The world's third largest island, Kalimantan occupies two-thirds of Borneo. It shares boundaries with Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam and the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah. Rich in resources, the island is a major contributor to the country's economy. Most notably known as land of Dayaks, the island is vibrant with colorful and distinctive traditional arts and cultures which can be seen in the people's way of life, art, dance, music, ancestral dress, games and economies.

Adventure and Outdoor Activities
Visitors are lured by the chance to venture into the vast, wild and mysterious mangrove rainforests and swamps where exotic indigenous species of flora and fauna live. Thousands of rivers that meander through the jungles and crisscross the island also create white water rapids that promise a hair-raising experience. Along the eastern coast, several regions, such as Bontang, offer fabulous scenery, perfect waves for Jet ski, windsurfing and fishing. North of the eastern province is rapidly becoming an important diving site. The waters Derawan and Sangalaki islands hold an amazing marine environment, including fabulous coral formations, canary crabs, green turtles and pearls. In Penajam, Gua Jurong is the starting point for an explortion of 13 caves that are linked together. The caves have beautiful stalactite formations.

Nature Reserves
Muara Muntai near Kota Bangun is famed as the habitat of hornbills, bekantans (Proboscis monkeys) and fresh water Mahakam dolphins. In the upper reaches of the Mahakam River, a 5,000 acre orchid reservation close to the village of Kersik Luwai has around 72 different species of orchid including the very rare black orchid, Cologenia pandurata. The 200 thousand hectares Kutai National Park is also worth a visit to see local wildlife, including the orangutan. Tanjung Puting is one of th emost important of Central Kalimantan's reserves. Apart from protecting over 305,000 hectares of tropical rain forest, mangrove forests and swamps, the reserve also holds the Tanjung Harapan and Camp Leaky Orang utan Rehabilitation Center.

Cuture
Tenggarong in East Kalimantan was the capital of th eancient Kutai Kingdom. The Sultan's Palace os now the Mulawarman Musem and holds old royal paraphernalia and other historical relics. Every September, Tenggarong plays host to the Erau Festival. Dayaks from all over the province arrive to participate in a cultural festival with dancing, rituals, songs and canoe races. Local Dayak tribes traditionally live in communal longhouses called lamin, umaq daru or betang. They are built on wooden piles, sometimes as high as 3 meters, as protection against wild animals and flooding. Tanjung Isuy and Mancong are some of the most visited traditional villages. In Lamandau, Central Kalimantan, hundred years old betang traditional stilt houses are still preserved and lived in. Ojung BAtu is said to be thousand years old and belonged to a powerful tribal elder. South Kalimantan is called the land of thousand rivers. Many villages and settlements have been built along these rivers and every day life resolves around them. Flourishing floating markets sell an enormous variety of goods, such as Kuin Market on the Barito River, Banjarmasin. There a lot more to see in the region, among them diamond mining and polishing villages at Cempaka and Martapura. The latter is also a center for semi precious stones. Traditional weapons usually carried by the Dayaks, such as the mandau, and keris, are made at Negara. Mandaus were once considered to have magic powers and a lot of rituals were involved in their making.

Cuisine
There's a delicious local dish, a specialty of Kandangan, South Kalimantan, which is a sort of fish curry eaten with rice cakes and liberally seasoned with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Try a high fiber fresh juice made of Aloe vera typical of West Kalimantan.

Shopping
Exquisite traditional and commercial handicrafts are all made from local raw materials which include precious and semi-precious stones, gold, silver, brass, iron and a wide variety of woods. In most big towns, such as Balikpapan, Samarinda, and Banjarmasin look out for Dayak handicrafts notably their beadwork, basketry, mandaus, blowpipes and carvings.