Karimata Islands

A chain of small islands of the West coast of Borneo, the largest of which is (Pulau) Karimata. Karimata has an amazing range of ecosystems, from mangroves to montane shrubland in the summit of the ca. 1,000 m mountain. A substantial population of cave swiftlets has historically been the source of bird's nests for bird's nest soup, but has decreased recently to near extirpation, due to overharvesting by non-traditional, recent arrivals to the island.

A number of small villages are situated on the coast, the largest of which is Padang, on the eastern tip of the island. The island is renowned by inhabitatnts of the west coast of Kalimantan to have a serious malaria problem - corroborated by the malaria and dengue fever caught by the author of this entry.

Dutch explorers visited the island a number of times, and there have been at least two recent visits by biologists. The island is classified as a nature reserve by the Indonesian government, but there has been no management of the area. Rumors of plans of large tourist developments exist.