Samarinda

Samarinda clings to the meandering banks of the Mahakam River, skewered through by a series of minarets that mark the great Masjid Islamic Center, the town’s landmark new mosque and one of the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia. And beneath these great spires that issue the adhan across the plains of east Borneo each day, a sprawling network of docks and neighbourhoods pans its way outwards. They eventually give way into the wild jungles of Kalimantan; roads giving way to rainforest tracks; humans to orangutans. Within town, huge malls take centre stage, as they phase out the traditional bustling markets that sell everything from hand-woven cloth to electronics. Night-time still sees aromatic street stalls touting everything from Korean noodles to Chinese dumplings, a testimony to the multiculturalism that has erupted with the industrial (coal mining) boom of the surrounding region. Samarinda tour guides also recommend visiting the gorgeous Tanah Merah Waterfalls just outside of town, along with the Pampang Cultural Park, where the local Kenyah people put up shows and dance performances right throughout the year.