In Reply to: Travel Safety in Kalimantan (Borneo)? posted by Georganna on Wednesday, 28. February 2001 at 23:57 Bali Time:
Note you intend going to Kalimantan - remember Borneo is reckoned as the 3rd largest island in the world after Oz and Greenland.....would you worry about riots in Hobart if you were only visiting Darwin??
There is plenty plenty time to monitor develpments, so far it seems pretty well focussed on getting the (govt?) imported 'sqatters' out....which for a small ethnic minority group may be comprehensible....If you do not have a super special overriding reason why it MUST be Camp Leakey I can strongly recomment Sarawak and Sabah in the Malaysian side (North) Borneo....not too religiously fervid (i.e. you don't have to drink your beer out of a china cup as in some places I've visited / worked. and we found the people VERY friendly,kind interesting and interested. There are plenty of plastic tourist hotels and plenty of jungle trips (don't miss either the Niah caves, near Miri, E.Sarawak, or alternatively the famous Mulu caves in Sabah...but take a hat/gloves!)...
One may speculate if at present the govt. in Kalimantan is just getting everyone out prior to going in big time, (on the premis that anyone then in front of them then would constitute the enemy)...or if they'll go for the diplomatic approach....I still think you have time to monitor things , but my wife and I are longing to go back to Borneo....and there is so much of it...