Provincial goverment support
Head of South Kalimantan Tourism Office Iwan Fitriadi stated the provincial government's strong support for the progress of Belangian tourist village in Banjar Regency.
He himself felt the great potential of Belangian Village for provincial tourism development, because of its extraordinary natural beauty as part of Meratus Geopark.
Iwan's journey across Riam Kanan Lake to Belangian Village, approximately one-half hours by kelotok motorboat from Bukit Batu tourist pier, it offered beautiful view of the expanse of Meratus Mountains.
The stunning and eye-pleasing views extend to Belangian Village, where there are also many unique natural attractions rarely found elsewhere.
"The village forest is home to the world's largest and smallest orchids. Not to mention the enormous trees, many people have probably never seen them," said Iwan, when visiting the South Kalimantan Bureau of the ANTARA National News Agency (LKBN ANTARA) in Banjarmasin last Wednesday.
With all the village's potential, including geology, flora, fauna, and culture, the provincial government is paying special attention to environmental sustainability, infrastructure, and tourism development for the prosperity of its residents.
Belangian Village is a Meratus Geopark site, geographically located at 3 degrees 35' 45.49 South Latitude and 115 degrees 3' 48.87 East Longitude.
Belangian Village can now be reached by two routes: land and river, with an average duration of approximately two hours from the capital of South Kalimantan, Banjarbaru City.
Belangian Village is part of geopark sites from the eastern route of journey with a theme "Memorable voyage through the history of earth and human".
Iwan urges all parties to preserve the environment in all geopark sites which cover six districts and cities: Banjarmasin city, Banjarbaru City, Banjar District, Barito Kuala District, Tapin District and Hulu Sungai Selatan District.
He reminded that if not properly maintained and preserved, the UNESCO Global Geopark (UGG) status could be revoked. "This certainly would be a loss for all of us," he said.
