Balikpapan, Indonesia

Built around a huge petroleum complex, BALIKPAPAN is Kalimantan's wealthiest city, its 500,000 residents enjoying a high standard of living thanks to massive oil reserves offshore. Although there's nothing much to see here, Balikpapan is one of the most likely places you'll end up in if you want to explore Kalimantan's eastern and central areas. The intersection of the main roads Jalan Ahmed Yani and Jalan Sudirman serves as the city's core, where you'll find hotels, restaurants and the best shops but, as almost everything is imported from Java or Sumatra, prices are generally much higher here than in the rest of Kalimantan.