[Road Less Traveled] Biduk-Biduk: Borneo's Nose Tip Paradise

[Road Less Traveled]
Biduk-Biduk: Pesona Desa Pesisir di "Ujung Hidung" Kalimantan

Early morning view just across from where I stay

The female receptionist looked a bit shocked and surprised when she looked at me. She smiled friendly shortly after and welcomed me in her pinky hostel. Then she explained about her confused that it's such once in a while to have a guest in these hours, around 3 p.m.

Si mbak resepsionis terlihat agak kaget dan heran ketika ia melihat saya. Tidak lama kemudian ia pun tersenyum ramah menyambut kedatangan saya di penginapannya yang bernuansa merah muda. Rasa herannya bukanlah tanpa alasan, ia menjelaskan bahwa tumben sekali ada tamu yang datang jam segini, sekitar jam 3 sore.

Pinky atmosphere

About 5 hours of "pretty fun" road trip by car from Tanjung Redeb (Berau) town was really exhausting my body. But somehow, that fatigue was just simply passed away when I arrived at the hostel. It's located on a beautiful spot which made me to choose this hostel for two days ahead. The terrace facing directly to the coastal and wide blue sea.

Situated on the East Borneo coast, Biduk-Biduk village is located at the nose tip or almost close to the easternmost point of Borneo island (Indonesia). This village already has its own main street with asphalt pavement, which extends about 10 km to the end of the road at Sulaiman Bay.
 
Perjalanan dengan mobil yang cukup "menyenangkan" dari kota Tanjung Redeb (Berau) selama kurang lebih 5 jam memang bikin badan lelah. Namun rasa capek itu langsung saja terlupakan begitu saya tiba di penginapan Selvia. Lokasi yang sangat cantik dan strategis lah yang membuat saya memilih bermalam di sini hingga 2 hari ke depan. Terasnya langsung menghadap ke laut biru lepas begitu buka pintu.

Berada di pesisir Kalimantan Timur, desa Biduk-Biduk terletak di ujung hidung alias sudah dekat dengan titik paling timur Pulau Kalimantan (Indonesia). Desa ini sudah memiliki jalan utama aspal yang memanjang kira-kira 10 km hingga tak ada jalan lagi di Teluk Sulaiman paling ujung.

Even Gmaps is unable to show the road direction. So, I draw a straight imaginary line

It was very quiet at the hostel that afternoon. Receptionist, also the owner informed me that there were already 2 rooms occupied since 2 days ago. However, until my last day here, I didn't get to catch their appearance. Curious and excited really forced me to explore around in no time. Once check-in, taking a bath and tidying up, then hit the road. No wasting time.

Biduk-Biduk village isn't similar to ordinary villages out there, which the settlements are scattered on several streets/alleys/blocks. There's only 1 main long road next to the coastline, so most of local's houses are located and facing toward the sea.

Siang itu terasa sangat sepi di penginapan. Info dari mbak resepsionis, sekaligus pemilik, ternyata sudah ada 2 kamar yang terisi sejak 2 hari lalu. Namun hingga hari terakhir di sini, saya sama sekali tidak sempat melihat para turis tersebut. Rasa penasaran sekaligus excited membuat saya ingin segera menjelajah lingkungan sekitar. Tak perlulah berlama-lama di penginapan. Begitu check-in, mandi dan beres-beres, langsung jalan keluar.

Desa Biduk-Biduk ini bukanlah seperti desa-desa pada umumnya yang permukimannya tersebar di beberapa jalan/gang/blok. Hanya ada 1 jalan utama yang sangat panjang di pinggir pantainya, sehingga hampir semua rumah penduduk pun terletak di pinggir jalanan yang menghadap langsung ke laut.

Biduk-Biduk coastline road

Modest gazebos just across the Selvia Hostel

No hell I would roam along the road from end to tend (around 10 km) just by on foot. So, the first duty to be done surely looking for a vehicle rental. In just short time, I was able to get a borrowed motorbike from the receptionist.

Didn't know the reason, probably because I was just alone at the time. Because most of tourists usually come in a group with their rented car to roam around. Anyway, yes I got a borrowed bike... and no need to worry about the fees. What a luck!

I drove along the Biduk-Biduk coastline without setting any exact location. I was just driving slowly while enjoying the fresh breeze in late afternoon. Once I saw beautiful objects or view, I stopped and parked the bike then walked to capture some images. And of course without forgetting to always say "hi" to the locals when met them.

Tak mungkin saya menjelajah dari ujung ke ujung (sekitar 10 km) dengan berjalan kaki. Maka dari itu, tugas awal yang harus dilakukan tentu saja mencari penyewaan kendaraan. Tidak perlu buang waktu yang lama, seketika itu juga saya langsung dapat pinjaman motor dari si mbak resepsionis. 

Entah apa alasannya, mungkin saya cuma sendirian pas waktu itu. Karena para turis yang datang biasanya rombongan dengan mobil sewaan sendiri untuk keliling sekitar. Ya, benar dipinjami... alias nggak perlu pusingin biaya sewa lagi. What a luck!

Saya mulai jalan di tepi pantai Biduk-Biduk tanpa tujuan yang jelas. Pokoknya saya jalan aja pelan-pelan sambil menikmati semilir angin sore. Begitu ada pemandangan atau objek bagus, motor langsung saya parkir lalu jalan kaki untuk mengambil gambar. Tidak lupa juga untuk selalu menyapa warga lokal pas bertemu dengan mereka.

A local family

Also a local activity

The sky looked clear and blue that afternoon, and the weather also was not too hot. What a perfect moment for photographers! From all directions, this beach looks picturesque that worth captured into some pictures.

The tide was still low opened a way for me to keep walking far enough from the shore toward the shallow water. Some parts were surely shallow, but there're also some parts which must passing through an almost knee-deep water surface. The motive was surely for capturing some unique objects, like these "lonely tree" below.

Sore itu hari sedang cerah dan langit terlihat biru, cuaca pun juga tidak terlalu panas. Momen yang sangat sempurna sekali bagi para fotografer. Dari segala arah manapun juga, pantai ini terlihat sangat indah sekali untuk diabadikan ke dalam gambar.

Air pasang yang belum terlalu tinggi membuka jalan bagi saya untuk terus berjalan cukup jauh dari bibir pantai hingga ke perairan dangkal. Beberapa bagian memang dangkal, namun ada pula yang harus melewati permukaan air laut hampir setinggi lutut. Tujuannya tentu saja demi foto objek-objek yang unik, seperti "lonely tree" di bawah ini.

While I was capturing the scenery, I suddenly remembered one matter that I had to do immediately. The problem is, I couldn't just do it around here, but I had to find the right location so that can be done easily.

I needed mobile phone signal in order to tell the family about my current state. I had been "lost" for several days in Borneo since then, that could make them worry. However, since yesterday my phone screen always showed "Emergency calls only" text.

After asking the locals, I had to head to Sulaiman Bay which situated at the end of village road. Because only at this very location the phone signal can be worked good enough. But not means all providers were able to get the signal, including my phone. Without any clear directions, I still had to head there.

Di saat lagi asyik-asyiknya potret pemandangan, tiba-tiba teringat akan 1 hal penting yang harus saya tuntaskan dengan segera. Masalahnya, saya nggak bisa langsung melakukannya di sekitar sini, namun harus cari lokasi yang tepat supaya lancar urusannya.

Saya butuh sinyal HP untuk kasih kabar pada keluarga di rumah. Sudah beberapa hari saya "menghilang" di daratan Kalimantan yang mungkin sempat membuat mereka was-was. Tapi sejak dari kemarin hingga sekarang, layar di HP saya selalu menampilkan tulisan "Emergency calls only".

Setelah tanya-tanya warga sekitar, ternyata saya harus ke Teluk Sulaiman yang berada di ujung jalan desa. Karena cuma di lokasi inilah provider HP bisa terima sinyal dengan cukup baik. Itu pun tidak semua provider bisa mendapat sinyal, termasuk HP saya. Tanpa tujuan yang jelas, mau tidak mau saya harus tetap mengarah ke sana.

Even a brief encounter with the locals could be interesting. For example, some of them looked surprised and somehow excited when they found out that I was a tourist from outer land. They would enthusiastically tell me about the beautiful spots around the village. One of them is a man who willingly paused his activity to have a chat with me. I just "say hi" and asking for direction to the bay, tho!

While we're talking, suddenly a young man joined our convo. I guessed he was a local guy here. Can be seen from the daily outfit he wore, and he already acquainted with the man before.
But later he revealed that he also a foreigner from Jogja.
Hanif, he said the name while he was also asking me back.

"You got a borrowed bike! Anyway, which place you're heading to?" Hanif asked.

Once he learned that I was heading to the bay, he suddenly said, "So do I.. I'm looking for signals to reach my family. Anyway, would you mind to share a ride?"
I guessed it wasn't a big deal at all, since we were in the same boat.

Pertemuan singkat dengan warga lokal pun bisa menjadi menarik. Contohnya ketika beberapa warga lokal terlihat kaget dan senang sekali begitu mereka tahu bahwa saya adalah turis dari luar pulau. Mereka tak segan memberitahu lokasi-lokasi indah di sekitar desa dengan gaya berceritanya yang semangat sekali. Salah satunya adalah seorang bapak yang rela menghentikan aktivitasnya untuk ngobrol dengan saya. Padahal saya cuma sekadar "say hi" dan nanya arah ke teluk saja, loh!

Di tengah-tengah pembicaraan, tiba-tiba ada seorang pemuda yang ikut nimbrung. Asumsi saya ia adalah warga sini. Terlihat dari pakaiannya ala rumahan sehari-hari, dan ia memang sudah kenal dengan si bapak. Namun belakangan pemuda itu mengungkapkan bahwa ia juga warga pendatang dari Jogja.
Hanif, itulah namanya seraya ia bertanya balik pada saya.

"Wih, dapat motor pinjaman, nih! Rencana mau jalan kemana, mas?" tanya Hanif.

Begitu ia tahu bahwa saya ingin menuju ke teluk, ia pun langsung berkata, "Saya juga mau ke sana, nih mas.. mau cari sinyal buat telpon keluarga di rumah. Kalo saya nebeng nggak papa, kan?"
Saya rasa tak masalah lah, berhubung kami punya keperluan yang sama. 

"Summer Blue"

Maybe you are all wondering why I traveled so far away to Borneo (corner most by the way!) Even though Java is also abundant in pristine beaches.

Yes, exactly! You're not fully wrong anyway.
But of course I had reason why I visited this place.
Because there is a picturesque, unique, and surely rare natural site in this very place. The name is Labuan Cermin Lake. What unique? I'll tell it later for the next story.

Mungkin kalian bertanya-tanya, buat apa jalan jauh-jauh sampai ke Kalimantan (ujungnya pula!). Padahal, kan di Jawa juga udah banyak pantai yang indah.

Ya, emang benar! Kalian tidak sepenuhnya salah, kok.
Namun tentu saja saya punya alasan kenapa saya datang ke tempat ini.
Karena di desa Biduk-Biduk ini terdapat situs alam yang sangat indah, unik, dan tentunya sangat langka. Nama situs itu adalah Danau Labuan Cermin. Keunikannya apa? Nanti akan saya ceritakan di cerita berikutnya.

Sunrise at the easternmost Borneo (Indonesia)

Enjoying the serene moment

Witness the sun rises from the horizon, breathe in some fresh air, and feel the rural atmosphere in tranquil are the most perfect combination for a city dweller like me. It may seem very simple, but we need to go out from our urban routines which sometimes make you feel terribly sick and bored.

Get out from the "box", start to appreciate everything what nature has given to us, and the most important is to find the meaning of slow-living life.

Menyaksikan matahari terbit di batas horizon, menghirup udara pagi yang segar, dan merasakan suasana pedesaan yang tentram merupakan kombinasi yang sempurna bagi orang kota seperti saya ini. Hal tersebut memang terkesan sangat sederhana, namun kita perlu sesekali keluar dari rutinitas kota yang terkadang bikin penat.

Keluar dari "box", mulailah menghargai segala sesuatu yang alam sudah berikan pada kita, dan yang paling penting adalah memaknai the slow-living life.

To be continued on [Road Less Traveled] Sulaiman Bay: A Gleam of Hope for the Bay

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"It's not just about the destination, but the journey"

(July 2015)