Banjarmasin

The “City of a Thousand Rivers,” crisscrossed by waterways. Take a boat at dawn to the Lok Baintan floating market, try Banjar cuisine, and visit the nearby diamond market at Martapura.

Banjarmasin is the largest city in South Kalimantan and a traditional trading hub. It sits on a low delta where the Barito and Martapura rivers meet, and the city is cut by many rivers and canals, earning it the nickname City of a Thousand Rivers. This is the homeland of the Banjar people, and the Banjar Sultanate was established here in the 16th century, so Islamic culture is strong. The classic experience is to leave the riverside pier in the city center before 5 a.m. by boat for the Lok Baintan floating market. On the way back, watch stilt houses and old mosques along the river, then eat a bowl of Banjar soto at the old Amat restaurant. In the city, visit the Sabilal Muhtadin Grand Mosque, the Sultan Suriansyah Mosque, the riverside watchtower, and the proboscis monkey statue. Boat trips reveal macaques on Kembang Island and wild proboscis monkeys on Kaget Island.

About 40 km southeast, Martapura is known for its diamond market and Islamic scholarship. Nearby Cempaka is where you can see traditional diamond panning. Banjarbaru has a provincial museum, and farther afield, the Riam Kanan Reservoir makes a good day trip.

The best season is the May–September dry season. November to March is the rainy season, with frequent heavy rain.

Getting there: The airport is in Banjarbaru, about 25 km from the city. Plan 2–3 days. Dress modestly. During Ramadan, daytime food service is limited.

Top sights

• Lok Baintan Floating Market – A dawn floating market on the Martapura River, a tradition going back centuries, where women in conical hats paddle small wooden boats sell…
• Sultan Suriansyah Mosque – The oldest mosque in South Kalimantan, a traditional Banjar timber building with tiered roofs, close to the tomb of the first sultan.
• Sabilal Muhtadin Grand Mosque – The grand mosque in central Banjarmasin, with a golden dome and five minarets reflected on the Martapura River bank, a landmark of the city.
• Martapura Diamond Market – The best-known gem market in South Kalimantan, where hundreds of shops sell local diamonds, rough gemstones and jewellery.
• Muara Kuin Floating Market – A long-established floating market at the confluence of the Barito and Kuin rivers, once the emblem of Banjarmasin and now much reduced in…
• Siring Menara Pandang – A Banjar-style lookout tower and riverside promenade on the Martapura River, with views over the waterway, and the boat pier is right here.
• Bekantan Statue – A roughly 6-metre bekantan (proboscis monkey) statue on the Martapura riverbank that spouts water from its mouth, Banjarmasin's most popula…
• Kembang Island – A small forested nature reserve island in the Barito River, home to troops of long-tailed macaques and a small Chinese shrine.
• Kaget Island Nature Reserve – A mangrove island at the lower reaches of the Barito River, a good place to observe wild populations of the Borneo-endemic proboscis monkey.
• Al-Karomah Grand Mosque – The grand mosque of Martapura, its white walls and green dome imposing, a symbol of this Islamic scholarship centre.
• Cempaka Traditional Diamond Mining – A traditional open-pit diamond mine on the outskirts of Banjarbaru, where miners wash for diamonds and gold by hand in muddy pits using woo…
• Lambung Mangkurat Museum – The provincial museum of South Kalimantan, its building modelled on the Banjar high-ridged house, showing the Banjar sultanate, Dayak cultu…
• Wasaka Museum – An independence war museum housed in a traditional Banjar stilt house, where the building itself is a fine example of local vernacular arch…
• Tomb of Datu Kelampayan – The tomb of Muhammad Arshad al-Banjari, a great 18th-century Banjar scholar, and the most important Islamic pilgrimage site in South Kalima…
• Riam Kanan Reservoir – A large artificial lake at the foot of the Meratus Mountains, with scattered islands and hills, good for boat trips and hill viewpoints.
• Soto Bang Amat – Banjarmasin's most famous old Banjar soto shop, by the river, where you can arrive by boat for a bowl of chicken soup with rice noodles and…

Where to eat

• Depot Soto Bang Amat – Banjarmasin's best-known Banjar chicken soup institution, in a riverside stilt house on the Martapura River, serving so…
• Depot Sari Patin – A famous grilled patin fish restaurant that opened in 2002 and has never opened a second branch, known for grilled wild…
• Soto Bawah Jembatan – A riverside chicken soup stall beneath the Banua Anyar bridge, open until the evening, good for breakfast or dinner.
• Rumah Sambal Acan Raja Banjar – A Banjarese home-style restaurant beside City Hall in central Banjarmasin, where nearly every dish comes with its signa…