The Meratus Mountains divide South Kalimantan into two distinct regions. The southern section of the province is much flatter with large rivers meandering through lowlands to vast mangrove swamps along the coast, that why South Kalimantan an exceptionally fertile land. Many villages and settlements build along the Barito River, by the indegenous majority, the Banjar. Exquisite traditional and commercial handicrafts are all made from local raw materials which include a variety of precious and semi precious stones, gold, silver, brass, iron and wide variety of woods including bamboo and rattan. South Kalimantan is one of the largest wood producers in Indonesia. Extensive forests with wide variety of trees such as ironwood, meranti, pinus and rubber have helped to make the province a unique and rich natural resource. The provincial capital, Banjarmasin, lies a short distance from the delta of Barito River. A lot of business is done on the waterways; Local people build traditional floating houses made of wood or bamboo facing the river, called “lanting”. Floating market flourish selling an enormous variety of goods including a tropical selection of fresh fruit such as Kesturi, a rare aromatic species of mango, durian, rambutan, butter fruit, pineapple, watermelon and banana.
Getting there:
South Kalimantan is well connected with cities all over the Indonesian Archipelago through Syamsuddin Noor airport, which is about 25 km from Banjarmasin. This busy airport handles DC9’s. South Kalimantan can also be reached by sea at Trisakti and Banjarmasin. For interior travel there are roads, but waterways are the preferred form of travel.
Places to Visit in Indonesia