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Story by Stephanie Brookes The small city of Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan has been in the news a lot lately. It has been reported in the media that it will be chosen as Indonesia’s new capital, with an announcement due later in the year. So it might be the right time to visit one of…
Story by STEPHANIE BROOKES Photos by DAVID METCALF AND HIS GAWAI PHOTOGRAPHY GROUP I stood with my blowpipe at the ready. “Gather strength from your core and aim high,” Agus advised. “We are excited to have an Australian team enter the competition and best of luck to you”, he added with a broad smile with…
Story by Stephanie Brookes The coral reefs that surround Derawan Island are bursting with colour and life and over 870 fish species live in these waters, from pygmy seahorses to giant manta rays. Derawan Island is part of a chain known as the Derawan Islands, which consists of six main islands as well as a…
Hi, My name is Yun. I’m from Palangkaraya and I am the founder of a travel agency called the Central Borneo Guide. Today, I’m gonna tell you a story about my special trip to Japan. As a girl who have spent her entire life in Indonesia, I never expected that I would be flying outside…
Author: Yun Pratiwi Each and every travel destination in the tropical island of Borneo, Indonesia, has its own attraction: the amazing orang-utans in Central Kalimantan, the ever-popular river floating market in South Kalimantan, culinary specialities with aloe vera in West Kalimantan, the Virgin Forest of North Borneo. The travel destination par excellence of East…
Author: Yun Pratiwi Central Kalimantan is the third largest province in Indonesia; located in the island of Borneo, it is divided into 13 districts and one single town: its capital Palangkaraya. Each Dayak district has its own language, and there are more than 15 Dayak languages, with the majority of Central Kalimantan speaking Dayak Ngaju….
Author: Yun Pratiwi Yulia the batik woman was introduced to me by my sister two years ago. Her mother is a senior batik artisan from Palangkaraya who grew up amongst economic problems. As her family could not only rely on making batik, she had to find different ways. At one point she even had to…
Siti the Dayak Dancer by David Metcalf Siti is an extraordinarily beautiful and determined young woman. Her story is one of courage and determination and a desire to represent her culture through the spirit of dance. And she has a dream. This talented dancer was born twenty-five years ago in a small village, Mungku Baru,…
Pak Anden: the Dayak Elder and Village Chief by David Metcalf Pak Anden greeted me by smudging my forehead and cheeks with a white powdered paste. After I received my traditional Dayak blessing, we talked about the issues facing his village Kanarakan, located on the Rungan River in Central Kalimantan, two hours by boat from…
Isen Mulang – A Cultural Extravaganza By David Metcalf A very special event occurs in Central Borneo on May the 18th each year. Thousands of Dayaks converge on the small city of Palangkaraya to join together in a spirit of dance, fun, joy and cultural expression. They come from the river village settlements, from the…
