Bahtiar, A Village with Varied Tourism

The dream of Bahtiar, 41, to create “my beautiful village” has gradually turned into realty. His village is now offering various tourist destinations. People can enjoy marine tourism, nature tourism and aero-sports.

KOMPAS/JUMARTO YULIANUS

Bahtiar

Sarang Tiung village is located in Pulau Laut Sigam district, Kotabaru regency, South Kalimantan. The village, with a total area of 645 hectares, is situated north of Pulau Laut and about 10 kilometers from the hub of Kotabaru (around 320 km from Banjarmasin city).

“When people come to Sarang Tiung, they can enjoy many things. We have a complete variety of tourist spots. My peers and I have prepared them all,” said Bahtiar, now entrusted as chairman of the Tourism Conscious Group (Pokdarwis) of Sarang Tiung village, on Wednesday evening (6/7/2022).

In Sarang Tiung, visitors can delight in snorkeling as well as diving to view the splendor of coral reefs. They can also enjoy bagan or bagang tourism, to watch the local fishermen’s fishing tradition, nature tourism to ascend Mamake and Bapake Hills and sports tourism to go hang-gliding.

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Additionally, a fishermen’s village, a mangrove-conservation park and integrated-farming agro-tourism on a plot of 20 hectares are being readied. “Indeed, I want to focus on the development of a tourist village with all the existing potential in my village,” said Bahtiar.

The effort of Bahtiar and peers to develop a tourist village began in 2014. At the time, the idea arose to make the hill now known by the name of Mamake Hill into a tourist destination. The hill in the range of Mount Sebatung (725 meters above sea level) has long been a camping site of nature lovers.

He became even more convinced that he could convert Mamake Hill into a tourist destination after visiting the zone of Punclut (Peak of Ciumbuleuit) in Bandung, West Java.

“When I observed its landscape, there was some likeness between the zones of Punclut and Mamake Hill in my village. If the mountain range there can become a tourist spot, why not the one in my village?” he pointed out.

KOMPAS/JUMARTO YULIANUS

Bahtiar

Convincing

Bahtiar, who was then head of Sarang Tiung village planning affairs, tried to convince village administrators and peers of the tourism potential of Mamake Hill. However, before he could turn the zone into a tourist site. there was still the constraint of its status as a protected forest.

Abdul Mulud alias Kai Oyong, head of Sarang Tiung village at the time, was requested to apply for the Mamake Hill zone to be managed by the local community. Finally, in 2017, a communal-forest-utilization license (IUPHKm) was issued based on the decree of the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Forestry No.5617/MENLHK-PSKL/PKPS/PSLO/10/2017 on the granting of the forest-utilization license covering 500 hectares in the protected zone in Sarang Tiung village. The IUPHKm was issued to the Mutiara Farmer Groups Association (Gapoktan) of Sarang Tiung.

After obtaining the IUPHKm, Bahtiar lobbied the Kotabaru regional administration and PT Arutmin Indonesia North Pulau Laut Coal Terminal (NPLCT), a company operating near his village, to build an access road leading to the top of Mamake Hill. In 2019, the construction of the 1.2 km road was realized. “The work lasted for more than three months,” he said.

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Bahtiar, as chairman of Social Forestry Business Group (KUPS) for Environmental Service, then invited his peers to clear the top zone of Mamake Hill of weeds, plant trees, prepare a camping area and build several supporting tourist facilities such as gazebos.

The preparations for the opening of the tourist spot became even more concrete after village administrators had the opportunity to make a comparative study in the shooting location of the blockbuster Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Warriors) or Belitung Island, Bangka Belitung, in early 2020, before Covid-19 cases were found in Indonesia. There, they observed the development of marine, coastal, mangrove and mountain tourism.

“On my return from Belitung, I was more optimistic about tourism development in my village. But just when the Mamake Hill tourist destination was ready to open, the Covid-19 pandemic prevailed. The situation depressed me and my peers, and we were trying to leave everything to the power of Allah,” said the father of four daughters.

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic wave, Bahtiar changed his focus to the fostering of a group of young friends of the sea. They educated residents on the importance of safeguarding territorial waters and coastal areas for environmental conservation and a better life for local fishermen.

KOMPAS/JUMARTO YULIANUS

TerbangA paragliding flight from the top of Bapake Hill landed on the beach of Sarang Tiung Village, Pulau Laut Sigam District, Kotabaru Regency, South Kalimantan, Thursday (7/7/2022).

Residents were called upon to maintain coastal cleanliness, preserve coral reefs and plant mangroves.

“The endeavor of my peers and I was rewarding. In December 2021, Mamake Hill could finally be opened for tourist visits. Later followed the opening of hang-gliding, diving and bagang tourism,” he explained.

Along with the operation of various tourist spots, a program for the development of a waste-reduce-reuse-recycle site (TPS 3R) is also being carried out in Sarang Tiung in 2022.

“The TPS 3R is meant to overcome the increasing volume of waste as the number of tourist arrivals increases. The product of waste processing in the form of compost will later be utilized for integrated farming,” he said.

Gaining support

According to Bahtiar, he is not alone in the promotion of tourism in his village. There are at least nine peers who have very loyally supported his ideas and plans in the tourist-village development. Support has also come from the Kotabaru regency administration, the South Kalimantan Forestry Office and PT Arutmin Indonesia NPLCT.

“I’ve been supported by my remarkable friends, who are willing to go through joys and sorrows together. Up until this moment, they are the power of Sarang Tiung. They’ve never thought of what they will earn when they handle whatever job,” said non-permanent official of the Tourism. Youth and Sports Office of Kotabaru.

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Yet, in his tourism promotion on social media, Bahtiar is still alone, because he is the only one conversant with information technology or digitalization. He makes photos and videos depicting tourism in his village, uploading them on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube.

“All this I’ve learned on a self-taught basis,” said the senior high school (SMA) graduate.

Bahtiar has also learned to dive so as to obtain a diving certificate for the sake of accompanying tourists who wish to relish the beauty of coral reefs in his village. Now he is determined to learn to become a hang-gliding pilot so that he can take tourists to experience the excitement of flying in the air of his village.

“Actually, I wasn’t born in Sarang Tiung, but I love this village very much. I’ve also devoted myself to this village. I’m very serious about tourism development and I will do everything needed,” said Bahtiar, who has settled in Sarang Tiung since 1993.

Bahtiar

Born: Kotabaru, 3 March 1981

Wife: Masdarina

Children: four

Education: SMA Garuda Kotabaru

Activity: Chairman, Pokdarwis of Sarang Tiung village

This article was translated by Aris Prawira.