Tanjung Isuy is a Benuaq Dayak village on the shores of Lake Jempang, about 250 kilometres upriver from Samarinda — roughly a day by express boat or two by public river ferry. The village has been welcoming travellers for decades and has basic guesthouses where you can stay with local families.
The draw is Lake Jempang itself and the surrounding Dayak communities. The lake is home to freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins (pesut mahakam), one of the most critically endangered river dolphin populations in the world — sightings are increasingly rare but still possible. The village's longhouse is used for ceremonies and community events, and the surrounding forest has good birdwatching including hornbills, kingfishers, and storks. This is a place to arrive without a fixed itinerary and see what unfolds.