Balikpapan

Balikpapan is a city of 850,000 people (2019) in East Kalimantan. It serves as headquarters for international oil companies, mining companies and related support industries operating in (and out of) eastern Kalimantan. It is a relatively clean city, with clear blue skies, but not much by way of nightlife. The population is a mix, with lots of Javanese due to transmigration, lots of people from Sulawesi, and of course, the locals. The people are quiet and polite, and the pace is slow and relaxed.

Understand
The city is the financial centre of Kalimantan and one of three gateways to the new capital of Indonesia that is being built.

Balikpapan began as a fishing village built by Buginese people in the 19th century. The first oil drilling began in Balikpapan in 1897. Many multi-national companies came to Balikpapan to invest in the oil industry. This resulted in the economic boom of Balikpapan and attracted many migrants and expatriates.

Balikpapan oil refinery is on the shore of Balikpapan Bay and covers an area of.

Climate
Balikpapan has a tropical rainforest climate as there is no real dry season in Balikpapan. The city sees an average of 2,400 mm (94 in) of rain per year. Balikpapan generally shows little variation in weather throughout the course of the year. The city does not have significantly wetter and drier periods of the year and average temperatures are nearly identical throughout the course of the year, averaging about 26 to 27 °C throughout the year.

Get in
Most people arrive by air.

By plane


Despite the numerous signs which you'll see after leaving the baggage claim area, as of March 2016 there's no airport bus service to Balikpapan; the buses mentioned on these signs are going to Samarinda (Rp 30,000, every 30 min at Jun 2024).

The angkot route 7 is passing in front of the airport to Terminal Damai (also named Bus Terminal Permai), Rp 8,000, about a 20-min drive.

By car
Balikpapan can be reached from Samarinda, Bontang and Banjarmasin by land through 2 bus terminals. From Samarinda and Bontang by Terminal Batu Ampar, and from Banjarmasin at the other terminal in the Batu Ampar District.

By ferry
Semayang's seaport that serves cruises from Makassar, Pare Pare, Tarakan, Surabaya, and other eastern parts of Indonesia. This port is the second busiest port in East Kalimantan, serving passenger Pelni ferries.

Get to the terminal with minibus #6 (dark blue) which plies the coastal road. The No 3 (light Blue) will also take you to and from. Cost Rp 5000 (September 2019).

Get around
Traffic does not yet inhibit travel within the city but is increasing by the day as relatively high living standards help to support a sea of small motorcycles.

By taxi
Some taxi companies operates in Balikpapan. It is advisable to call for their call centre, tell your location and wait the call centre arrange their unit to pick you up. It is uncommon to wait for empty taxis on the street because they usually stop and wait for orders from their call centre.

List of taxi companies and their call centre number:


 * City Taxi ( or )
 * Mawar
 * Kalung Mas
 * Globalindo Taxi

Public transport
Public transportation in Balikpapan consists of small minibus named angkutan kota or angkot for short. Locals often call angkot as taxi and metered taxi as taxi argo. There's no public bus inside the city. Minibuses serves public transport between points. Although there are dedicated routes, they often deroute due to passenger's request. They also sometimes don't serve the whole route.

The color of the minibuses determines their routes. Common routes are as follows:
 * White top/Orange bottom (Route 1): between Kampung Baru Ujung and Terminal Batu Ampar
 * White top/Light Green bottom (Route 2A): between Terminal Damai and Terminal Batu Ampar through Ring Road (possible deroute to Balikpapan Baru housing and or Damai III area)
 * White top/Gray bottom (Route 2B): between Balikpapan Baru and Jalan A Yani through Jalan AMD
 * White top/Light Blue bottom (Route 3): between Terminal Batu Ampar and Pelabuhan Semayang through Klandasan. This No 3 bus will take you to and from the Pelabuhan Semayang Ferry Terminal (from outside the terminal) to Balikpapan Plaza via Jalan Jenderal Sudirman Road (along the waterfront). This same No 3 Bus will also go from the Balikpapan Plaza to the Bus Terminal Angkutan Kota Batu Ampar along Jalan (Jenderal) Almad Yani and Jalan Soekarno Hatta going pass the Rapak Plaza and the Bus Terminal Palau Indah Jaya. Cost 5000 Rp (September 2019).
 * White top/Yellow bottom (Route 5): between Kampung Baru Ujung and Terminal Damai through A. Yani. It will take you from Balikpapan Plaza to Baru Tengah (Maps me, the village on the water) at Jalan Letjan Suprapto. Cost is Rp 5000 (September 2019). Route Kp.Baru - Kb.Sayur - Kr.Anyar - Rapak - Gn.Sari - Ps.Baru - Ter.Damai - P.P.
 * White top/Dark Blue bottom (Route 6): between Kampung Baru Ujung and Terminal Damai through Pelabuhan Semayang. Route Kp.Baru - Kr.Anyar - Pelabuhan - Klandasan - Ps.Baru - Ter.Damai - P.P. Rp 7,000 (Jul 2024).
 * White top/Green bottom (Route 7): between Terminal Damai and Gunung Tembak via sepinggan (airport), batakan, manggar. Rp 8,000 (Jul 2024).
 * White top/Light Yellow bottom (Route 9): between Terminal Batu Ampar and KM 24 to Samarinda

Do

 * On Merdeka (Independence) Square you can play soccer and other sports.
 * Local tour operators arrange river safaris on the Mahakam River and orangutan tours.
 * There are beautiful beaches, such as Manggar and Lamaru located just outside the city, and Kemala Beach further off Klandasan with nice views of the sunset.
 * There are beautiful beaches, such as Manggar and Lamaru located just outside the city, and Kemala Beach further off Klandasan with nice views of the sunset.
 * There are beautiful beaches, such as Manggar and Lamaru located just outside the city, and Kemala Beach further off Klandasan with nice views of the sunset.

Food souvenirs
Balikpapan is famous for its kepiting (crab)-based food.
 * Abon kepiting, crab meat floss.
 * Amplang kepiting, crab cracker.
 * Rempeyek kepiting, crab cracker.

Eat
A local delicacy is Amplang/Kuku Macan, a kind of chips made from fish. Pacifica Food Court in Balikpapan Plaza Mall has good food and a lot of choice. Also, a crab dish is very common in Balikpapan and you must try it.



There are food stalls right on the waterfront, on the beach side of Pasar Klandasan, about 200 m west of the Masjid At Taqwa and 800 m east of Plaza Balikpapan. There are also a couple of simple food stalls on the old wooden jetty, with a good vibe feel about them.

Drink

 * Color Beat Pub (Blue Sky Hotel)
 * Borneo Bar (Le Grandeur Hotel)
 * Borneo Sports Fishing Club (prev. Sid's Bar) at Jl Sudirman 24, Gunung Bahagia. Bar with sea views.
 * Rende Vu (Novotel Hotel)
 * Red Square (Sagita Hotel)
 * Lamaru Pub (Hotel Grand Senyiur)
 * SQ (Adhika Bahtera Hotel)
 * Nakhoda (Adikha Bahtera Hotel)
 * Suzannas Liquor Store- you can buy alcohol by the case to drink at home.

Sleep
There are a number of star-rated hotels poised on the hills and at the beach that are perfectly adequate.

Budget






Consulates

 * 🇫🇷 France
 * 🇵🇭 Philippines

Go next

 * Banjarmasin – The river city, become the centre of Banjarese also famous for its floating market. An hour away by plane.
 * Samarinda – "East Kalimantan's capital city", a great example of Kalimantan and Indonesian cultures. It is the second most popular East Kalimantan tourist destination after Kutai Kartanegara, with a travel time of around an hour by car.