By: Patricia Hului

This post was created in conjunction with the Danau Sentarum Festival 2018 Pre-event

The Danau Sentarum Festival is an annual event held in Kapuas Hulu Regency that started in 2012.

The festival aims to promote the cultural diversity of the people in Kapuas Hulu, West Kalimantan especially around Lake Sentarum.

This year, the Danau Sentarum Festival will be held on October 25-28 in three different locations including Lanjak, Batang Lupar and Putussibau.

With the theme "Spurring Cross-Border Ecotourism in the Heart of Kalimantan", the festival was launched as part of Indonesia's 100 Wonderful Events by the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia.

If you're visiting the Danau Sentarum Festival this year, here are five things you'll want to check out:

1. Enjoy the Danau Sentarum Cruise

During the festival, visitors will enjoy Lake Sentarum by sailing on a Bandong boat to explore the lake. This is a unique boat with the lower part designed by the Malays and the upper part designed by the Dayaks. The boats are used as transportation and accommodation.

There will be two trips each day; one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Visitors should take this opportunity to observe the daily activities of the people living on Lake Sentarum. Plus, don't forget to bring your binoculars if you want to see the wide variety of birds around the area.

2. Watch the Traditional Boat Parade

Boats are an important asset to the local community at Lake Sentarum. Each tribe there has its own unique type of traditional boat.

This year, the Parau Tambe boat belonging to the Dayak Tamambaloh Tribe will lead the Traditional Boat Parade. The event will start from Lanjak town to Kedungkang, Malay Island and Sepandan island, around Lake Sentarum.

Visitors will be presented with an enchanting view along the journey and on the boat there will also be live music and traditional dances. This activity will be held on October 27.

3. Enjoy the Sentarum Ethnic Music Festival

What do Borneo and its neighbor in Sarawak, Malaysia have in common when it comes to music? Sape.

This traditional Dayak instrument will be featured along with tambourine, sitar, gambus and other instruments at the Sentarum Ethnic Music Festival (Lanjak, Oct 26). This is a golden opportunity to hear and compare the different musical sounds of the various tribes in Kapuas Hulu Regency, West Kalimantan.

4. Watch the unique Super Red Arowana Contest4.

Heading to Putussibau, the contest held during the festival aims to promote the conservation of the 'dragon fish', the Super Red Arowana (Scleropages formosus). Also called the Red Siluk Fish in Indonesia, it has vibrant colors ranging from maroon to chili pepper red and is endemic to Lake Sentarum and has a reputation as one of the most expensive fish in the world.

5. Try 'Si Manis' at the Honey and Traditional Culture Festival5.

Besides arowana fish, another special commodity from Lake Sentarum is honey. Honey is traditionally cultivated and harvested by the Malay community of Lake Sentarum. In the event, visitors will see a parade of 2,000 people drinking honey from bamboo cups.

And the best part is that local people will be wearing their traditional clothing during this festival. The Culture and Honey Festival will be held in Lanjak on October 25.

Other activities include blowgun competitions, carving contests, traditional tattoo demonstrations, dragon boat and thimble boat races and more.

What are you waiting for? Come and witness the 2018 Lake Sentarum Festival!