Gong Ageng

The gong ageng is (Kromo Javanese meaning large gong, ngoko is gong gedhe). It is the largest of the bronze gongs in the Javanese and Balinese gamelan orchestra. Unlike the more famous Chinese or Turkish gongs, Indonesian gongs have fixed, focused pitch, and are dissimilar to the familiar crash cymbal sound. It is circular, with a conical, tapering base of diameter smaller than gong face, with a protruding polished boss where it is struck by a padded mallet. Gongs with diameter as large as 135 centimeters (54 inches) have been created in the past, but gongs larger than about 80 centimeters (32 inches) are more common especially to suit the budget of educational institutions.

The gong ageng is considered the most important instrument in a gamelan ensemble: the soul or spirit of the gamelan is said to live in it.

Gong ageng are often proffered ritual offerings of flowers, food and or and incense before performances to appease spirits believed to inhabit it.

Commonly, less expensive iron gong ageng or a slit-type gong are made to fulfill the role of the bronze gong, though at the loss of sound quality- for poorer regions and villages. The cost of expertly pure cast & beaten bronze has seen a rise in bronze-plated and bronze-laminated iron gongs for the undiscerning expatriate.

Quoted from :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gong_ageng

Supported by : JavaTourism, Lintang Buana Tours

Sampit

Sampit town, on the Sampit River and the capital of Sampit regency, is known as the biggest timber port in Kalimantan as well as in Indonesia. Here can be found many sawmills, which process the timber for export. One can find many interesting tourism attractions in Sampit. Pandaran Beach is park on the seaside at the mouth of the Sampit River. It is quite unique. One sees to one's north the Orchid Park of “Pembuangan hulu” is a natural forest in which a number of rare and beautiful orchid varieties grow. Hunters can engage in their favorite pastime at the Serayan River, which borders on the hunting park of Kotawaringin Barat.

Quoted from :http://indonesia-tourism.com/central-kalimantan/kotawaringin_timur.html

Supported by : JavaTourism, Lintang Buana Tours

Way Kambas National Park

Way Kambas National Park is a large national park covering 1,300 square kilometres in Lampung province, south Sumatra, Indonesia.

Way Kambas consists of swamp forest and lowland rain forest, but was extensively logged before becoming a reserve in 1972 so there is little primary forest. The reserve still has a few Sumatran Tigers and reasonable numbers of elephants. It is also provides excellent birdwatching, with the rare White-winged Duck among the species present.

Another special feature of this national park is the Sumatran Rhinoceros still present in the area. Only 275 remain in South East Asia today. In Way Kambas a managed breeding center or Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary (SRS) has been build up in 1995. At this moment 5 Sumatran Rhinos live at the Sanctuary, most have been translocated from zoos to the large enclosures (with natural habitat) at the SRS.

Quoted from :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesso_Nilo_National_Park

Supported by : JavaTourism, Lintang Buana Tours

Sabangau National Park

Sabangau National Park is national park in Central Kalimantan, a province of Indonesia in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo.

Geography
The national park is centered on Sabangau River, a blackwater river. It flows through the Kelompok Hutan Kahayan or Sabangau peat swamp forest (5,300 km2), between the Katingan and Kahayan rivers. The peat swamp forest is a dual ecosystem, with diverse tropical trees standing on a 10m - 12m layer of peat - partly decayed and waterlogged plant material - which in turn covers relatively infertile soil.
Orang Utan in Sabah, Borneo

The severely degraded eastern part of the forest, between the Sabangau and the Kayahan, is officially designated for agriculture. However, since the failure of the Mega Rice Project, which drained large areas of peat forest in an attempt to create rice paddies, no further efforts are being made to make it suitable for this purpose[1][2].

The forest has been damaged by legal and illegal forestry. There is no longer any continuous forest cover where Orangutans may cross the river. A satellite view shows a grid of logging roads throughout most of the forest.

However, the western part is now protected as either National Park or National Laboratory Research Area. A study of the area shows that the hydrological integrity of the forest has been maintained, and it is therefore ecologically resilient,[3] although since it is close to the regional capital Palangkaraya it remains at risk.

Ecology
The forest is home to the world’s largest Orangutan population, estimated at 6,910 individuals in 2003, and other rare or unique species. The total Agile Gibbon population in the Sabangau catchment is estimated to be in the tens of thousands, but is declining fast[4].

Vulnerable bird species include the Large Green Pigeon (Treron capellei) and possibly Storm's Stork (Ciconia stormi) and Lesser Adjutant (Leptoptilus javanicus)[5]. Efforts are underway to establish long-term ecological monitoring in the forest.

Quoted from :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kutai_National_Park

Supported by : JavaTourism, Lintang Buana Tours

Kutai National Park

Kutai National Park is a lowland national park located on the east coast of Borneo Island, in the East Kalimantan province of Indonesia, few minutes south of the equator.

Geography
The park is located north of the Mahakam river and includes several lakes: Danau Maau, Santan, Besar and Sirapan. It is adjacent to the towns of Bontang and Sangatta and 120 km north of the provincial capital Samarinda. There are several traditional Bugis settlements within the national park.[1]
Orangutan in the Kutai forest

The Kutai National Park extends over an area of 2,000 km², part of the former Kutai Game Reserve which has been protected since the 1970s. However this status did not prevent the logging of a third of the forest in subsequent years. In an attempt to prevent further deforestation the Kutai National Park was established in 1982. Nevertheless, the great Borneo fires of 1982/83 destroyed another 60% of the forest. Thus only 30% of the primary growth forest remains.

Ecology
The principal vegetation types include coastal mangrove forest, freshwater swamp forest and kerangas forest. There have been 900 species of vegetation identified in the park.

The park provides habitat to a wide range of mammals including orangutan, Malayan Sun Bear, Sambar deer, Banteng, Maroon Leaf Monkey, White-fronted Leaf Monkey, Hose's Leaf Monkey, Proboscis Monkey, Bornean Gibbon, Clouded Leopard, Black Flying Squirrel, Marbled Cat, Flat-headed Cat, Yellow-throated Marten, Otter Civet, and Smooth-coated Otter.

The number of orangutans was found to have decreased dramatically, from 600 recorded in 2004 to about 60 in 2009. However a survey conducted in 2010 identified over 2,000 orangutans to be inhabiting the park.

Quoted from :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kutai_National_Park

Supported by : JavaTourism, Lintang Buana Tours

Kapuas

Kualakapuas is the capital of the Kapuas regency, south of Palangkaraya, on the Kapuas River 40 kilometers from Banjarmasin. A well-known tourism attraction is ‘Telo’ Island, a fishing village and port. It is a pleasant location for recreation. For the adventurer, white water rafters and nature lovers, there is Gohong Rawai, which known for its beautiful and challenging rapids. The gold mines of Teweh and Batu Api, Rungan district, are also interesting places to be visited. In this region, gold mining is a major source of livelihood for the people, who pan for the valuable metal using the old traditional method. Gold mines are found in many places in Central Kalimantan.

Quoted from :http://indonesia-tourism.com/central-kalimantan/kapuas.html

Supported by : JavaTourism, Lintang Buana Tours

Bangkirai Lake Kereng

It is an exquisite lake and located across Sebangau River, in Kereng Bangkirai village 12 km from Palangkaraya toward south. For towards to the location we can apply vehicle of land only 15 minutes from common cab.

Quoted from :http://indonesia-tourism.com/central-kalimantan/palangkaraya.html

Supported by : JavaTourism, Lintang Buana Tours