If you choose to go through Kalimantan and are not fluent in Indonesian, choose a local who can understand English.
Firstly, the guide can converse in the local Dayak dialect of which there are 405 sub-tribes (Tjilik Riwut, 1979). These are the tribes that live in Borneo, especially around HoB.
Secondly, Dayaks as described in Karl May’s book, Winnetou, are expert hunters and trail readers. They will guide you safely while traveling through the rainforest.
With an expert guide, it is easier to immerse in the culture while learning the local dialects. For Dayak’s still living in the rainforest, the place is their 7-11 mart. They pick fruits, leaves, mushrooms and hunt animals that can be eaten. If you happen to fall sick during a hike in the rainforest,they will find herbs that can cure you.
Learning from the monkeys
If you lose your guide while hiking in the rainforest, learn from the monkeys or orangutans (as told by a Dayak Elder of Ngaung Keruh longhouse, Kapuas Hulu).
Keep a look out for wild monkeys living in the trees. They are always about searching for food. All edible fruit and leaves eaten by the monkeys can be eaten by humans.
When you are thirsty and cannot find a water source or river, look for bamboo or dangling tree roots. To get clean water source, cut the bamboo or root. Water from tree roots has been known to be used by Dayaks to cure coughs.
