Balikpapan Travel Guide

 
by jorgejuansanchez
  •   Balikpapan
    by jorgejuansanchez
  •   Balikpapan
    by jorgejuansanchez
  •   Balikpapan
    by jorgejuansanchez
  • Lounge
      Lounge
    by Simonyet
  • Dining room
      Dining room
    by Simonyet

Pro

Cloggy profile photo

 golf, hotels,food massage,shopping, 


Con

tommypramono profile photo

 life is expensif, and traffic jam coming soon.. 


In a nutshell

mkurniawan profile photo

 The tribe city in modern day 

 

Explore Balikpapan

Things to Do  

visit crocodile farm

visit crocodile farm, Balikpapan

 vayastra Says:  For I never imagined that I went to Crocodile Farm, then my friends took me to one of the farm in Balikpapan, OMG!! I was freaked out to see hundred of crocodiles running around..argghhbut it was a great experience though.They sell crocodile meat too to grill and make satay... 

Tarzan

Tarzan, Balikpapan

 black_mimi99 Says:  Chris wanna try to be Tarzan, hanging and swing...... luckily he not say Ahooaaaaaa.... wonder where is Jane???? 

Canopy Bridge

Canopy Bridge, Balikpapan

 black_mimi99 Says:  When your step on this bridge, the great experience you will have.... See the forest under your feet. 

Local Port

Local Port, Balikpapan

 black_mimi99 Says:  Almost evening when I reach this local port for traditional boat. And also where the local house located on the beach.... Nice people and friendly smile. 

Tourist Office

Tourist Office, Balikpapan

 kissman Says:  I tried to get map or brochure about Balikpapan from the hotel we stayed (Hotel Pacific) and also a bookstore in Plaza Balikpapan but both don't have any. So we visited the Tourist Office a.k.a in Indonesian, 'Kantor Pariwisata Kota Balikpapan' on their brochure or 'Dinas... 

Pasar Kebun Sayur

Pasar Kebun Sayur, Balikpapan

 kissman Says:  Good for buying souvenirs esp. those home deco items from this region. Not sure about gold since I'm from Malaysia and feel that it's cheaper & better design in Malaysia compare to Balikpapan. 

Getting Around

Getting Around, Balikpapan

 kissman Says:  Armed with some info from internet about Balikpapan, we landed safely albeit with a little trepidation about the place. It was a relief after checking-in knowing that the hotel is not far from Balikpapan town center. In fact, I would say that Balikpapan Plaza, the town's... 

Hotels  

Novotel Balikpapan

 1 Review and 75 Opinions  Excellent service. Spacious, light and modern airy rooms with good internet connections. Very good... 

Le Grandeur

 1 Review and 43 Opinions  An ageing hotel with fairly poor food. Beware cockroaches in the rooms. There are better hotels in... 

Hotels  

Hotel Pacific - Balikpapan: Clean and Comfort, a brand new hotel in Balikpapan

Hotel Pacific - Balikpapan: Clean and Comfort, a brand new hotel in Balikpapan, Balikpapan

 chandra.chan Says:  Hotel Pacific is located in the centre of Balikpapan, you can view downtown of Balikpapan through your room windows. It is about 10 minutes from Sepinggan International Airport and only a few minutes from the Plaza Balikpapan (currently the largest in the town). It's a brand... 

Restaurants  

Batakan Beach Cafe: Beachside cafe..

Batakan Beach Cafe: Beachside cafe.., Balikpapan

 v2cherie Says:  This is a nice spot to relax.Enjoy Mexican and western food with family, friend or just by yourself.There are also many cocktails selection.Free poll table.Open daily: 11 am - midnightYou can bring your notebook (laptop) and using free hotspot internet here during certain... 

MacDonalds: Places NOT to eat

MacDonalds: Places NOT to eat, Balikpapan

 Simonyet Says:  MacDonalds does not exist in Balikpapan and I am thankful. There is an abundance of Crab restaurants that litter the town and each one adds their own special sauce to the cooked crabs. I love crabs but find the amount of effort one puts into retrieving the succulent meat... 

Ocean's - The Fish Connection: Nice view and good food

Ocean's - The Fish Connection: Nice view and good food, Balikpapan

 Perucha Says:  I think this is the most representative restaurant in Balikpapan (besides those ones in hotels). It's located right on the beach where u got the nice view. U can dine in the verandah or if it's too hot get inside the aircon resto. The service is good, the food is... 

Nightlife  

Ozone Bar -Balikpapan: Rip-off

Ozone Bar -Balikpapan: Rip-off, Balikpapan

 nitin1234 Says:  Please avoid Ozone Bar in Balikpapan. From my experience I will not advice to visit it. The ambience is ok but the management is local mafia who is looking for opportunity to shoot-up your bill, specially with tourists. If you dont trust me .. go there u ll find out... 

Ocean Resto: Balikpapan bars

Ocean Resto: Balikpapan bars, Balikpapan

 dianeosborne Says:  We spent a long time on the internet researching Balikpapan for bars and restaurants. A few websites pop up with references to Sid's Bar and Petrosea, but none of them bother to provide directions so we still don't know where they are!We stayed in the Gran Senyiur Hotel... 

The bar at Dusit Hotel: Good promotion

The bar at Dusit Hotel: Good promotion, Balikpapan

 Perucha Says:  Buy 1 get 1 free of any beverage! Nice! :-)U'll see lost of foreigners who works in oil rigs, with...of course, lost of 'chicken' (excuse my language).However, it was a nice live band! No sandals allowed 

Transportation  

Motor bike rental in Balikpapan

Motor bike rental in Balikpapan, Balikpapan

 tommypramono Says:  Taking a bike seems to be a convenient choice if you stay for a while here in Balikpapan. You may come and see this web site to have a look at the motors choice. I recommend it to you. The guy in the site says that he usualy rent it to some young French expatriat. You might... 

Using 'angkot' to get around Balikpapan

Using 'angkot' to get around Balikpapan, Balikpapan

 kissman Says:  One thing I really like about Balikpapan is that it's easy to get around. And the few days I was there, I did not feel that I was cheated on the fare because I'm not local; there are slight variation on the fare each time I got into the 'angkot' but it's quite negligible.... 

Shopping  

Central Supermarket: Shopping for Western food and hand tools

Central Supermarket: Shopping for Western food and hand tools, Balikpapan

 Lemonsieurblanc Says:  Central Supermarket is located beside Blue Sky Hotel at Jln Letjend Suprapto (Kebun Sayur).The store has two floors. The second floor has variety of foods, drinks and baking supplies. I was impressed by the amount of variety of westerner's foods that they sell. The store... 

Pasar Klandasan: Sarong, Clothes etc.

Pasar Klandasan: Sarong, Clothes etc., Balikpapan

 kissman Says:  Hot & stuffy inside, I think locals would shop here. Out of a few shops/pasar listed in www.balikpapan.go.id, our hotel reception suggested Pasar Klandasan for clothing & Pasar Kebun Sayur for souvenirs; so we did not go to other places and can't compare them (we did not... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Road trips
priVaTeer115 profile photo
priVaTeer115 9 reviews

Good day Felix,
Go for the road trip.. I highly recommend it. I have been driving/riding for years from Singapore to Thailand, Cambodia, Burma.. Now want to explore Borneo with my bike next year. Since you live in Balikpapan you should ask around your mechanics and 4x4 clubs. Even motorcycle shops will know this.
From the info I gather for my trip. You should drive to Kalimantan/Kuching border IDN Entikong checpoint. From there you can drive all the way to brunei and Kinabalu. Potholes, puncture tires are basic part of driving. have fun..

Written Jul 25, 2012

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Map of Balikpapan