PANGKALAN BUN PLACE OF INTEREST

Points of interest
Tanjung Puting National Park
Tanjung Puting National Park is a conservation area that provides a protected system of life. It protects a large variety of plants, animals and their associated ecosystems. It is the largest protected area of swamp forest in South-East Asia.

Tanjung Puting first received a level of protection in 1935 and was officially designated as a Wildlife Reserve in 1939. In 1982, it was declared a National Park.

The Park was established primarily for the protection of the Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus), and its formation was instigated and aided by the efforts of Dr. Birute Galdikas and Orangutan Foundation International. When this area become a national park, Tanjung Harapan moved to the other side of the Sekonyer river (across the original area). The original width of the park was 3,000.4 km². In its new location, it increased to 4,150.4 km².

The Park receives aid from Orangutan International Canada and it is recognized as a World Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations. Tanjung Puting occupies most of the peninsula between Teluk Kumai and the Seruyan River and consists of varied habitats including peat and freshwater swamp forests, lowland tropical rainforests and heath forests. The Park is drained by several black water rivers emanating from the northern and eastern parts.

Tanjung Puting National Park is famous primarily because of two primates: the Orangutan and the Proboscis Monkey (endemic to Borneo). At Camp Leakey, research is conducted on Orangutans, Gibbons, other animals and ecological processes. Orangutans are also rehabilitated and returned to the wild from this Camp. Since 1971 over 200 Orangutans have been returned to the wild as part of Dr. Birute Galdika's Orangutan Research and Conservation Project.

The park is divided into 4 areas, each highlighting a different set of natural resources. They are:

1. TANJUNG HARAPAN. This area was developed for the ecotourism and hosts the information center, guest house, watcher tower and camping ground. By travelling along the edge of the river, you will see the nipah formation, screw pine and bog forest, and then you can do tracking and bird watching. We can enter to the center of TNTP information to get the information from the officer. We can stay in guest house. There are 3 rooms for 6 people and home stay are divided into 4 houses in Sekonyer countryside by 8 rooms for 16 people with reasonable ticket. You can buy the souvenir from TNTP that are typical souvenir like T-shirt, key hanger, sticker, painting of orangutan and orangutan statue.

2. PONDOK TANGGUI. This is a special place which representing the existence of pre-wild and adolescent Orangutan. It is host to various kinds of animals like deer, pig, rangkong bird (Rhinoceros), Raja Udang bird and Sesep Madu bird. During journeys from Tanjung Harapan to Pondok Tanggui, you pass through the habitats of the Bekantan Monkey and the Estuarine Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus dan Tomistoma schlegelli) along the journey.

3. CAMP LEAKEY. This area is devoted to the research and rehabilitation of adult Orangutan. It is suitable for visiting the place to see the Orangutan rehabilitation both for pre-wild or wild. Beside that, you can enjoy the Owa-owa, Bald Eagle, Sesep Madu bird, and Hornbill (Enggang) or Rangkong.

4. PANTAI SUNGAI CABANG. This area is located alongside a white sand beach. The working and maintenance huts are located here, along with guest houses, an information center, shelter, watch tower, camp ground, dock and is the location of various other tourist activities.

Bugam Raya
(Kubu Beach, Bay of Bogam, Keraya and Sungai Umbang which residing in one band). This countryside is one of Kumai district administratively, sub-province of West Kotawaringin, is very easy to reach. From Pangkalan Bun, we can walk in the land pass. The road is covered by asphalt, which has width about 122 km². The distance is about 28 km or 1 hour travelling by vehicle.

The scenery during the journey from Pangkalan Bun to Kubu is miserable. The situation is very desolated and hot, particularly the view in the left and in the right side are predominated by the grassland (Imperatacy Lindrica, called alang-alang in Indonesia). Likely it can represent the condition of Kalimantan now. Kubu Countryside is located in coastal area, as a result, majority of resident of this countryside have living as fisherman.

Bay of Bogam
It is a beautiful and a fascinated bay. The distance from Pangkalan Bun to the Bay of Bogam is about 50 km or about 2 hours traveling by using vehicle.
Keraya
It is a coast which has many people visit it, because it is very beautiful. It is located in Keraya countryside about ± 57 km from Pangkalan Bun or about 2,5 hours travelling by vehicle.

Sungai Umbang
It is a coast which has many mangrove trees. it is very beautiful and many people visit it.

Patih Mambang Waterfall
It is a waterfall from hilly land and field, and the water emitting a stream of into the sea. It is located in countryside Keraya. Besides the waterfall, in this countryside we could also for noted a coast which is used to diving and as well as surfing and also for fishing.

White Sand Beach (Sei. Cabang)
It is a coast, which has clean white sand. It is located in Sei. Cabang countryside. It is used as a place for green turtle conservation. It was built by FNPF (Friends of Nation Park Foundation) that is a foundation which focused in conservation.
 

Based on the data that we could found, in this area (Sei. Rengas), there are hidden treasures in the ground. We do not know anything about what kind of treasures are hidden there, because there is no authentic data.

Cannon colonization in Kubu
There are some historic omission, that is war cannon which used for colonization epoch of Dutch colonial at that time.

George A. Winke’s mauseloum (Sei. Kapitan)
It is a mausoleum of Dutch soldier who was in a kapiten (captain) position, he was dead and buried in that countryside. So, that countryside is referred to Kapitan countryside.