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Lake Sentarum Betung Kerihun Festival attracts 15,000 visitors
Lake Sentarum National Park is one of the most complete freshwater fish habitats in the world.
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Scenic view of a tropical forest in Kalimantan. (Shutterstock/File)
Kapuas Hulu regency in West Kalimantan hosted the Lake Sentarum Betung Kerihun Festival on Oct. 27-28.
Taking place in Lanjak, Batang Lupar district, the event reportedly attracted more than 15,000 people, including Malaysian tourists.
“Based on the Tourism Ministry data, from Oct. 24 to 28 there were 15,000 people who attended the event. If each of them spent Rp 200,000 [US$14.72], that means the total transaction in Kapuas Hulu reached Rp 3 billion,” said Kapuas Hulu Regent Abang M. Nasir.
Joko, a meatball seller, said he was overwhelmed by the visitors during the event, “Alhamdulillah [the meatball] is always high on demand starting Oct. 24; on average we can earn Rp 2 to threeRp 3 million in a day. We can even earn up to Rp 6 million on the closing night,” said Joko.
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Coffee shops around the festival’s location even decided to open for 24 hours. On regular days these cafes only stay open until 4 p.m.
“I sell plenty of coffee and gain a lot of profit. The revenue is above Rp 5 million per day and the coffee shop remains open for 24 hours,” said a coffee seller named Wawan.
The closing night of the Lake Sentarum Betung Kerihun Festival featured singers such as Zaskia Gotik and Nugie who performed in front of 10,000 people.
Kapuas Hulu is known for its two tourist objects, namely Lake Sentarum and Betung Kerihun National Park.
“I’ve been to Lake Sentarum twice and I’m always mesmerized by the beauty of its nature; I enjoy riding a bike here,” said Nugie.
Lake Sentarum that was formed during the ice age is home of 510 plant species, of which 33 are endemic plants while the other 10 are new species.
Additionally, it hosts 141 mammal species, of which 29 are endemic species and 64 percent are native animals. It is also home to 266 species of fish, where 78 percent of them are endemic species, making Lake Sentarum National Park one of the most complete freshwater fish habitats in the world. (kes)
