The Mahakam
Visitors can choose from several travel options: either join one of the many organized tours, which range from 2-day up to 3-week trips, or travel upriver independently by local transportation. Some stretches can be traveled by bus or car, but most of your time will be spent on one of the large boats that ply the river between Samarinda and Long Bangun. If you are in a hurry or want to visit remoter parts, it best to charter a motorized canoe (ketinting). Flying directly to the upper Mahakam above Long Bangun by small airplane is another option.
Key species
White-shouldered Ibis upriver of Long Iram; Storm’s Stork possible along the Ratah tributary. Lesser and Grey-headed Fish Eagles along the river. Wide variety of river and waterbirds.
Other wildlife
Proboscis Monkey, Irrawaddy Dolphin, Estuarine and False Gharial Crocodiles, Monitor Lizards, freshwater turtles and dolphins.
Getting there
By boat from Samarinda the most common way to travel inland is on ordinary passenger boats leaving from the ferry landing (Pelabuhan Ferry) past the bridge, on the outskirts of town. Speedboats for 4-6 passengers can be chartered from the Sapulidi Company. All the boats heading upriver stop at Tenggarong, but many also stop at many other places beforehand, stretching the 45 km journey to Tenggarong leave from the Pasar Pagi dock (2-3 hrs, 50 cent) and you can get there even faster on chartered speedboat, good for 4-6 passengers (1 hr each way, $50 round trip).
Samarinda to Long Bagun takes 3 days and 2 nights in good conditions. Going upriver, boats spend a night at Data Bilang to avoid running into logs or sandbanks in the dark. $12. from Long Bagun to the Upper Mahakam past the rapids by chartered Longboat: $750, or share one as far as Tiong Bu’u or Long Apari: $40. tiong Bu’u back to Long Bagun $15-20.
If you want to go past the rapids, you need to come back by light plane. Try to get a seat on a MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) plane.
By bus to Kota Bangun: every 30 min from Jl Untung Surapati terminal 2.5 hrs/$1.50.
By car from Melak to Tering (1hr); $2.50.
By air DAS flies on Tuesday and Thursdays to Datah Dawai, above the rapids; $29, max 5 passengers, flights are regularly cancelled because of the poor condition of the Datah Dawai airstrip.
taken from Birding Indonesia. Periplus Publishing. Singapore