Nusantara (IKN) - The New Capital of Indonesia (East Kalimantan)
What's up you guys! And welcome back to the channel. My name is Kristian Hansen. In this video we will be exploring Balikpapan and... Ibu Kota Nusantara! Are we ready, guys? Yeah! Ojolali yo! What's up you guys and welcome back to the channel. My name is Kristian Hansen.
In this episode, I have left Barabai, after an incredible time in Juhu. But today I'm back on Macan. And actually right now we're standing in South Kalimantan. But just 10 meters that way, we have East Kalimantan. Because in this episode guys, we will be exploring East Kalimantan.
Let's get to it and let's start exploring the 11th Province on this channel. Ah, here we go! You're entering East Kalimantan. Yihuuu! The 11th Province on this channel. Let's get to it! I then set course for Balikpapan, the third largest city in Kalimantan. And with 333 kilometers ahead of me, I flipped the wrist and held on tight. And let my motorcycle, Macan, do the rest of the work.
And with nothing but mountains and rivers in my field of view, we safely arrived at the Port of Penajam. If you come here as a foreigner, it's rather important that you know a bit of Indonesian. Since it's rather rare that the staff speaks English. Worst case, you can always try with some Google Translate. I was then showed to the ticket counter, where the pricing varies based on how many cc your motorcycle is.
And as mine is 790 cc, I had to pay a total of 70,000 Rupiah. And it was then time to bring Macan on to the small ferry. Bringing your motorcycle on a ferry is always a bit exciting. Both because it usually involves quite a lot of chatting when people see a motorcycle that size, but also because there is a few things that you should keep in mind when doing so.
Alright, we have made it on board and the only thing I'm worried about now, as always you know, we always have to check if the bike can tip over or not, so uh... Bro, what if it's.... No, it's safe. No, there is no waves. Oh, it's slow, it's relaxed, yeah? Just relax. Okay, so it won't... Okay, okay. Alright, so apparently no waves.
Now I will take just a few things off, the most valuable things. And then go upstairs. Alright, so I just asked the crew here on the ferry. And they said that it's safe for my things to stay downstairs, actually because... this short trip to Balikpapan is only one hour, then people are allowed to sit in their cars, which they are normally not on a ferry. Because then you could go into other people's cars, take other people's stuff.
But because it's such a short one, they're allowed to do that. But they're like 10 staffs. So yeah, should be okay. Good afternoon! Good afternoon! Eating, yeah? Ah, looks good! Hey, Sir! Ah, you can sit inside here as well.
Good afternoon! And... The first part, I don't think I'm allowed to be out here. Oh, this is where I control the boat. Or probably not me, but... Ah.. The guys, they said that I could if I wanted to stand out here.
And watch over Macan. You know, this is perfect. I can see my bike and I have an awesome view. Amazing! Highly highly doubt that I'm allowed to walk out here, but we're doing it anyway.
Alright. Well guys, the captain just invited us inside. So uh, let's go in and say hi. Whoa! Captain room, yeah?! Second captain, yeah? And, sec... Quartermaster. Quartermaster.
Driver. What's your name again? Untung. Untung? Yeah.
Chief engineering. Oh, chief engineering. Untung has watched my video, yeah? I have.
Thank you so much. Subscribe. You have subscribed? You have subscribed? I have. I have. Subscribed his YouTube channel. May I try sitting here? Yeah? Of course, you can try.
Whoa, it's really high! Would you like to have coffee? Captain. Wow, that's great! So we're sailing very very slowly. Because they're on a schedule. And there is boats going in and out every single hour.
So, very slow but it's very relaxed. I can sit here in the nice chair. And now, coffee. Oh, this is the coffee? Yes! You know, let's try the coffee first. Thank you. Okay, you're welcome.
So the whole crew here, they are actually from Java, from East Java. And they have been working here for like, four to eight years. So they work here on the ship for around two months, and then they go back to visit their families in East Java for two weeks, and they go back again. So they're happy to work here, but of course they also say they miss their families. So they have been teaching me a bit of Javanese language actually. Because I told them don't forget to watch my videos.
And now they have taught me how to say "don't forget" in Javanese language. So, guys, later watch my video, yeah? Ojolali yo! Ah, you know, this is the kind of experiences you have here in Indonesia. If you just go ahead and talk with anyone near me, you know. I then had just a quick 10 minutes ride from the port to my hotel for the upcoming days. Because after several weeks in low-cost hotels and living in the mountains, I had chosen the exclusive Hotel Swiss Balikpapan. And it was then time to check in, unpack, and unwind, after a long day on the road.
I had made it to the city of Balikpapan. Most famous for its place in the oil and gas history of Indonesia. As oil was first discovered here in Kalimantan in 1897.
And it is now home to one of the largest oil refineries in the country. And it was from this city that I had for long been planning a visit to a very special site, not even open to the public yet. Good morning, guys! It is my first morning here in Balikpapan and.. wow! It is such a beautiful view over the ocean here in the morning as the sun is coming up, glimpsing all over the water.
And it's a really really nice hotel, this Swiss-Belhotel. It's quite expensive though. It's 760,000 per night. So definitely by far, my most expensive hotel stay in Kalimantan. But right now, it's worth it. Because it has super fast Wi-Fi. It has really good food. It has a very nice room.
So I can get all my editing done, and then we can continue exploring. So I'm not exactly sure what to be exploring here in Balikpapan yet. Because as you know I'm not the biggest fan of exploring big cities.
But let's get out there. Let's see what we can find. And yeah, it's gonna be another beautiful day here in Indonesia. Let's do it! But as always, I have to do a bit of video editing first. You normally don't see that I actually spend five to ten days inside of a hotel room for making these videos.
So it was nice to have a luxurious setup for once, as that is not always the case when I'm on the road. And pro tip, if you're ever thinking about doing something similar, I would recommend you to bring an SSD to save all your videos and photos on. I use the 4 TB version with lightning speed of 2,000 MB per second for all my storage and editing. And to ensure fast transfers from my camera to the SSD, I use an Extreme Pro 300 megabyte per second SD, and a Micro SD for my drone and GoPro. And several long days of editing later, I got a fun offer to explore Balikpapan from a different perspective.
Hello! Hi! Good to see you! Good to see you, Mr Hansen. Are we ready? Yes, let's go! Okay! Alright. Because this morning guys, Ogi, he sent me a DM on Instagram. And he asked if I wanted to come down to his shop and go on a small tour with him. Very spontaneous but you know, it's good weather today.
So I thought, let's go out. And yeah, let's do it. Alright guys, we have made it here to Seadoo Can-Am. Yeah. Because guys, today we will be exploring Balikpapan not just from the road like usual, but..
from the water. So how many years have you had this Seadoo business here in Balikpapan, bro? We've been here for two years and we're planning to expand to other cities in Kalimantan. We have around nine branches in Indonesia and I think you should try the other place. Alright, I will. Thank you so much for inviting me, yeah.
Alright, we are ready. You're wearing headscarf, yeah? It's still hot. And I will be riding this one. I have no idea how fast it is, but only one way to find out. But as Ogi first wanted to check that I actually knew how to ride one, he sat with me for a quick test ride.
The cool thing about jet skiing in Balikpapan is that you get to ride past the very noticeable oil and gas platform that dominate the view of the Balikpapan coast. Alright, guys. We are out on the water and we are ready to begin the tour. Are we ready, guys? Yeah! And we are so lucky today guys, because the water is so calm. Normally, the guys said that there's a lot more waves out here, so.. Yeah, it's perfect. Just perfect.
Look at all the space we have here, you know. We could have brought sandwiches, cold beers here. Easy! This jet ski has 150 horsepowers. It has more than Macan.
But as fun as it was. Putting the pedal to the metal. I think Ogi and Ahmad was getting a bit tired of waiting for me. Because I couldn't fight my curiosity to start and chat with all the Boat Owners we met on our way. What is that? Looking for shrimps.
Oh, shrimp. Yes. Oh, shrimp. Just like... Ah, like that. Shrimp. Ah, that's it. Keep your spirits up! It's hot, right? Ogi then reminded me that we were burning daylight, so I smoked him.
Whoa, guys! I didn't even know that, but apparently we have made it to IBK. Then I can say, welcome guys to Ibu Kota Nusantara. Awesome! After passing the newly built Balang Besar Bridge, we were officially inside the mangrove area of the new capital of Indonesia, called Nusantara. Something I would explore later on.
But here in the mangroves, there is no swimming as there are crocodiles. So we decided to stop for a quick lunch break in the shade. Wow, I am getting red in my face. So we're making a small stop just to get something to drink.
One of my favorite here, Floridina with coco, so good. And there's quite a few police officers here that we're talking to. So they just told us that from here to Titik Nol, the very beginning of the construction of the capital city, it's still one and a half hours away. But there is no home yet, right? Not yet. Only big buildings. Still constructing the road, yeah?
Big buildings too. Can I just like.. enter. Later when I come to the capital city and take video with drone, can I do that or no? If you want to use drone, I think it's difficult. A bit difficult, yeah? Need permission for it. So it might be a bit difficult guys, to make some video about the new capital.
Because they're saying that I will need a permission just to get in and make some drone footage above. I guess we'll find out. This is such a fun experience , but it is also super tiring. My head is like so hot because the sun is so strong. Let's take a break and then we will continue.
At this point I was getting rather nervous that I wouldn't succeed in my attempt to visit the core of the new capital. But Ogi gave me some tips and encouraged me to give it a try. So it was time to head back to prepare my attempt the following morning.
So guys, we have a great little stop here at Itci Harbor. Yeah. Just had some snacks, had some indomie, some good talks. Now it's time to get back to Balikpapan. I have a new video coming up tonight, so I have to make sure everything is ready.
But this has been a great trip. Oh yeah. Let's take a picture first. Let's take a picture, yeah? Okay. Still alive! Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Kris. Hello! Okay. You're still alive. Still alive.
And this is the con about riding. You know, you keep such a tight grip, so your hand is like this, you know. But amazing trip! We had nice and slow water in the beginning of the day. We had the waves, great weather, so.. thank you so much guys, yeah. Thank you! Alright. Back to the hotel because it's relax time.
Good job, bro! Good morning, guys! It is another beautiful day here in Balikpapan, staying at Swiss-Belhotel. And today we're visiting a very exciting place. We're going to the very beginning of the new capital here in East Kalimantan. So I'm very excited about that. It's been a while since I've been on Macan. It's gonna be good to get back on the road. So let's get to it!
I then had a 100 kilometer ride to get from Balikpapan to the new capital Nusantara. And riding through Balikpapan city was nice. Because Balikpapan was actually awarded the cleanest city in Indonesia for the fifth time here in 2023. But like most other large cities in Indonesia, it does have its fair share of traffic as well. Except for honking cars, you won't hear that either.
But as soon as you get outside of the city, there is no traffic. And nothing but green scenery. Just be aware of the monkeys on the road.
Alright, guys. We still got around one hour left, but I'm making one small stop here because look at this. "Koridor Satwa Liar" It's like a wild animal corridor into the new capital Ibu Kota Negara. And we have pictures of deer, sun bear, and what looks like to be a leopard or a jaguar.
But I'm guessing it's probably a tiger. Considering that, I think I might get back on my bike. Yeah, so... But we are definitely heading into Ibu Kota Negara. Wondering how I would ever get access to enter the new capital. Not yet open to visitors.
I was suddenly pulled off the road by a local. Ari. Huh? Ari. Ari? My name is Kris. Kris, yeah. Are you originally from here? I'm originally from here. Okay, okay.
I often watch your YouTube channel. Ah, thank you. So, I'll go to my house for a while, store some stuffs, then we'll go there. Okay, we'll meet at the gas station, yeah? Yes, I'll close the machine shop first. Okay. Cool, bro.
So guys, I just met here with Ari. He was following me on his bike, and he pulled me to the side. And you know, when someone wants to bring me to the side, I'm always a little bit nervous, you know. What do they want? But Ari asked me if he should escort me to the Titik Nol, and if I wanted to go to the place where the president visited last week. So I said, "of course, yeah".
So now he's going back to close his shop, so he can join me on the rest of the trip. Such a nice guy! But first, we have to get some petrol and then we will meet Ari there at the gas station. This is Indonesian people at its best, you know.
Okay, guys I've now met up with Ari. Hey, bro! Ari is from here in Sepaku. Sepaku, yeah? So we are actually already inside of the new capital. So now, we're gonna go to Titik Nol, the very beginning of the new capital. So let's get to it! And with Ari now guiding me, we set course for the center of the capital. As I was hoping to be able to spot the Presidential Palace.
And on our way there, it was clear to see that the construction had begun all around in the new capital. But now the moment of truth had around. Because Ari had told me he could get me inside, but that it would require a bit of chit-chatting, some Bromance, and a good amount of luck.
Hi, Kris! Hi! I'm one of your followers. Ah, thank you, Ma'am. Thank you! Good afternoon, guys! And after had a warm welcome, I was not optimistic anymore.
I did the best possible man-flirting I could. And we talked for a good 30 minutes, until they eventually said, "You can go in but you only have 10 minutes." So it was pedal to the metal time.
With Ali leading the way up, we continued up the dirt roads, with the dark clouds roaming above us. But my idea was this, 10 minutes is way better than 5 minutes, so we had to try. Alright guys, we made it here. Ahh.. And it's right down there. So, Titik Nol here is actually the very beginning of the whole project of building this new capital. It was inaugurated by President Jokowi last year.
And actually they brought water and soil from all other 33 provinces around the country, and brought them here. And they did a big ceremony. Because back then, there were only 34 provinces. But today, now with the new provinces in Papua, there is actually 37 or 38, so...
Hi! Hello! Wow, it is busy here today. Kris, can I take a picture with you? Yeah. Okay, sure! Let me take picture with you. Okay.
I follow you. Alright guys, we made it here to Titik Nol Nusantara, the very beginning of the new capital of Indonesia. And it's quite busy. There's quite a lot of people down here today taking pictures. So I won't have time to do a lot of video clips down here, because everyone is so excited to take photos.
So.. but it is truly an honor to be here. This really is a big part of Indonesian history. This place, right here. Welcome to Ibu Kota Nusantara! So guys, we just came up to the big tent here in front of Titik Nol Nusantara. And we're actually just gonna go back but then they invited us in, all the people here. And asked us if we wanted some food, so...
Let's eat first, bro! Let's eat! What are you eating? Duck. Duck? Oh, duck. Must be tasty. Oh, there's also some cake? Yes, there is cake. Alright. Time to eat, socialize a bit, before we go back. It was unreal how lucky we had gotten. Because after a bit of eating together, the staff have told us we could stay a bit longer.
So we were now riding through what will one day be the very center of Nusantara. So with great excitement, definitely being the first from my country to ever visit the new capital of Indonesia, we headed up the hill. Because Ari, he knew a great place for the best possible view. Alright, guys. So we made it up here to the top of Ibu Kota Nusantara and the view is just...
It's breathtaking, you know. It's so vast. It's so green here. And you can truly imagine how it's going to look like once the capital is complete. They're saying that they want to make it like a very natural foresty kind of capital. They want to maintain the nature here. They want to take good care of the environment. So, I'm very excited to see how that plays out.
I truly hope that after President Jokowi leaves, then the next president will take over this project, and fight as hard for it as our current president has, so... Yeah, very excited for the future. I'm just so grateful that I get to be here to see it like this. So, I can later also see it once it's complete. But they're estimating it's going to take another 15 to 20 years before the capital is complete, so it's going to be a while.
And according to Mr Jokowi, the project is currently 11% finished, but as you can see there's still a long way to go. I don't think they have to worry so much about how fast they can get it finished, but more like to make it as good as possible. But also to take care of the people already living in these areas, to make sure they get their part of the capital as well. So, yeah... Exciting times. So cool.
So it's in these small cottages that Mr Jokowi, he stayed the other day. One of the things that they are trying to focus on with the new capital as well is making eco.. a lot of eco-tourism spots, and you can clearly see that this is going to be one of them. It's very nice. It's just inside of the forest. The only thing you can hear is a bird, the guy's talking, of course. But, check it out.
But as we had surely overstayed our firstly agreed 10 minutes, I did get slightly worried, when a police patrol suddenly rolled up. One day in Balikpapan, one day in here. Okay.
Two days in here. Okay, okay. But as always in Indonesia, I had absolutely nothing to worry about. Oh yeah, the Presidential Palace. House White. Yeah, the White House. The White House. The White House. I said it wrongly.
House.. House White? Never mind, yes? Okay? I am studying English. I will edit this later, yeah? I am studying English.
Yeah, keep your spirits up, Sir! Ah, okay. That's great! Maybe in the future I will buy house there, near the President. Is it alright? Maybe, maybe. And no. Every morning I could say this while sipping the coffee, "Oh, Mr Jokowi. Good morning, Sir!" He'd say, "Oh, Mas Kris. Good morning."
Guys, this has been a fantastic experience today. And none of this would have been possible without Ari. Bro! Thank you so much! You're welcome. If we didn't meet, I wouldn't be here. So, thank you, yeah.
Guys, thumbs up for Ari. Okay, bro. Let's go! It had been some incredible days in Balikpapan and an unreal visit to the new capital of Indonesia. As I passed by the upcoming White House on our way out. And for my final day in Balikpapan, I did a coffee meet up with some of my YouTube subscribers from the area. And that's gonna be it for this video, guys. Thank you so much for watching.
And stay tuned for the next one, as I continue my journey from Sabang to Merauke.
2023-06-09 03:33
