When to go

Borneo is known as "The Land Below The Winds". There are two seasons in Borneo, the "rainy season" which lasts from December to March and the "dry season" which lasts the rest of the year. That being said, since Borneo is in the tropics, there is often splendid weather in the "rainy season", and occasional tropical downpours in the "dry season". The temperature is a fairly constant around 28-30 degrees Celsius year round. The offshore islands do not suffer from the high humidity of the mainland. Light sea breezes make the climate comfortable anytime of the year. dive every month of the year at Sangalaki. Because Sangalaki is only 2 degrees north of the equator, strong trade winds, a monsoon season or typhoons don’t exist.

Getting there

If you are flying from Manchester you are able to get to Sangalaki without a stopover in Singapore. Flying from London, one night stopover is Singapore required. From Singapore there is a morning flight three times a week with Silk Air to Balikpapan. From Balikpapan you then take a one hour flight to Berau where the Sangalaki Dive Lodge boat will take you on a two hour journey to Sangalaki, one hour down the Berau River to the sea, and then one hour out to the island.

On the return journey one night stopover is required in Berau, a little town on mainland Borneo.

Getting around

All transfer to and from the island will be arranged for you and there is no transport needed on the island. Walking around it will only take you about one hour.

Entry Requirements

Most European community nationals require a valid passport with a minimum of 6 months validity from the date of arrival, a return ticket and a tourist visa for Indonesia. The visa can be bought for US$15 at the airport in Balikpapan. (make sure you have crisp, new notes with you to avoid any problems!)

Local Airport Tax

The national departure tax is US$10, payable at the airport in Balikpapan.

Baggage Allowance

20 kg per person, but 10kg extra luggage allowance for dive equipment can be requested with Singapore Airlines before travel. Excess luggage allowance above 20kg will be charged at US$1.00 per kilo on the regional carrier between Balikpapan and Berau.

Language

Even though "Bahasa Indonesia" is spoken as a national language, people of different ethnic origins inhabit this region, distinguished mainly by language or dialect according to their background.

However, provided you are patient and speak slowly with the locals, you will get by quite well with English.

Money

The Indonesian Rupee is the official currency in Indonesia, whereas you can pay for extras on Sangalaki with a credit card.

Health

There are no vaccinations required to enter Indonesia, but inoculations for Tetanus, Typhoid and Hepatitis-A are recommended. Sangalaki is free of malaria, but Borneo isn’t. However, if you are travelling only to Sangalaki without any land excursions on Borneo the risk is basically non-existent.

Indonesia is a tropical country with low levels of sanitation and little education on hygienic issues. The biggest hazards come from contaminated food and water, whereas there is nothing for you to worry about if you are staying and eating in the tourist resorts. The food the resorts is absolutely safe, but you should stick to bottled water, which is readily available.

The biggest risks run by tourists are dehydration and sunburn, so make sure you take a bottle of water with you wherever you go and keep the sun-block lotion handy.