Mahakam River is the largest river in East Kalimantan Province. This 920 kilometer long river flows from the upper reaches of the West Kutai toward lower flow in the Labour and Samarinda. This river is very important to most residents in the province of East Kalimantan because some areas are only accessible by river. Seeing this, you will certainly see a lot of community activities associated with rivers.

When traveling along the river, you will find a variety of social activities undertaken by local communities such as transport of goods and natural resources for the purpose of inter-island and exports, fishing and selling fish. Meanwhile, when traveling to Samarinda, you will see local people who take advantage of the Mahakam river flow as a place of rest, especially from afternoon till night. In the afternoon, you’ll find vendors selling various foods and drinks along the river stream. Residents usually watch the sunset while enjoying roasted corn, bread and other foods, and more people will come on at night.

When the day is not cloudy, on the outskirts of the river, the scenery looks very beautiful sunset. With golden color, the bias will bring sunshine glistening on the surface of the water. In the middle of the Mahakam River which entered the region Regency there is also a tourist attraction that is the Jade Island. In this island, you can enjoy the view from the tower, driving tours, and others. Mahakam River flows through the three regions namely Labour, West Kutai District, and the city of Samarinda. Most of the top area only accessible by boat and ketinting or water taxi.

Some of the lower river are also accessible via land transport. You can use the vehicle to travel along the river that passes through the city of Samarinda. Or walk along the river to enjoy the view of the city. To achieve Samarinda, the journey starts from Sepinggan airport in Balikpapan, which is the entrance to the East. From Balikpapan, you can also use ground or air transportation for up to Samarinda.

Some aircraft provide Balikpapan-Samarinda local routes. If you want to use the landline, you can take a taxi to Samarinda that will take 2.5 to 3 hours drive.

INDONESIA-rich forest areas. Some of them entering the national park can be explored. It’s very fitting for an adventure tour if you are a nature lover. But before you decide to go adventuring, you should consider the following tips.

1. Make sure you are in a state of healthy and fit for exploring the jungle is not easy.
2. Forest area is famous for large mosquitoes so it is better you take anti-mosquito lotion.
3. During the daytime trips bring sunscreen and drinking water. Drinking water supplies should be kept to avoid dehydration.
4. Wear shoes that are not slippery. This is to avoid slipping when it hits you.
5. Walking in the woods, you will pass through the branches of trees and even prickly plants. By wearing dresses and trousers a bit much to protect your body.
6. Be sure to bring a raincoat (rain coat) and antiair bag to protect the important things you carry.
7. Bring a simple medical equipment. This is possible as first aid when an injury or illness during the trip.

With some of these tips, your journey through the forest will be more secure and calm. But do not forget to not damage the natural and littering during the trip.

WHEN in Java is hard to find restaurants that provide grain “rijstafel”, especially outside Java! However, it is surprising, it turns out this dish is still found in a hotel in Pematang Siantar, North Sumatra. A town in the interior of Sumatra.

At first a word from a friend that Siantar Hotel, a hotel, never provide Indonesia with a good menu of European-style menu, or commonly called rijstafel it. Curious about this dish, Compass staying at the hotel was built in 1916, or nearly a century old. Rijstafel package is not found in the hotel restaurant menu list of foods and beverages while Europe and Indonesia are also scattered there.

“There sir. Please if you want the message, “said Defril, a waiter in the restaurant, when asked about rijstafel. He explained, had long since there was no package on the menu, but they still serve guests who book rijstafel.

Those who book mainly foreign tourists joined in the tour package. Of course, those who ordered the tourists generally had parents who have memories of the archipelago.

Rijstafel in Siantar Hotel consists of 12 food and beverage menu. Menu as much as it consisted of one form of cream of mushroom menu as appetizers, nine meals in the form of vegetables and side dishes as the main menu, and two cover a cocktail menu and beverage options in the form of tea or coffee.

Nine main meal consisted of shrimp crackers, ca bean sprouts, potato chips and anchovy, oyster sauce seafood seasoning, ve jackfruit, beef satay, fried chicken, and a plate containing a packet of salted eggs and fried bananas mendoan, and also provided the pickled cucumber and pineapple. This package was quite “overwhelming”. Orders for two people apparently sufficient for five people.

Buyer may spend 11 to the price of food is only Rp 85,000. This price is very cheap compared with rijstafel packages are offered at a number of restaurants and hotels on the island of Java.

Guests who want rijstafel package should call and reserve in advance one hour earlier. Restaurant chefs have to prepare the food and drink one after another. At least it took about 45 minutes to wait for the food is ready at the dinner table.

Once you sit in a colonial-style restaurant with large windows and door, a dish of cream of mushroom would be served at the table. Like the opening menu, this cream invite you to eat foods next.

Done with the opening menu, the main menu immediately presented. Waiters will be on guard not far from your desk, a typical colonial style, and will get rice every time you see an empty plate. Looking at the menu and it’s very Java, such as the existence mendoan and sate the taste is very sweet. I do not know, how old it is present in the Java sense Pematang Siantar.

Flavor foods with little to distinguish rijstafel in Java is the presence of food by a waiter called ve. Although the colors and materials were somewhat similar to the ve in Java, this meal felt more like curry, very spicy. This is different in Java ve a tasty and instead tend to salty.

Which is also unusual is the presence of fried bananas in the main menu. This menu is unusual because usually a menu of fried banana cover. Are chefs wrong place?

“It’s like that, sir,” he said. Ah, it seems that indeed the londo ancient custom like that. Sometimes a banana is in the main menu. Banana went into the mouth in the crowd of rice after the waiter said that once people are like that Dutch food.

After the main menu, the menu covers a cocktail served. This cocktail consists of a variety of fruit pieces, from papayas, bananas, watermelon, until the pineapple. Once satiated, the presence of a cocktail is refreshing.

In the menu that really be the cover, the waitress who had been remained faithful stood not far from the dining table would offer a drink of tea or coffee. Somewhat different, in addition to the two types of beverages, it will be also presented a small cup of sweet milk. In North Sumatra, drink tea and coffee mixed with milk is very commonly found.

Rijstafel, serving a variety of Indonesian food with good European menu, the wealth of the Indonesian nation. If no one menghidupinya, will likely be lost, like some food in Siantar Hotel is no longer known as the old restaurant chef could not bequeath it to the chef’s knowledge of his successors.

“Our society since hundreds of years ago thick with various arts and cultural activities. We want to bring the atmosphere of the past was on a special area featuring a variety of activities,” said Chairman of the Committee for “Sanur Village Festival (SVF) 2010 Ida Bagus Putra Sidhartha,

Sidhartha explained, the festival is scheduled to take place next August 4 to 8 were designed in such a way, as an improvement of similar events held every year since 2005. “Our art Kampoeng design becomes a gathering place for artists to exchange ideas, develop creative process, creating work, and at the same time showcase the work,” he said.

Sanur Painters Association to host the village’s art, would invite parties to undertake joint activities to build appreciation and offer experience to the public. “By doing so, they will be able to interact and enjoy the works of contemporary art outside the conventional gallery or showroom,” said Gusde, familiar call Ida Bagus Putra Sidhartha.

Kampoeng art will develop a number of programs, including activities for the Association of Painters Sanur studio which also can become interactive space between visitors, art lovers, as well as other artists.

Then the art of dialogue in order to build a liquid and open suana through a conversation about creativity and the latest artwork. Art for providing public open space as a place to read poetry, theater and other performing arts staging.

Performing arts program, which is formed from the atmosphere created is expected to leap out of the two or three dimensions, both in response to the motion and combined with an atmosphere responsive to the themes raised by the artists.

“In addition, the exhibition also displays works as an appreciation of space and transactions, as well as works of art in an art gallery,” said Gusde who is also General Manager of Griya Santrian.

He hopes through “Kampoeng Art” will be really able to enliven the atmosphere of the festival, as well as adding charm to bring in even more visitors, both foreign and domestic tourists.

SVF 2010 with the theme “Saha Nuhur”, meaning joint petition to the Almighty God, who intended to get a holy light (nuhur or nur) which became the spirit of various aspects of local community life.