What to do while transiting in Balikpapan
With my flight scheduled for 9 p.m., I had several hours to spare in Balikpapan on my last day in the city during a recent trip to East Kalimantan province.
Luckily, an old friend of my father's family was more than happy to show me around.
Hunt for souvenirs at Inpres Kebun Sayur Market
The market is considered one the city's must-see places by locals. The traditional market is huge and consists of endless kiosks selling various items to take home, including various foods, fruit, Kalimantan batik fabrics and clothes, East Kalimantan's signature stones and beaded jewelry, Dayak tribe handicrafts and jewelry and so on.
Although many stalls might seem to offer more or less the same, it is best to have a look around to find the best prices and unique souvenirs.
Have a seafood fiesta
In Balikpapan, there are an array of famed restaurants offering fresh seafood, some conveniently located close enough to enable guests to catch a glimpse of the sea. Many restaurants even offer air-tight sealed packaging to cater to customers who want to bring home their famous crab dishes.
Some of their popular menu items include Kenari crab dishes and sebelah fish, which swim lying horizontally in the water.
Although not exclusive to Kalimantan, pepes ikan patin (steamed fish in banana leaves wrapped with spices and herbs) from East Kalimantan is always recommended as patin fish here is considered more succulent and rich compared to those found in Java.
I also tried the popular grilled sebelah fish and pepes ikan patin dishes at Teluk Bayur restaurant on Jl. Jend. A. Yani (Gunung Sari), where they were also very delicious.
You should also add boneless milkfish (ikan bandeng) at RM Torani on Jl. Jenderal Sudirman 73 to your must-try dish list.
Enjoy Balikpapan's city view from Gunung Dubs
The hillside area of the town is popular as the housing complexes of several oil companies operating in Balikpapan are located there.
To reach the area you have to pass green bushes on one side and a gigantic oil refinery on the other.
Upon reaching Gunung Dubs in broad daylight, you get a glimpse of the city's unique features, its lush greenery and gorgeous shades of blue from the sky above and distant sea.
Marvel at Manggar Beach's unusual sunset
About a one-hour drive from Balikapapan's Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Airport, the beach is actually far from pristine. In fact, its cleanliness should be of a concern as there is a lot of garbage brought ashore by the tide.
Its surrounding facilities are also rather modest with humble paid bathrooms run by locals and small warungs selling a small variety of food and drink.
But while spending an afternoon at the beach waiting for sunset, I somehow had a good time walking along its shore. I had a thrilling AVP motor ride, watched groups of boys enthusiastically play soccer and, eventually, watched the sky grow purple with a hint of orange.
Sunset at Manggar Beach is unique. Instead of a huge orange sun vanishing into the horizon, as it grows darker, a faraway oil rig starts to light up and glow, resulting in the most unusually beautiful sunset I have ever seen.
How to get there
Even if you don't have a local guide to show you around, renting a car is a better option since taxis are still in short supply and would probably cost you more or less the same.
The easiest way to find a rental car is at Balikpapan's Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Airport arrival terminal.
The price of a rental car with a driver to transport you from Balikpapan to Samarinda starts at Rp 300,000 (US$24.13) per trip. A one-day rental in Balikpapan alone is more expensive, starting at Rp 600,000. Do bargain for a good deal, but tip and pay for your driver's meal.
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