Nusantara, officially Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN), lit. 'National Capital of Nusantara', is Indonesia's future capital, located near the city of Balikpapan on the eastern side of Kalimantan (Borneo).

The planned city is being carved out of bare hills and still has a long way to go.

Understand

History

The groundbreaking ceremony of Nusantara by Joko Widodo (currrent president of Indonesia)

Ancient times

Some of the earliest recorded history of the city of Nusantara as a human settlement dates back to the 4th-century era of the Kutai Martadipura Kingdom, when it served as one of the important capital regions of the kingdom. By the late of 13th century, these regions came under the power of East Java-based empire known as Majapahit Empire. The name "Nusantara" was first introduced by the Javanese people who refer to their Majapahit maritime country-like territory as Nusantara. The historical record of this name can be traced to the historical manuscript of Silsilah Kutai (lit. 'the Genealogy Book of Kutai'). In modern times, the name Nusantara has often been used to refer to the entire territory of Indonesia, and frequently also the other insular countries of Southeast Asia (notably including the Philippines, Singapore and East Timor) and the Malay Peninsula.

Modern times

In the 1950s, the idea of ​​moving the capital city of Indonesia was raised by President Soekarno. This idea was born because Bung Karno felt the need to share the burden of Jakarta which had long been an attraction for Indonesian citizens. Soekarno had a vision that the new capital city should be outside of Java, preferably in Kalimantan. But unfortunately, Soekarno's dream did not come true due to prolonged national political turmoil.

In 26th August 2019, president Joko Widodo announced that the capital would be moving from Jakarta to Nusantara. While inaugurated in 2024, the official target completion date is 2045 and it's unclear how the hugely expensive project, closely associated with Widodo, will fare when the presidency transitions to his successor Prabowo Subianto.

Talk

Everyone in Nusantara can speak the national language of Indonesia, which is Indonesian. However, the locals might have their own linguistic characteristics which combine Indonesian with regional languages, such as Banjar (a lingua franca of its adjacent southern region), Kutai, Paser, or even Javanese.

Get in

By plane

Nusantara Airport is under construction in Penajam, some 23 km from the city center. For time being, the nearest airports are in Balikpapan (BPN ^IATA), which has international connections to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore plus domestic flights to all major Indonesian cities, and the smaller but closer Samarinda (AAP ^IATA), with services mostly to Jakarta and Surabaya.

By road

For time being, Nusantara is in the middle of nowhere: it's a 3-hour drive from the nearest major cities Balikpapan and Samarinda.

A planned new toll road connecting to the existing Balikpapan-Samarinda (Balsam) highway would cut the distance to around 70 km. However, this also involves building a lengthy underwater tunnel.

Get around

Much of the city remains an active construction zone and is off limits to visitors. Nusantara officially opened to tourists in September 2024, with a quota of 300 visitors per day between 09:00 and 17:00. Visitors first have to register via the IKNOW app (Indonesian language only, and region-locked to Indonesian accounts only). If you can score a slot, tours by electric bus depart from the 1 IKN Hermina Hospital.

A Chinese-made two-line "trackless tram" (autonomous bus) system is under construction, but for time being, you will need your own wheels to get around Nusantara.

See

• 1 Kusuma Bangsa Park (Taman Kusuma Bangsa). Viewpoint offering views of the Central Government Core Area (KIPP). (updated Sep 2024)

• 2 Plaza Seremoni. Mini amphitheater, forest trail, retail gallery, and visitor center (updated Sep 2024)

Buy

• Nusantara Duty Free Mall.  
• Pakuwon Nusantara. (updated Dec 2024)

Sleep

• 1 Hotel Qubika IKN. Nusantara's very first hotel is composed of 206 containers stacked together. (updated Sep 2024)

• 2 Swissôtel Nusantara, ☏ +62 542 8258888. Nusantara's first international brand hotel with 191 rooms. From Rp. 1,800,000. (updated Sep 2024)

Stay healthy

Despite being claimed as drinkable, you should refrain from drinking the tap water, since the construction of this city has not yet finished and there is a chance the water quality dropped occasionally.

Cope

2 IKN Hermina Hospital

Go next

Samarinda – the capital city of East Kalimantan.