Updated: July 30, 2022 – New Awakening of Nusantara Indonesia’s Future Capital
The New Capital
The lungs of Borneo, rich in natural resources, a city where the river flows, and home to the indigenous Dayak tribe. These are just a few things we know East Kalimantan for. A province in Indonesia that could soon become the Indonesia’s future administrative capital—The New Awakening of Nusantara (the locals call it IKN, Ibu Kota Negara). The name of the future capital means “archipelago” in Javanese. It will be based in Sepaku, within the regions of North Penajam Paser and Kutai Kartanegara.
The new project with the total area of 180,000 ha is likely to cost around 466 trillion rupiah (USD 32 billion). If compared with the size of the current capital in Jakarta, it is three to four times larger. Some residents fear they will lose their homes, livelihoods, family roots and lifestyle when government moves them. Despite some doubts, most residents in East Kalimantan are excited about the new capital, and are exploring new businesses, work opportunities and potential property investments.
When I stepped into the arrival hall of the Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport in Balikpapan city, the Dayak spirit open my eyes to shades like no other. The shades that open my heart to exotic traditions, and to new interpretations. Will I get lost as I discover? Every corner makes your imagination wander. We shall see. New Awakening of Nusantara Indonesia’s Future Capital.
An Alternative Capital to Jakarta
In August 2019, Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has officially proposed to move the capital from Jakarta to East Kalimantan. The move is because of the city’s congested traffic jams, overdevelopment and overcrowding. More than that, he wants to grow the economy across the archipelago and easily accessible from all parts of Indonesia, i.e. Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Papua, Bali and its surrounding islands.
The Indonesian government has chosen East Kalimantan also because it is sheltered from natural disasters. Strategically in the center of Indonesia and has good infrastructure. I think the Balikpapan Airport is under used at the moment because of its capacity and size. So, developing Nusantara will surely bring in fresh opportunities. However, few foreign tourists know this the province well enough as compared to the commercialized and well-established counterpart of Bali.
The heavily populated city of Jakarta is home to 10 million people and has been facing the growing issue with the overuse of groundwater by home drilling because of large-scale city developments. It worsened the problem when combined with rising sea levels. I can feel the condition intensified during the annual mass flood in the city. Thus, shift in development will slow down the rate at which Jakarta sinks into the Java Sea within years.
Hope of the Nation
Indonesia will move its administrative capital of Jakarta to East Kalimantan of Borneo in five stages through 2045, and focus over the short term will be on basic infrastructure work. The nature will coexist with urban living in the recent development. Thus, the concept of the new capital is forest city, where nature is the unaccustomed luxury.
However, there are people who support and who oppose the plan. Indonesians are eagerly waiting for the government to complete the plan, a move that will bring change to East Kalimantan and Indonesia, and perhaps, for the better. New Awakening of Nusantara Indonesia’s Future Capital.
Nusantara’s Dispute: Indonesia’s Future Capital
Initially, the Environmentalist groups strongly reject the highway projects that link from Balikpapan KM-13 to Nusantara via the western boundary of Sungai Wain Protected Forest, across the Balang Island Bridge I and II. This is because the Sungai Wain Protected Forest is the only and last patch of lowland primary rainforest and mangrove forest in Balikpapan. Its protection status makes it the last healthy water catchment area on which Balikpapan can rely. The activists believe that if this highway is built, it will open access to hunting, illegal logging, arson and land grabbing. The remaining forest will be isolated like an island, being eroded away by the sea until it vanishes along with its inhabitants. Land acquisition from the locals is still a barrier to the Balang Island Bridge’s development. Therefore, the project management temporarily forced to stop construction of the connecting bridges of Balang Island to solve the disputes.
Places of Interest
I can’t imagine how this place will look like when it becomes the future capital of Indonesia. Perhaps it will be like Jakarta. However, I would like to enjoy this moment when I’m in East Kalimantan. Some of the highlighted places which I would like to recommend:
1. Open House Balikpapan
A privately owned hilltop property offering 6 types of accommodations being Economy 102 type room the most demanding (please book ahead of time). This café offers a vast area of dining with multiple settings, all of which you can view the Makassar Strait ocean. Besides the outstanding view, there are a lot of antiques exhibited like a grand museum, until I kept telling the owner how amazing this place was. She was as proud as a Borneo Hornbill.
2. Pantai Tanjung Bayur (Srikandi Villa/Dolphin Villa/Lembayung Villa)
Less than an hour’s drive from the Balikpapan town center, you will arrive at the breathtaking spot with some triangular shape villas welcoming you. So please spend an evening there and enjoy the morning sunrise to energize your day. I was so lucky to witness some seaweed being washed onto the shores as the locals happily collecting them. To them, it has been a long time since they’ve seen so much seaweed on the beach. They use this to cook jellies or agar-agar, as what they called it locally. Please be aware of high tide as it prevents you from reaching those villas by car.
3. Kampung Atas Air Margasari
The village on the water Margasari Balikpapan is the settlement that brought this city to receive the 2013 Urban Management Innovation (IMP) Award. This village is proof of success for the government in transforming slum areas into areas that are neatly organized and close to nature, by putting a lot of effort and time into it.
This community is right behind Pertamina’s petroleum processing unit, precisely on Jalan Sepaku Baru Tengah, West Balikpapan District, East Kalimantan.
In the evening, the gazebos along the wooden walkway often used as a hangout place by the locals and some passerby to enjoy the beauty of the sunset. Orangy violet sky that are so beautiful during the dusk will accompany you to close a tiring day.
4. Blue Sky Hotel (Get your most delicious Blue Sky Mantau)
Taken from the famous mantou or Chinese steamed bun in Northern China, Blue Sky is the local pioneer in Balikpapan to explore and develop this food since 1989, in which is now popular among all Indonesians. The uniqueness of Blue Sky Mantau is in its high quality of ingredients. You usually eat the mantou with stir-fried beef with two types of flavor, which is dried chili spiced or black pepper. Besides that, the mantou is excellent as an appetizer, or as a healthy snack. On the other hand, Decafe Resto, Pastry & Bakery along the Jenderal Sudirman Road offers you similar mantou to spoil your taste buds.
5. Harris Hotel Samarinda (Dominant View of the Samarinda’s Mahakam Bridge)
HARRIS Hotel Samarinda is strategically on the shore of Mahakam River and located right next to Mahakam Bridge, which connects the city of Samarinda with Balikpapan. Even if you can’t get the river view rooms (as it is usually fully booked), you can always enjoy the scenery from the hotel’s lounge and café. The sunrise is majestic.
6. Ekowisata Bamboe Wanadesa (Kampung Bambu)
This bamboo forest offers you a thrilling experience where the locals love to camp, cannoe, jog or simply bring their family to enjoy the view.
7. Beruang Madu Enclosure (KWPLH)
Sun Bear of the Southeast Asia is the proud mascot for Balikpapan City, which is the smallest breed amongst the bear family. Since sun bear is shy in nature, we are only allowed to watch them from a distance in this enclosure.
8. Mangrove Center (Graha Indah, Balikpapan)
My final evening in Balikpapan always ended with a memorable story that will keep me inspired and treasured when I returned to Jakarta. We started the boat ride with a spectacular welcoming of the magnificent mangrove trees. The view was so captivating, and immediately I felt in love with this place. Soon Pak Herman took me and Johny deeper into the forest to witness proboscis monkey. Oh, just how gorgeous those monkeys were, and they greeted us with their proud roars of the mangrove forest from above, as we enjoyed the beautiful, calm and inviting river.
9. Kedai Pos 10
We had a great Chinese food that night. I totally recommend this place! The owner was so friendly but camera shy.
10. Coto Makassar Food Court
As an immigrant city, Bugis and Bone tribes from Sulawesi also inhabit Balikpapan, making it a diversified city. This is a complex by the beach that contains Bugis and Bone sellers of Coto Makassar, which are always busy from morning to night. Coto Makassar is a variant of soto traditional beef and offal stew with seasoned soto broth made from ground peanuts and spices. It is eaten with ketupat.
11. Pasar Klandasan
This is Balikpapan’s main traditional wet market offering a variety of local consumption-oriented perishable goods.
12. Kemala Beach
A beautiful beach front to enjoy last minute view at Balikpapan.
13. SeaDoo CanAm Balikpapan
With a walking distance from Balikpapan Plaza, you can watch watercraft riding activities at the water bay.
Future Trips
Places I would love to visit one day when I visit East Kalimantan again:
- Sambodja Orang Utan Rehabilitation Center
- Sambodja Lodge
- Derawan Island
- Tenggarong (Kutai Hindu Tribe)
- Tanjung Isuy (Dayak Tribe)
- Sanggata (Orang Utan Forest)
Final Thoughts on New Awakening of Nusantara
Once arrived, you’ll feel reawakened. You’re contacting your new self because it’s open and challenging. It’s open and inviting to be in the middle of nowhere or in the center of it all. And their hearts will open to yours. Due to amazing things are in all directions, its millions of beautiful moments wait at every turn. What else can you do but to venture further? Because the new experiences are waiting. Open to the new horizon and explore the East Kalimantan.
I wanted to believe that there was still wonder in the world. We’ve explored the globe, mapped the oceans and been to the moon, and Mars. Our solar system is explored. Thus, we know a great deal about human evolution, and about where we as a species came from. Because we are the Homo Sapiens of the Earth. It is truly a new awakening of Nusantara Indonesia’s Future Capital.
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How beautiful! And I am amazed that the government is going to move the capital – what an ambitious project!
These are beautiful photos of an absolutely beautiful place! You really captured the essence of this whole region 🙂
I find It fascinating that they are moving the capital to another city. I just hope that this time they will really invest in public transportation to avoid another traffic congestion issue in this new location. I’m sure the move over the next 20 years will be an amazing adventure for people living there.
I am looking forward for that too Joanna. 🙂
What an absolutely gorgeous place. I must say I remember Bali visiting 40 yrs ago it was much like this, now you must go deep into the island to find that peace… We also visited Jakarta it was a busy city back then but still simple… I hope that the new beginning is not the end for this gorgeous Island…
There are so many more places in Indonesia that I need to explore. Life is really short.
How interesting, moving a capital has to be such a major undertaking and such an unusual thing to happen. I want to visit and I want you to be my tour guide. What an amazing place.
Thank you. Is my pleasure Jere to be your guide. :))
This is some massive scale project (although not unheard of – there were talks in Romania to move the administrative capital to my home city, but corruption always got in the way). As always, there will be pluses and minuses, but we as a species want to see progress, don’t we? I hope it’s for the better, in the end.
This looks like it was such a fun trip! I love all of your photos. Thank you for sharing.
Such a wonderful place to visit..
Love learning about new places and new food. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for leaving a comment. Happy New Year!