Balikpapan is located on the east coast of the Borneo Island in the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan. The city is also an industrial, commercial and financial centre of Kalimantan. It is also the headquarters for oil companies. They also export mines too. Therefore, the city is known as "Oil City". Balikpapan is the second most populated city in East Kalimantan. Previously the city consists of Bugis community that operates fishing villages. This was until the late 19th century. Then there was a small company that opened here to drill oil. The people here are a mixture of several races such as Muslim, Buddhist and also Christians.

Airports in Balikpapan

1. Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman International Airport (BPN)

Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman International Airport is also known as Sepinggan Airport. It is an international airport that serves the vicinity of East Kalimantan area. The airport began its operations back in 1997. It is the size of 300 hectors. The airport serves both international and also domestic flights. It has many facilities such as transit hotels, meeting rooms, restaurants and also small shops. Some of the airlines that operate here are Batik Air, Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air and several more. There are also some cargo flights that operate here in this airport; however, the route is not as vast. The only international destination for cargo is to Singapore.

How to Get Cheap Flights to Balikpapan?

The best way to get cheap flight tickets to Balikpapan is by using Traveloka. It is a search engine that will be able to pull out some of the best deals. Travellers will need to key in the desired destination, and the site will pull out the information from known airlines and compare the prices. Travellers will be able to see the best deals and make their way to Istanbul. Travellers who feel the rate are slightly higher may use the price alert feature where travellers will be notified if there is a better deal for flights to Balikpapan.

When is the Best Time to Fly to Balikpapan?

Just like other parts in East Kalimantan, Balikpapan is no differ making it have weather type where it is hot all year long with a low amount of rain. Many tourists visit the city during September and October. This is because it is at its peak dry and hot season. Many tourists would find this weather to be something to look for as they do not need to worry about the rain and the sky is brighter. The temperature is on average at 32.2°C during the day while at night it usually is at 24.1°C. Although the city is at the driest during this time, it is still very humid.

Since the city has multiracial citizens, the festivals or festivity that is celebrated is also based on the religions. Therefore, some of the most famous celebrations would be the Eid for Muslims, Chinese New Year for the Buddhists and Christmas for the Christians.

What are the Top 3 Things to Do in Balikpapan?

1. Crocodile Farm - This crocodile farm is five hectors wide. It is one of the most famous attractions here. There are up to 1500 crocodiles here while the caged ones are snakes and monkeys. There is also an elephant ride to take visitors around the area. The farm also offers crocodile meat for visitors to try and also souvenirs made of crocodile skin.

2. Mount Bangkirai - Mount Bangkirai I located in District Samboja, Kutai. It is a tropical forest where visitors may hike and explore. There are facilities built here to make the trip here more interesting. Some of the facilities are a pool, a restaurant in houses that are on stilts and also accommodations. The trees here are almost 150 years old with a height of 50 meters and a trunk diameter of 2.3 meters.

3. Market Klandasan - Market Klandasan is a market with the view of Balikpapan. The market is a traditional one located nearby the beach. The market sells food, fresh fish, fruits, vegetables, clothes and also shoes. Visitors are welcomed to bargain the prices although the prices are quite affordable already.