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City in East Kalimantan, Indonesia
Photo: Momo Regar, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Balikpapan is a city of 850,000 people (2019) in East Kalimantan. It serves as headquarters for international oil companies, mining companies and related support industries operating in (and out of) eastern Kalimantan. It is a relatively clean city, with clear blue skies, but not much by way of nightlife. The population is a mix, with lots of Javanese due to transmigration, lots of people from Sulawesi, and of course, the locals. The people are quiet and polite, and the pace is slow and relaxed.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
The main attraction is the Canopy Bridge, which is famous in East Borneo. It was built for the biological study of the ecosystem in the canopy of the tropical rainforest. It is now popular for the public to view the beauty of the rainforest from 30 m (90 ft) above the ground. It's also a very nice place to enjoy nature or to camp and watch the stars.
Pantai Monpera
Pantai Kelama
Relatively clean.
Pantai Melawai
This may be a beach where you're bobbing around in the water and a plastic bag floats by. But anyway, it's a good one from which to watch sunsets and harbor traffic.
Pantai Sepinggan
Near airport north-east side, brownish water and very littered.
Kebun Raya Sungai Wain
Grab-gokek bike Rp 65-70k, car Rp 110-220k. ~45-min drive depending on your exact source location in city. No public transport or angkot.
Grab-gojek bike Rp 60-80k, car Rp 100-250k. ~45-min drive depending on your exact source location in city. No public transport or angkot.
See rescued orangutans and sun bear in their natural habitat. Just roaming around for the day or staying at the eco-lodge for a few nights and experiencing the wildlife in the jungle. You can also do a 2-week or 4-week volunteering course, where you can help out with the animals. It is about a 1-hour journey by car from the city centre and if you stay the night or volunteer you will need outdoor equipment such as walking boots, spare clothes, and insect repellent. See also Sleep section.
Watching conservation the icon of Balikpapan, sun bear or locals called beruang madu.
May have closed.
another crocodiles farm.
City plaza with busy fountain at night.
One of those floating villages along with a bunch of interconnected docks from which you can watch the refinery belch a fireball into the sky. Also here is a fish market.
Boardwalk through a mangrove habitat and out into the bay. Watch out for slippery surfaces on rainy days.
An urban mangrove reserve where you can soak in the sultry habitat with some boardwalk excursions and nature study.
A bowling alley.
A big restaurant on the main drag with a very nice selection of seafood.
Crab specialist restaurant. It also serves kepiting soka (soft-shell crab dish).
A very giant fresh crab cooked with some options of sauce (black pepper, sweet and sour, oyster sauce, boiled, etc.).
Crab specialist restaurant.
Balikpapan Branch
Originates from Pontianak's (West Kalimantan) well-known seafood restaurant.
Delicacy of Balikpapan, Mantau goreng with Sapi lada hitam.
Hotel Menara Bahtera
Hotel The New Benakutai
Be aware of very bad reviews on the internet.
City Hotel Balikpapan
The only "back to nature" hotel in Balikpapan, cottage/bungalow style rooms with private garages.
Hotel Murni Penginapan
A cheap option.
Within 5 minutes walk of Balikpapan Plaza, 15 minutes drive from the Sepinggan airport. Clean and comfy. From Rp228,000.
simple and double room. Private bathroom, Ac and wifi.
Free tea and coffee. Wifi is good if you are in a good location.
A 3-star hotel with an outdoor pool.
double room (ground floor or upper), aircon, Wi-Fi, TV, power plugs (1 near bed, 1 near TV), coat rack, trashbin, small window. private bathroom, soap, shampoo, towel (ask), western toilet+toilet gun, small mirror, no toilet paper, no hot water, no sink. Staff with limited English. Nearby food stalls in small streets or on bigger Jalan Marsma R. Iswahyudi. Nearby post office and Pantai AURI Sepinggan (beach, lot of litter).
The first 5-star hotel in town, owned by local people.
One of the better places in town. With a nice swimming pool (external entry Rp 30,000 per person).
Stones, gems, jewellery and diamonds of various types and price. Borneo is acknowledged as a rich island, not just with oil and coal, but with beautiful gems.
This is the first and one of the most popular shopping malls in town, and it is at the centre of the city. A good western supermarket can be found on the ground floor.
E-Walk is the busiest mall in the city and is connected to Pentacity via a skybridge.
This mall is in Balikpapan Superblock, which is connected to E-Walk via skybridge. It has retail stores, casual eateries, a cinema, and so on.
A decent modern mall, which has a food court, cinema, kid zone, arcade, furniture store, hardware store, etc.
By plane
Despite the numerous signs which you'll see after leaving the baggage claim area, as of March 2016 there's no airport bus service to Balikpapan; the buses mentioned on these signs are going to…
By car
Balikpapan is connected by road to other major cities in East Kalimantan, such as Samarinda, Bontang, and Sangatta, via the Trans-Kalimantan highway network.
By ferry
Semayang's seaport that serves cruises from Makassar, Pare Pare, Tarakan, Surabaya, and other eastern parts of Indonesia.
By taxi
Some taxi companies operates in Balikpapan. It is advisable to call for their call centre, tell your location and wait the call centre arrange their unit to pick you up.
Public transport
Public transportation in Balikpapan consists of small minibus named angkutan kota or angkot for short. Locals often call angkot as taxi and metered taxi as taxi argo.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Balikpapan · International · BPN
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