunch Balikpapan which meets every Saturday at Sepinggan and I'm sure they would be happy to out-of-towners.
For something a little less hectic, the International Association of Balikpapan woman is a social and charitable group based in the city. Their goal is to organize activities of interest to women in the city to promote fellowship, to welcome new members and promote Indonesian cultural activities. Among their regular activities are a round of nine holes of golf and a bike ride every week take them to new and interesting places near the city.
Biwa also set up a handy directory to Balikpapan, the list of useful shops and retailers, but perhaps the best feature of this book are the maps in the back.
There are a number of other beaches further, including Manggar and Lamaru, and probably all along the coast towards the north the more adventurous might find their own coves given their own transport and time.
Balikpapan sits on one side of Balikpapan Bay and it is possible to pass to the other side by hiring an outboard port Semayang. Maybe not the most exciting sea voyages Kalimantan has to offer; you can see the industrial complex that provides much of the wealth of the city. And once you are on the other side, things become even more relaxed!
For those who like to get back to nature, there are still some left. The Margomulyo mangrove is close enough to the city center and a boardwalk that allows visitors the chance to try and spy some of the local wildlife. Another type of exposure fauna is the crocodile farm several kilometers past the airport.
An exhibition of more responsible pet is the Sun Education Bear Center, located at marker 23 km along the road to Samarinda, offering refuge to bears that were rescued around less safe. Balikpapan has a strong symbolic attachment to the bear with his image adorning the arms. There is a statue of one in the city center and the local football team are nicknamed the Beruang Madu, the local name of the animal.
In short
move
Taxis can be easily booked by calling ahead and drivers use their counters. Otherwise, you can take the plunge and try to use local mini bus or angkots . The blue number six is a useful service that runs along the main street and can take you by Kemala or port. In the other direction, it goes as far as Damai where you can change the number seven and continue your journey north of the airport and the beaches of Manggar.
Read more
See www.balikpapanexpats.com . It does not seem like it has been updated for a while but is still perhaps one of the best online resources. The International Association of Balikpapan wife have a new website and also produce excellent Balikpapan Guide Book, a valuable asset for those looking to stay for a while. You can find the BIWA their new site http://b-iwa.com
Eat and drink
There are the usual frankness type places in Plaza Balikpapan in the center of the city. The king's head is a few kilometers past the airport and offers a typical menu with a western style grocery store upstairs. Other bars with names like Joy, Jack, Yuli, Martha and Sky Bar offer drinks customers and food at all price spectrum. There are also places to enjoy a bite to eat along the seafront so you can look past the veil of tankers while enjoying your seafood.
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