Bukit Bangkirai is one of the tourist destinations in East Kalimantan that you must be visit. About a two hour’s drive north of Balikpapan city central. Bukit is actually a park within the rain forest, featuring log cottages for overnight stays, a small restaurant, restrooms, several [overgrown] jungle treks, a questionably maintained swimming pool and, for those who linger until five in the afternoon or so, the lure of viewing East Kalimantan famous Hornbills that frequent the area around dusk.
Bukit Bangkirai (Hill of Bangkirai) located in Samboja District, Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan situated between the trans Balikpapan - Samarinda, precisely at KM38. Here you can enjoy outbound of tropical rain forest which is became the one of lungs of the world today. Bukit Bangkirai is a natural tourism area which is managed by PT. INHUTANI Balikpapan.
Bukit Bangkirai can be reached by traveling overland for 1.5 hours from the city of Balikpapan. In this area there is a canopy bridge along 64 m were hanged connect 5 Bangkirai tree at a height of 30 m. This canopy bridge is the first in Indonesia, both in Asia and the eighth in the world. Its construction was made by cooperation among the United States and Indonesia government.
This Canopy Bridge is undertaken by American contractors who are members of the CCA (Canopy Construction Association ) as six field executive with three people as local power assisted. In addition to its construction are also use by Bangkirai woods and Galvanized nail were made in America. The age of this canopy bridge completion can be expected to last for 15-20 years according to age and durability of materials.
Besides enjoying the beautiful of rain forest from the height of canopy bridge, you can enjoy various types of trees and vegetation with a round track that has been provided by the park management. And after enjoying Bangkirai Hill National Park , you can buy something at the souvenir shop to bring back home.
Sangalaki Island is a small island covering an area of 15.9 hectares. This island is one of the islands that are part of Derawan Archipelago. Derawan Islands is a group of islands famous in the world. Aside from Sangalaki Island, another famous island of Derawan Islands are Kakaban and Derawan Island. Sangalaki Island located in the waters of the northern peninsula of Berau. Administratively, Sangalaki Island located in Berau Regency of East Kalimantan Province. Most sea turtles in the world are an endangered species. That includes species hawksbill and green…
Maratua island is one of the outer islands in Indonesia that located in Sulawesi Ocean and it bordered with Malaysia. Maratua island is administratively located on Berau regency, East Kalimantan. Maratua is a small and long island, and it has sharply curve at the edge and it located at the south side of Tarakan city. Maratua Island is also part of Derawan Islands. By the strategic location and the richness of its marine, Maratua island is now popular by the Travelers from many countries. The tourists who give…
Bangkirai Hill Bukit Bangkirai is a natural tourism area which is managed by PT. Inhutani I Unit I Balikpapan. This tourist area is located in Samboja District, Kutai regency, East Kalimantan. Bangkirai hill can be reached by traveling overland for 1.5 hours from the city of Balikpapan. This tour offers the charm of a tropical rain forest that is still natural, and facilitated with some infrastructures like restaurants, hall for meetings, a swimming pool and jungle cottage or cabin. In this area there is a canopy bridge along 64 m…
Bontang Bontang is a city in East Kalimantan province, Indonesia. The city is located about 120 kilometers from Samarinda, directly have border to the East Kutai regency in the north and west, Kutai Kartanegara regency in the south and Regency Makassar Strait in the east. In this city stand three large companies in different fields, Badak NGL (natural gas), East Kalimantan Fertilizer (fertilizer and ammonia), and Indominco Mandiri (Coal) and has a petrochemical industrial area called the Kaltim Industrial Estate. Bontang city itself is oriented in the industrial, services and…
Dari Wikipedia bahasa Indonesia, ensiklopedia bebas
Bukit Bangkirai adalah kawasan wisata alam yang dikelola PT Inhutani I Unit I Balikpapan. Kawasan wisata ini terletak di Kecamatan Samboja, Kabupaten Kutai Kartanegara, Kalimantan Timur. Bukit Bangkirai dapat ditempuh melalui perjalanan darat selama 1,5 jam dari Kota Balikpapan.
Wisata ini menawarkan pesona hutan hujan tropis yang masih alami, yang dilengkapi dengan sarana dan prasarana wisata seperti restoran, lamin untuk pertemuan, kolam renang, serta cottage maupun jungle cabin. Di kawasan ini terdapat canopy bridge (jembatan tajuk) sepanjang 64 m yang digantung menghubungkan 5 pohon Bangkirai di ketinggian 30 m. Jembatan tajuk ini merupakan yang pertama di Indonesia, kedua di Asia dan yang kedelapan di dunia. Konstruksinya dibuat di Amerika Serikat. sejarah singkatnya, peneliti asal Amerika serikat telah melakukan survey lokasi dan pohon serta lingkungan maka dilakukan pembangunan tahap pertama pada januari 1998 dan tahap kedua selesai pada februari 1998 di mana jembatan ini diselesaikan kurang lebih 1 bulan. yang dikerjakan oleh kontraktor Amerika yang tergabung dalam CCA (Canopy Constraction Asosiated) sebanyak enam orang pelaksana lapangan dengan dibantu tenaga lokal sebanyak tiga orang. Selain kayu dalam konstruksinya digunakan pula baja tahan karat atau Galvanized dari Amerika. Umur jembatan tajuk ini dari selesainya diperkirakan dapat mampu bertahan selama 15-20 tahun sesuai dengan umur dan ketahanan bahan. Jika ingin berpergian ke Canopy bridge ini anda akan melalui jalan setapak dengan memasuki hutan lebat di mana terdapat pohon-pohon rindang.
Imagine an orchid forest with more than 45 different species including dancing and dragon scale varieties, sambas breeding deer, flying fox, short- and long-tailed macaque birds, wild boar and 40-meter-high, 150-year-old bangkirai trees. A forestry student’s dream come true and a native bird-watcher’s paradise.
And now it’s accessible to those of us without hiking boots.
This is one of the world’s most beautiful virgin conservation forests — and it is at Jakarta’s front door, in East Kalimantan. It is the Bukit Bangkirai forest and conservation parkland, located in Samboja district, Kutai Kartanegara regency.
There are three roads that lead to this incredible 1,500-hectare wonderland as well as wide-ranging accommodation to suit just about anyone.
Bukit Bangkirai forest is internationally recognized yet still one of Indonesia’s best kept tourism secrets.
It boasts various species of hardwood trees — including the bangkirai tree (Shorea laevis), which can survive for more than 150 years and will usually grow as high as 50 meters.
Bukit Bangkirai is a tropical rainforest and natural monument, and home to other woods including ulin (Eusideroxylon Zwageri), blackwood or ebony (Ebenaceae), red meranti (Shorea smithiana), kempas (Koompassia malaccensis) and kruing (Dipterocarpus).
A two-ha area within the forest has been intentionally filled with jungle fruit tree species in a bid to preserve the mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), the durian family, including lai (Durio kutejensis), and the mentega (magarine) fruit (Diospyros).
Bukit Bangkirai’s orchid forest provides orchid lovers with the opportunity to feast their eyes on a collection consisting of 45 species, including the black orchid (Coelegyne pandurata), sugarcane orchid (Grammatophyllum speciousum), dragon scale orchid (Cymbidium antropurpureum) and dancing orchid (Bromheadia fynlaysoniana).
A 3.5-ha breeding ground for deer from the sambas family (Corvus unicolor) was cleared but sadly locals today say it has been neglected for too long and is now overgrown with underbrush.
“I’m not sure when, but the deer breeding activities stopped long ago,” said Nyoman Suterini, owner of a food stall in the area. Nevertheless, there are plenty of other animals to be found in the area, including the owa owa (Hylobates muelleri), short-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina), red long-tailed monkey (Presbytus rubicunda), the long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis), wild boar and flying fox.
One of Bukit Bangkirai’s most infamous attractions is its bridge that connects five large trees, better known as the “Canopy Bridge“.
The bridge is suspended 30 meters from the ground and stretches a total of 64 meters in length. It is made of bangkirai timber laths, bound by steel cables and secured by a 1.5-meter safety net on both sides.
But when the late afternoon wind starts to howl, locals say the bridge will do all it can to frighten the very daylights out of those visitors using it and even passers-by.
“When I was up on the canopy bridge, I yelled my heart out not because I was afraid but too excited,” said Japanese student Takeshi Arizono, 29, an alumnus from the forestry school at Mulawarman University in Samarinda.
“My friends and I had a great time … it was my first time on such a bridge.
“The place is terrific and very suitable to conduct a research project,” Takesi said.
As a specialized forestry student, Takesi was investigating the rattan plant and was accompanied by a junior from the Nihon University who was attending comparable studies on the bangkirai tree, the dominant tree species in the area.
“I’ve also seen a bangkirai tree which is 150 years old and 40 meters tall here,” said Takeshi.
Visitors can choose to stay overnight in one of the four fully-equipped cottages built of ulin timber. Tariffs at the time of writing ranged from Rp 350,000 to Rp 450,000 per day.
“The check-out time is more flexible here, unlike hotels in the cities,” said Ommeng from the Bukit Bangkirai resort area. “And the number of guests staying in a room is unlimited.”
For those who really want to blend in with the natural surroundings, the resort also offers a camping ground with tents and camping space for rent.
“The fee for a camping space is set at Rp 45,000 per day, which is the same price as hiring an eight-person tent,” said Ommeng. “And a four-person tent is rented for Rp 25,000 per day.”
Others who want to enjoy the cool night air of Bukit Bangkirai can try the outbound barracks.
The price here can be as high as Rp 1.5 million per day, but the barracks can accommodate up to 100 people and the area is suitable to hold reunions, workshops and other activities that involve a crowd.
Getting to and from the forest involves either a simple a 58-km drive from Balikpapan, a 150-km drive from Samarinda or a 150-km drive from Tenggarong.
The park is managed by state-run forestry company PT Inhutani and charges entrance fees for visitors and vehicles — Rp 2,000 (approximately 22 US cents) for adults and motorcycles and Rp 1,000 for those below the age of 12.
The entrance fee for a car is Rp 5,000, while buses are charged Rp 10,000.
A group of 50 people or more can receive a 25 percent discount on the entrance fee and a group of more than 100 people can get a 50 percent discount.
Those preferring a spark of challenge in their journeys through nature’s beauty should put Bukit Bangkirai, or the Bangkirai Hill tourism area, in East Kalimantan, on their list of places to visit in Indonesia.
The conservation area is located around 20 kilometers from the Samboja subdistrict, 58 kilometers from the city of Balikpapan, and 150 kilometers from the city of Samarinda.
It was inaugurated as a tourism area in 1998 and is currently managed by state-owned forestry company PT Inhutani I.
It takes around one-and-a-half hours to get to this area from Balikpapan if you are using a private car. The first hour is a smooth ride, but the next half hour before actually entering the forest area calls for extra patience as the road conditions are substandard; potholes and all. Try to distract yourself by enjoying the wild surroundings.
The 1,500 hectares of tropical rainforest offer fresh air and the lively sounds of birds as well as other forest animals.
The Bangkirai tree, which can be as old as 150 years, as tall as 50 meters and as wide as 2.3 meters in diameter, dominates the forest. The tree is often used as material for bridges, wooden boats and for other construction needs.
Here also you can find 45 species of orchids, with one of them being the stunning black orchid, as well as a variety of forest animals including over 113 species of birds, long tailed monkey wild boars, müller's bornean gibbons, pig-tailed macaques, flying squirrels and sambar deers.
Enjoying the area’s magnificence, however, requires some patience and effort, because, as well as the challenging ride, you will also have to do a bit of hiking.
The tourism area has seven hiking tracks with lengths varying from 150 meters to 6 kilometers.
Bangkirai Hill’s most memorable built feature is its canopy bridge, stretching 64 meters at the height of 30 meters above the ground, connecting five bangkirai trees.
The materials of the bridge, which was built in 1998 and finished in the United States, include wood, nylon mesh, cables and stainless steel. It is the first in Indonesia.
Getting on the bridge requires another uphill effort climbing up the stairs to the tower and the whole affair is not suggested for those with an acute fear of heights.
Those whose fear of heights merely involves a slight fluttering of the heart, however, can overcome the tingling feeling by taking it easy once they are at the top of the tower. Inhale the fresh air deeply, soak up the scenery and try to spot the forest’s inhabitants, who might be hanging around, literally.
Entrance fee is Rp 2,000 (20 US cents) for adults and Rp 1,000 for children. An additional price of Rp. 15,000 for domestic tourists and Rp. 30,000 for foreign tourists applies for those wanting to go across the canopy bridge.
Read also: 7 sites in Indonesia worth climbing
Samboja - Kalimantan Timur memiliki banyak pesona alam yang menarik untuk dikunjungi, salah satunya adalah Bukit Bangkirai.
Bukit Bangkirai merupakan objek wisata hutan hujan lindung yang terletak di Jalan Raya Soekarno-Hatta Km. 38, Kecamatan Samboja, Kabupaten Kutai Kertanegara.
Kawasan ini memiliki hutan alami dengan luas 510 hektare yang dikelola oleh PT Inhutan. Jarak dari Samarinda 97,4 kilometer. Sedangkan masuk dari Samboja ke Bukit Bangkirai sekitar 45 menit dengan jarak 33,9 kilometer.
Keindahan dan kesegaran hutan dengan keanekaragaman flora dan faunanya, di kawasan wisata ini menjadi daya tarik bagi Dharma Wanita Persatuan (DWP) Unit Direktorat Jenderal Otonomi Daerah Kementerian Dalam Negeri (Kemendagri) untuk berkunjung ke Bukit Bangkirai, Jum’at (12/1).
Supervisor wilayah wisata Bukit Bangkirai Nurul menjelaskan areal kawasan Bukit Bangkirai secara keseluruhan mencapai 1.230 hektar. Sedangkan luas hutan alam yang masih asli sekitar 510 hektar.
Ribuan jenis pohon tumbuh di areal ini. Ada Ulin, Bangkirai, Meranti, Jengkol Hutan, Semangkok, Gaharu dan berbagai jenis tumbuhan hutan lainnya.
Dia pun menjelaskan salah satu daya tarik utama dari Bukit Bangkirai adalah canopy bridge atau jembatan gantung yang dibuat di antara lima pohon bangkirai dengan ketinggian 30 hingga 40 meter dan panjang 64 meter.
Jembatan ini merupakan jembatan gantung pertama di Indonesia dan kedua di Asia. Dari atas jembatan, pengunjung bisa menyaksikan pemandangan hutan dari ketinggian, sambil merasakan angin yang bertiup kencang.
“Jembatan gantung ini sangat menantang dan seru, sebenarnya saya ini takut,”tutur Wakil Ketua I DWP Otda KemendagriAndi Tenri Maddaremmeng.
Usai berkunjung ke Bukit Bangkirai rombongan melanjutkan giat ke Bendungan Semoi, dilanjutkan ke Rumah Teknologi, Kawasan Inti Pusat Pemerintahan IKN dan Titik Nol. (Prb/ty).
Anggota DPRD Provinsi Kalimantan Timur
Kabupaten PPU & Kabupaten Paser
Kabupaten Kutai Kartanegara
Kabupaten Kutai Barat & Kabupaten Mahakam Ulu
Kota Bontang, Kabupaten Kutai Timur, & Kabupaten Berau
