The Hudoq Festival, Long Pahangai, East Kalimantan

This annual harvest festival takes place in the upper reaches of Mahakam, river in East Kalimantan. That is about 4 days travel upriver from Samarinda, passing through some dangerous rapids and spectacular scenery. Each year a different village plays host. Villagers arrive from the surrounding by river in longboats, dressed in traditional Dayak costume: women in beautiful beaded outfits, men dressed as warriors with long knives and shields, or as hornbills with grass costumes, wooden masks, and feather head dresses. Many of the older women still have tattooed hands and feet and long ears, heavy with scores of silver hoop earrings. The colourful opening ceremony is followed by three exhausting days of dancing, eating and traditional drum music which continues through the night. Guests stay in the village, only returning home by river when the party is over.