Sentarum Lake, Borneo's best kept secret

Sentarum Lake, a hidden gem of Borneo is still largely undiscovered as it is located off the beaten track in the Heart of Borneo (HoB), not far from the border between Indonesia and Malaysia.

Why do we call this lake one of the best tourist spots in Borneo?

One of the largest biodiverse lake in Southeast Asia is also home to various species of endemic and rare flora and fauna.

The lake is situated within the Danau Sentarum National Park, located in the Kapuas Hulu Regency, West Kalimantan province, Indonesia.

Sentarum Lake

With its unique ecosystem, more than 290 species of freshwater fish are found here. It is also the natural habitat for the Super Asian Arowana  (Scleropages formosus) also known as Super red arowana, one of the most expensive fishes and highly sought after.

Other wildlife often seen around the lake area are hornbills (Bucerotidae) and orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus).

Houses rare flora and fauna

Approximately 3,000 magnificent species of orchid can be found here, more than anywhere else in the world.

Around 37 new orchids have been discovered in the Heart of Borneo, accounting for the lion’s shares of the 51 new orchids discovered on the entire island since the beginning of 2007.

Experts noted no less than 675 species of flora that live here, and 33 species of them are endemic. It was also found that 10 new species of orchids, including the existing 135 new managed in the data, including the black orchid (Coelogyne pandurata).

Hornbill, a sacred bird for the Dayaks 

Proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus), Mitred leaf monkey (Presbytis melalophos cruniger), Black-Handed gibbon (Hylobates agilis), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) and Müller's Bornean gibbon (Hylobates muelleri) are some of the fauna living near the lake.

To protect the diverse flora and fauna, in 1999 the Indonesian government gazetted the area as a National Park. With an area of ​​approximately 132,000 hectares, this lake has became a Ramsar site in 1994.

The Headhunter and Fishermen

Living around the edge of the lake are the descendants of the legendary Dayak tribes, known as the headhunters.

Dayak tribes

These are the Dayak tribes of Sebaruk, Sontas, Kenyah, Punan and Iban who still live in a long house, known locally as rumah betang.  It is a typical Dayak longhouse measuring 186 meters in length and an average width of 6 meters. Traditionally, Dayak tribes farm and hunt. Nowadays, many young Dayaks are already working in the city.

If you are lucky enough to be invited to stay in the longhouse, there is so much to learn from the Dayaks who have learned to live in harmony with nature.

Around the edges of the lake, you will also get to meet and hang out with the local fishermen who still catch their fish with traditional equipments.

Getting there

A festival to promote the lake’s diversity is held yearly in December. Known as the Sentarum Lake National Park festival, it is organized by the local government with several travel agencies.

For those wishing to visit join in the festival and visit the lake, there are several travel routes to choose from.

From the town of Pontianak, West Kalimantan provincial capital towards Lanjak (Sentarum Lake entrance), you can use a taxi. It is approximately an 18 to 21 hours long journey.

The fastest alternative route is a taxi ride from Kuching to Lubuk Antu district, East Malaysia. Pass through the border at Nanga Badau (Kapuas Hulu) to Lanjak. From Kuching International Airport the journey is approximately 12 hours.

Another alternative would be to travel from Pontianak to Putussibau. It is an hour’s flight from the city of Putussibau, then use a public transportation and travel towards Lanjak for approximately 2 hours.

Border Lubuk Antu, Malaysia

For a more adventurous travel, take the public transport along the  Pontianak-Sintang-Semitau route. The journey  continues on river across Semitau-Hill Tekenang-Lanjak route. On a good day, the journey takes about 6 to 8 hours.

On arrival, contact the postal clerk to obtain the necessary permits for entry to the National Park.

What about accommodation? Do not worry as there are quite a number of lodgings around the area.

For further tips, check this out.