Mangrove Conservation Area in Tarakan

For me, this is the only thing worth to see in Tarakan. Other tourist destinations are a mall and under-developed beach. So for sure, this is the best place to visit.


The area is part of the city centre, covering 9 hectare of mangrove dominated by Bakau (Rhizophora) and Api-api (Avicennia). The area is also a sanctuary for Bekantan monkey (Nasalis larvatus). The monkeys can be seen from distance to avoid human interfering and to provide natural habitat for the monkeys.

If one gets lucky, one could see grey monkeys (Trachypithecus villosus) and otters. But these two are very hard to find. There are a few grey monkeys in cages because they stole visitors’ bags before.


The area is facilitated by wooden trekking route which makes visiting time enjoyable. One can enjoy natural aura of mangrove with sounds of birds and monkeys; and even the sound of mudskippers vanishing into the mud. However, since the area is in city centre, the mangrove area has its border facing a construction area. Walking near this border was very annoying as the sounds of truck and crowd were dominating.




Overall, this area is very recommended to visit. It is an oasis in a busy city.

Tarakan Men

I got two awful experiences with men in Tarakan. The first one is with a taxi driver (see: The City of Tarakan) and the second one with a visitor in mangrove area.

A taxi driver

I met him in the New Year’s Eve when I tried to find a place for celebrating it. When he realized that I am not local, he offered me a service to go around the city. He didn’t set a price for it, he just agreed when I said Rp. 20.000,-. Through this ‘business agreement’ I could orientate myself in the city of Tarakan.

The bad side from the agreement, he asked some personal questions to me like whether I have a boyfriend, how old I am, etc. Maybe those questions were not so bad or impolite, but his action in taking me to places without my approval had worried me so much and made me uncomfortable with him. (see: The City of Tarakan). I lied to all his questions because I don’t want the conversation flourishes. Even for the simple question like do I speak Bugis. Usually, I answer this question with ‘no’ in Bugis. But this time, not a chance, I prefer to lie!

I was scared to death when he took me to a beach far from the city centre. Even the trip there passed a quiet, hilly, and dark area! I kept praying for my safety, I didn’t know what number to call in emergency situation or where should I run for help if the worst thing happened.

In the end, when he finally drops me off at my hotel, I asked him how much he charged me. I really didn’t know his motivation in taking me around outside the agreement; did he try to trick me physically or financially? But surprisingly, he didn’t ask more than we agreed!

Okay, maybe he tried to be nice, showing his city to a foreigner. But surely, the way he did it has to be improved!

A random visitor

I met a guy with his son when I visited the mangrove area in Tarakan. When I visited the place, I was interested to see the famous Bekantan monkey; so when I spotted one of them, I sat at a strategic place to observe it.

When I watched comfortably at my seat, there were a boy and his father walking back and forth in front of me. The boy kept asking to his father, where can he see the monkey. It was clear, they couldn’t spot the monkey as I did.

I felt sorry for the boy, he is a kindergarten age by the way, so I decided to do a nice thing: I called the boy and showed him the monkey from distance. Of course the boy loved it, his search was over. But my nightmare was just started.

The father of the boy came to me and started to make a conversation. Of course nothing wrong with this, except that his conversation was trashy. He asked whether and why I am alone. And of course his further questions were flirty :(

I felt annoyed with him. I wanted to observe the monkey but he sat next to me and talked! I really didn’t know how to escape from him as his son enjoyed talking to me. The boy even held my hand and dragged me around the place. That’s nice of course, but it became worst when the father tried to hold my hand too!!! I pulled my hand quickly and told him that it is silly that he holds my hand too.

Oh God, I had to make up something.

When the father asked me how long would I stay there, I had an idea. I told him that I am waiting for my friend from Tanjung Redeb. In real, I waited for my friend from Tanjung Redeb who will arrive at Tarakan at that day; but actually we never plan to meet at the mangrove area. With this answer, I hope he would leave soon because I have to stay longer. In contrary, he would like to stay with me until my friend comes! What a nightmare!

I tried Plan B. I pretend to have an SMS and checked my cellphone. I mumbled that the SMS from my friend that I am waiting for. And after pretending in reading the ‘SMS’, I told him that I need to make a phone call. I walked away a little bit further from them and acted as I call my friend. After some ‘yeses’ I ended my call. I told him that my friend is waiting for me at the hotel so I have to go.

The father decided to go also; but he regretted that he doesn’t have extra helmet in his motorcycle. That is very good news to me. But still, he tried to walk together with me! Argh!! So I tried to escape again. I told him that I want to go to the souvenir shop; and when he still undecided, I told him that I understand if he wants to go first. In this situation, he couldn’t react fast. He went outside without complain.

Finally, I could release myself from him. Gosh, what’s wrong with Tarakan men??!!

The City of Tarakan

Tarakan is a one island city in East Borneo. This island is northward from Berau and close to Malaysia. A regular ferry to Tawau in Malaysia is available.

I went to this city on December 31st to go to Malaysia for celebrating the New Year ’s Eve there. However I didn’t go there with a well plan. Information that I got in Berau was not sufficient. Everybody provided me with different facts especially about the ferry to Malaysia. Funnily, whenever I asked about the trip to Malaysia, the first thing people would ask me is whether I have a passport or I want to go there illegally. Hmmm, it seems that all roads lead to Malaysia…

So there I was, just went to Tarakan without knowing what options that I have. And apparently, it went unsuccessful.

Trip to Tarakan

I started my journey from Tanjung Redeb using a car or taxi (Indonesian term: travel). With this mode of travel, a number of people are sharing a car and a driver to the same destination. The comfortable point from this mode of travel is everybody will be picked up and dropped at the exact point as he or she wants it; just like a taxi. However, the annoying point is the earliest picked-up passenger has to go run around to pick other passengers. The same happens with the last dropped off passenger. He or she has to be patient while the driver drops other passengers. And this is what has happened to me. I was the first to be picked up at 08.00 AM and I have to wait for other passengers to be picked up until 12.00 PM!!!

The good thing is, since I was the first passenger, I can sit where I want; and in this case I sit in front, next to the driver. Then, this became a very good decision because the last three passengers (the total passengers are seven) brought a huge TV!!! The TV was placed at the back seat along with two other passengers. Four people were sitting in the middle seat uncomfortably. Well I was not all comfort actually, because I have to put my bag on my feet; but still this is better than sitting next to huge TV or in crowd of four people.

The trip to Tarakan was a road trip from Tanjung Redeb to Tanjung Selor in District of Bulungan, then continued with a speed boat to Tarakan. The road trip took two hours while the boat trip took 45 minutes. The boats are available everyday in every hour starting from 07.00 AM to 17.00 PM.

New Year’s Eve in Tarakan

Once I got off in Tarakan, I asked a motorcycle driver (Indonesian: ojeg) to take me to a place for buying a ferry ticket to Malaysia. But when I arrived there, the salesperson asked where I come from. He said that the last ferry has taken off and there will be no more ferry until January 5th!!! This is happened because the Malaysian immigration office will be closed during that time. And people from Tarakan have been rushed to go to Malaysia due to this fact; that is why the ticket sales wondering where I am from.

So my nightmare was started. I got stuck in Tarakan for my New Year’s Eve and even until January 3rd for my New Year’s holiday!!! But at that time I was still optimistic. Tarakan is bigger than Tanjung Redeb, the New Year’s Eve should be merrier.

So, after I found a small hotel to stay, I started my adventure. I take a taxi and asked the driver about the New Year’s Eve celebration in the city. Okay, the term taxi here is not the same as normal taxi. The taxi here is a mini van (Indonesian: angkot) that goes around the main streets of the city. If one takes a taxi to go within its route than one has to pay Rp. 3.000,-. However, if one wants to go outside its normal route, then one has to pay double or Rp. 6.000,-.

Well, based on my questions, the driver knew that I am not a local. He then offered me to drive around to see the city of Tarakan for Rp. 20.000,-. I thought this is a good deal, so I agreed. But due to the concept of the taxi, I end up ran around the city to take other passengers! The good thing was, after three round trips, I could understand the size of Tarakan. I know its main roads and ‘important’ places. The city centre is small, of course! But to make it worst, no interesting celebration around!

After going around and around again, I decided to join a small crowd in a small open field. There was a band festival full of lousy local bands playing. They are typical local bands, take times to tune in their instrument for hours than to play!

I told the taxi driver to pick me up after midnight, after the celebration ends. And after wasting my time for watching and waiting, finally the 2010 came. Nothing special. The fireworks were not special, just so-so.

I got ‘kidnapped’

After the celebration, I took off from the party with the taxi driver. He told me that there was another celebration in the suburb area with a national band playing there. Although I am not a fan of the band but watching national band is better than the amateur locals. So I asked him to take me there.

But, instead of taking me to that place, the taxi driver took me to a beach in the opposite site of the city centre. The trip there passed a hilly, dark, far, and quiet area! I felt so uncomfortable with it, I didn’t know the place and I was not sure where he wanted to take me.

And after around 30 minutes of driving, I ended up in an under developed beach. The soil there was still soft, no sufficient lights, and some decent food stalls (Indonesian: warung). He stopped the taxi and asked me to have a drink at one of the stall. I became more uncomfort because the stalls were filled with truck drivers who sing karaoke!!!

I thought, if I agree with him, he would ask or offer me more than I could think of. So I prefer to say no. But I tried to be polite because, I thought, if I mean to him, he would become harsh to me. So I told him that I am tired and need to have rest. He agreed and we took off from the beach.

But still, he didn’t drive me home directly! He took me to the place where the national band was playing; with nothing left of course. Furthermore, he stopped again once in a fruit vendor and bought some rambutans. He offered me but I insisted not to take because I don’t want to be under his command in any ways. I told him again that I am tired and when I am tired I don’t have any appetite for eating, I just need to rest.

He drove again and still, he didn’t take me home directly! Even when we entered the city, he took a different road to show me some places like the stadium and other things that I couldn’t remember because I was too nervous with my future. I have learned about the main roads of Tarakan earlier, so I know he tried to buy some times with me.

I didn’t respond his conversation, I tried not to answer his questions. I even answered some lies just to make the conversation stopped. I really really feel uncomfortable. Finally, after driving around and I kept praying in my heart, the driver drop me off at my hotel. It was 02.00 AM!!! I feel very relieved when I enter my room. Oh My God!!!

See also: Tarakan Men.