Lake Sentarum's Honey Factory

THE forests near Lake Sentarum in West Kalimantan are a veritable honey factory. Hundreds of honeycombs of giant bees (Apis dorsata) hang from branches of tembesu trees (Fagraea fragans) planted by locals. From a distance, the hives hanging from man-made branches, or tikung, appear like dark curtains.

The artificial branch-building technique is a traditional practice among the wild honey farmers of West Kalimantan. The tikung branches are made from fallen trees and are cut to size1.5 meters long, 25 centimeters wide and 4.5 centimeters thickto make them sturdy enough to support the hives. Shaped like kites, they are wide in front and taper toward the back. "We purposely design them that way so that bees can make big honeycombs in front," said Basri Wadi, a honey farmer.