rivers
Banjarmasin is abundant with wide and mighty rivers. The rivers have always been a part of Banjarese way of life. To this very day, every morning there are floating markets in which farmers and traders brought their goods to trade on boats. It has always been a farmersâ market and itâs interesting to see the genuine river-based way of life. The rivers are also the main venues for boat races and other festivities.The main attractions are the waterlogged suburbs traversed by canals; much of the city's commerce takes place on water.
Floating markets
trading is from dawn until around 9AM. Get there early. Journey takes around 20 minutes by boat.Canal trips
Pulau Kembang
lit. Flower Island - visit the long-tailed macaques at the decrepit Chinese temple, 20 minutes by boat. You can buy nuts to feed them. The monkeys are quite aggressive if you have food and will try to steal it from you.Pulau Kaget
lit. Surprised Island - see the proboscis monkey Nasalis larvatus, the mascot fauna of South Kalimantan. No guarantee you would have a good look at them, though, as they are really shy.
architectural heritage
Banjarese, the name of South Kalimantanâs ethnicity, have a unique way of building their houses and other structures in harmony with nature. There are at least 12 types of traditional Banjarese houses, which have unfortunately lost their popularity in modern times. Still, you can see a few houses that were built with traditional techniques all over Banjarmasin if you really search for them. The palace ground was totally destroyed by the colonial Dutch, but you can still visit its remnants in Kampung Kraton, along Jalan Pangeran Samudera. There, you can see Masjid Sultan Suriansyah. Built during Pangeran Samuderaâs rule, it is the first Mosque in South Kalimantan and contains the royal burial site.
Museum Waja Sampai Ka Puting
this was an old and genuine Banjarese traditional house in "Bubungan Tinggi" style one of the 12 styles and the most bona fide one before it was transformed into a museum.Masjid Sultan Suriansyah
The oldest mosque in South Kalimantan, 300+ years old.Masjid Raya Sabilal Muhtadin
a giant modern mosque completed in 1981, the second largest in Indonesia.