today : 28 
Total Visitor : 15620 
visitors Online: 6
South Kalimantan
The smallest province of Kalimantan, South Kalimantan until the 1950s included all of what is today Central Kalimantan.
The geography of the region is shaped by the Meratus Mountains, which form a long, broad range covering most of Kalsel north to the south. The mountains are not high, the tallest peak being Puncak Besar, 1,892 m. The Barito River and its major downstream tributary, the Martapura, remain important means of communications ad trade with the interior, in spite of a paved highway which runs from Banjarmasin to Balikpapan. Near the coast, the province is covered with a tidal swamp, some of which has been successfully reclaimed by rice farmers.
Kalsel is Kalimantan’s most densely populated province, with almost 3 million inhabitants living in its 37,660 sq km. the people of Kalsel are Banjarese, as ethnically mixed a group, as one is likely to find. Their ancestors include four Dayak groups the Ma’anyan, Lawangan, Bukit and Ngaju as well as Malays from Sumatra, Java, Sunda and Arabs, Chinese. The Banjarese dialect is closely related to Malay.
The Banjarese trace their origins to a legendary Hindu kingdom. The first raja’s wife sprang, fully formed, from a gigantic mass of white foam, making her dramatic Venus like appearance to an awed audience. In a less flattering version, she emerges from the mud. Her birth was assisted by the grand vizier, Lambung Mangkurat, remembered today in many places such as the State University of Banjarmasin, the main street of Banjarmasin and the province’s museum. The vizier hung around for three generations to help build the new Hindu kingdom called Negara Dipa.
The capital city of Banjarmasin is the most interesting urban center of Kalimantan. There are docks where graceful Bugis schooners moor, a beautiful new mosque, and busy floating markets. Nearby islands, in the Barito River, are populated by troops of monkeys. Inland, carts drawn by water buffalo amble along the paved road to the diamond fields at Cempaka, or to Martapura, where the gems are cut and polished.
Banjarmasin has hotels of all categories and many good restaurants. There are plenty of freelance guides here, speaking some English. You can either hire them or sign on with an agency to visit the Dayaks of the Laksado area or Tanjung Puting orangutan reserve in Kalteng.
Air connections are good and a paved road from Banjarmasin reaches all the way to Balikpapan. By river, one can reach Palangkaraya, the capital of Kalteng, or motor to a couple of towns by the Barito River, from where you can explore the interior of the island.
Historically known as a producer of black pepper, Banjarmasin now thrives on the large surpluses of rice and other crops that farmers coax from the region’s rich alluvial soils. Although the soil is rich, the land has not always been suitable for farming.
In what has been called ‘one of the world’s major experiments in marginal land utilization’, Banjarese farmers have been pioneers in swamp reclamation, skill fully converting tidal regions into rice paddies, tangerine and orange groves, and vegetable gardens.
Most Banjarese remain rice farmers, although recently corn has been planted in a big way. Improved breeds of cattle, introduced through live stock programs, have helped to put cash in farers’ pockets. The government has been active in introducing new, high yield varieties of rice that grow well in swamps. Irrigation programs bring two or more crops a year. Recently, a novel technique has been used to plant two new varieties of rice directly in the swamplands, increasing production. Since the water level here sometimes reaches two meters, boats are used to harvest the crop.
Thanks to the modern methods, new seeds and close to a half-million hectares under irrigation, rice production has shot up over the last few years. Most of the surplus is exported to Central and Eastern Kalimantan.
As in the rest of Kalimantan, the wood industry dominates the local export economy.
Other export items include frog’s legs, snake and lizard skins, a kind of tree bark used in making joss sticks and insect repellent, roots for jamu and other traditional medicines.
Sawn timber, dried fish and recently, coal from the Batu Licin region are exported to other islands in the archipelago. Crude oil from the inland Tanjung region is piped to Balikpapan for processing.
Over 160,000 fishermen make a living from Kalsel’s open inland waters, more than anywhere else in Kalimantan does. In contrast, there are only 5,000 sea-fishermen here, compared to 15,000 in Kalbar, 48,000 in Kalteng and 19,000 in Kaltim: Taiwanese experts are now designing commercial aquaculture systems here.
The pepper harvest, barely 500 tons a year, is a minor part of the economy today, but valuable cash crops such as cacao and illipe nuts (tengkawang) are commanding increased acreage. Although there are many small coconut plantations in the region, this crop is chiefly for local consumption.
There are large known deposits of iron ore, kaolin and limestone in the Meratus Mountains waiting for investment. The diamond fields of Cempaka provide several hundred jobs, but even more pans for gold on a small-scale basis.
Banjarmasin is just 22 km from the Java Sea, and since portions of the city are below sea level, the city rises and falls with the tides. Where it passes by the capital of Kalsel, the Barito River is a full kilometer wide. The Martapura River, much narrower, snakes through the city, a busy ‘main street’ for a bewildering variety of boats.
Banjarmasin was founded at the junction of the Martapura and Barito River on September 24, 1526. This happened just after Pangeran Samudra overthrew his uncle with the help of an army from Demak in Java.
Originally the city was completely river-oriented, and much of its characteristic is still evident today. Houses on stilts, called lanting, line the water ways, crisscross the capital. Taking a small motorized boat klotok around the rivers and canals, especially during the early morning and late afternoon hours, shows the city from the inside: Banjarese bathing, washing laundry, buying fruit, vegetables or fish from women vendors in tiny canoes.
The city’s industrial strip is along the Barito River, close to downtown. Here are plants where workers saw thick logs into planks, in some cases by hand. The modern plywood factories here face the river so they can receive the huge rafts of timber that float down from the interior. Among the lumber plants are huge shed like buildings where crumb rubber is processed for export.
Pulau Kembang, an island just off Banjarmasin, is the home of dozens of semi tame monkeys. The island, which is an attraction for Banjarese and visitors alike, gets very crowded on Sundays and holidays. Further down river is an island nature reserve, Pulau Kaget, where there are proboscis monkeys, birds, and other wildlife.
Banjarmasin has one of the most splendid mosques in all of Kalimantan. The Grand Mosque, the Sabilal Muhtadin, is set on a 10 hectare plot in the center of the city, and it faces the Martapura River. The mosque is named for the great writings of Sheik Mohammad Arshal Al Banjari, a Muslim scholar who lived from 1710 to 1812. The inside of the mosque is top quality marble, with exquisite calligraphy from the Qur’an gracing the walls. A watchman is always around to open up the mosque for visitors. While the front gates to the mosque area are often closed except at prayer times, the enclosure is usually open in the back.
Klotok can be rented at the bridge near Kuin Pertamina for $2-$3 an hour. They are usually powered by a 6-HP engine and can take six to ten passengers in comfort. Get an early start: the floating market starts at first light and is pretty much over by 8.30 am. Best to start out around 6.00 am, to be there at the first light of dawn.
The floating market, or pasar terapung, is a busy, colorful gathering of small boats and canoes. The larger crafts bring fruit or vegetables at wholesale prices. Tiny canoes, called jukung, are padled by turbaned women in colorful dress. They buy their stock of food stuff from the stationary wholesale boats, and then take their buys to their river side customers. Along the river, stop at one of the floating mini restaurants for a refreshing cup of hot tea or coffee, and a sweet cake.
From the floating market, it is a quick hop to Pulau Kembang (‘Flower Island’) now full of common long tailed macaque monkeys of all sizes. They are believed by some to hold spirits who must not be offended.
The monkeys wait for you right at the dock, hoping for a handout of peanuts, which you can buy in a nearby stall. If you want any of the little fell as to get a peanut, pitch it to him accurately, as the big male raja monkeys will otherwise hog all the food in sight.
Continue your trip around Pulau Kembang, past the Trisakti port of large vessels, coast by the towering rubber processing mills and plywood factories and enter the Martapura River. A short way in, you will see colorful riverside shops, open to customers arriving by canoe. Houses, shops, even gas stations are on floating plat forms. Further upriver, you will see dozens of the magnificent Bugis sailing ships. Swarming dockhands loads and unloads these ocean going vessels, the backbone of Inter – Island commerce.
Pulau Kaget, or ‘Starting Island’ is 12 km south of Banjarmasin in the Barito River. The name comes from the island’s reputation as a haven for ghosts. The trip by klotok from Banjarmasin takes about one and half-hours, and the round trip fare should cost around $10-$20.
To see the proboscis monkeys, it’s best to be there at dawn, around 6.30 am, which means that you should get started at around 5 am. Later in the day, the monkeys move to inaccessible palaces in the swamps, and return to the shore at dusk. It is not difficult to spot the monkeys, but getting within telephoto range requires silence, time, patience and lots of luck.
Pulau Kaget actually is two islands, the larger one covering 24 hectares. The best spot for viewing Nasalis larvatus is the river inlet heading into the interior from the south shore of the first, northernmost island. At low tide, this mini-river becomes too shallow to navigate another factor to consider when planning your visit. A guide could be very helpful in arranging this jaunt, if he has experience.
Banjarmasin is an ideal base for exploring the surrounding attractions, as there is plenty to do in town, while you arrange your visits to the vicinity. The most popular short trip from Banjarmasin is to the diamond fields of Cempaka, the gem-Occulting center of Martapura, and the provincial museum, which on the way. Colorful oxcarts, called keroba sapi, ply the roads. Other recommended trips, to visit the Dayaks in Laksado and to see the orangutan rehabilitation center at Tanjung Puting, require several days.
The Cempaka diamond field are about 45 kilometers from Banjarmasin, near Lake Riam Kanan. Here teams of men and women dig vertical, well-sized shafts up to 5 meters deep to bring up the clay.
Rocks and pebbles are picked from the raw, gray muck; the clay is washed, and then panned by members of the team. For hours on end these folks sit in the muddy water, waiting for Lady Luck in the form of flakes of gold, an occasional sapphire, an amethyst, a garnet or maybe even a tiny diamond.
Once in a great while it is boom time, and a monster, such as the 167.5 carat Trisakti Diamond brought up in 1964, and is found.
According to records, the largest diamonds found here were in 1846 and three diamonds of 12, 13 and 20 carats. In 1850 two shoppers one 106.67 carats, the other a measly 77 carats. In 1965 in addition to the Trisakti, one of 19 carats. In 1968, one of 26.5 carats. In 1970 one 13 carat gem. And in 1987, three big ones of 14,33 and 50 carats.
Ten percent of the value of all the gems goes to the owner of the land who parcels out plots to the various teams. If you don’t mind picking our way through the mud and water, you can see all the phases of work from up close. You can buy a raw diamond or some other precious stone on the spot.
Near the diamond fields, in the village of Cempaka or the town of Martapura, the gem, called galuh lady are cut and polished.
This museum, covering the history and culture of Kalsel, is worth a short visit. If you are really interested in the area’s history you should stay longer, but then we need an English speaking guide. A good way to see the museum is to stop there on your way to or from the diamond fields.
Unfortunately, the museum has only copies of large bronze pieces from the Hindu period, and a model of Candi Laras, a temple from that time. (The originals are in Jakarta).There is also a large-scale model of the sultan’s wood palace, palace clothing, model ships and fishing gear, a red-sugar processing apparatus, the royal gamelan and the Javanese-style masks, weaving tools, and various old ornaments. There is even a genealogical chart listing all the past rulers of Banjarmasin.
There is some Dayak art here too, including funerary pieces and carvings. There are a couple of dragonheads on display, which were used in weddings and were presumably a carryover from pre-Muslim times. Parked just outside the main building is an elaborate ruler’s canoe, called a tambangan, covered with decorations. A separate building holds an exhibition by Gusti Sholihin Hassan, a locally famous painter of semi-abstract portraits.
The museum is on the main highway in the town of Banjarbaru, close to Martapura.
The dances include the hadrah, a dance of Arabic origin performed to escort the bride to the groom. The rudat, originally from Persia, danced in connection with various Islamic ceremonies. The Dayak gintor or welcome dance, a flower dance and the mumenggung, an elegant masked step which welcome spectators to the all male dramas performed in villages after the harvest. These dramas, or mamanda plays, often include topics from the Thousand and One Nights, integrated with Malay themes, Javanese influence shows in many other dunces and in the occasional wayang performances.
The Dayaks of South Kalimantan are the most remote in Borneo, and the combination of trekking, rafting and over knighting in the Dayak ‘home stays’ of Loksado has been done many visitors. Still, it could be the highlight of your trip Kalimantan, if time permitting.
Trips to Loksado usually start from Kandangan, four to five hours by bus north of Banjarmasin on the main road to Balikpapan. Either on the way back, you might stop at Margasari (not far from Rantau), which is a handicraft center.
There are several trails to Loksado, the shortest one 8 hours, the longest perhaps 24 hours of hiking, spread over several days, the best trail for jungle scenery and animals starts at Batu Ampar. During the dry season, four wheel drive vehicles can sometimes make it all the way to Loksado. But this way o not see much along the way and miss all the suspension bridges. The engine scares away all the wildlife. Kalsel is rich in animal life, with 500 species of birds, more than 200 kinds of amphibians and reptiles (including 150 snake species) and over 700 varieties of freshwater fish.
The Bukit or Meratus Dayaks practice a form of ancestor spirit worship called Karaingan. After harvest, around the end of July, they celebrate the Aruh Ganal to Thank the spirits. A month later performs a follow up ceremony called Aruh Biasa. During the rainy season, when there is lots of sickness, the belian or women healers perform exorcism rites that sometimes last several days.
The Dayaks here do not perform rituals for tourists, and unless a ritual is taking place, the villages here are not really worth visiting.
There are over two dozen village long houses in the area, with the largest, in Melaris, holding 165 people. These communal balai are not the long houses familiar to other parts of Borneo, where the communal veranda stretches the structure’s entire length and sleeping quarters are in the back.
In Melaris the balai are large, slightly rectangular buildings, some 30 by 40 meters, with family units on all four sides and a communal space in the middle.
Instead of staying in Loksado, continue on to Melaris village just three kilometers away. You can sleep there and the weather is cooler. A short distance away, there is a bamboo and rattan suspension bridge to cross. A spectacular waterfall can be seen from here.
The return trip is by bamboo raft, through the rapids of the Amandit River. From the raft you can see big monitor lizards sunbathing on the riverside rocks, otters, black monkeys, and perhaps proboscis monkeys as well as butterflies, an occasional snake and lots of birds, including hornbills.
These rafts are used by the local farmers and rubber tappers to take their produce to the market in Kandangan. There they sell the craft as well, for its bamboo. From Loksado at Kandangan are 12 hours, but travelers usually disembark after the thrilling rapids between Lumpangi and Muara Hariang, a 45 minute walk from Mawangi. Here, year round land transportation is available to Kandangan.
The geography of the region is shaped by the Meratus Mountains, which form a long, broad range covering most of Kalsel north to the south. The mountains are not high, the tallest peak being Puncak Besar, 1,892 m. The Barito River and its major downstream tributary, the Martapura, remain important means of communications ad trade with the interior, in spite of a paved highway which runs from Banjarmasin to Balikpapan. Near the coast, the province is covered with a tidal swamp, some of which has been successfully reclaimed by rice farmers.
Kalsel is Kalimantan’s most densely populated province, with almost 3 million inhabitants living in its 37,660 sq km. the people of Kalsel are Banjarese, as ethnically mixed a group, as one is likely to find. Their ancestors include four Dayak groups the Ma’anyan, Lawangan, Bukit and Ngaju as well as Malays from Sumatra, Java, Sunda and Arabs, Chinese. The Banjarese dialect is closely related to Malay.
The Banjarese trace their origins to a legendary Hindu kingdom. The first raja’s wife sprang, fully formed, from a gigantic mass of white foam, making her dramatic Venus like appearance to an awed audience. In a less flattering version, she emerges from the mud. Her birth was assisted by the grand vizier, Lambung Mangkurat, remembered today in many places such as the State University of Banjarmasin, the main street of Banjarmasin and the province’s museum. The vizier hung around for three generations to help build the new Hindu kingdom called Negara Dipa.
The capital city of Banjarmasin is the most interesting urban center of Kalimantan. There are docks where graceful Bugis schooners moor, a beautiful new mosque, and busy floating markets. Nearby islands, in the Barito River, are populated by troops of monkeys. Inland, carts drawn by water buffalo amble along the paved road to the diamond fields at Cempaka, or to Martapura, where the gems are cut and polished.
Banjarmasin has hotels of all categories and many good restaurants. There are plenty of freelance guides here, speaking some English. You can either hire them or sign on with an agency to visit the Dayaks of the Laksado area or Tanjung Puting orangutan reserve in Kalteng.
Air connections are good and a paved road from Banjarmasin reaches all the way to Balikpapan. By river, one can reach Palangkaraya, the capital of Kalteng, or motor to a couple of towns by the Barito River, from where you can explore the interior of the island.
Historically known as a producer of black pepper, Banjarmasin now thrives on the large surpluses of rice and other crops that farmers coax from the region’s rich alluvial soils. Although the soil is rich, the land has not always been suitable for farming.
In what has been called ‘one of the world’s major experiments in marginal land utilization’, Banjarese farmers have been pioneers in swamp reclamation, skill fully converting tidal regions into rice paddies, tangerine and orange groves, and vegetable gardens.
Most Banjarese remain rice farmers, although recently corn has been planted in a big way. Improved breeds of cattle, introduced through live stock programs, have helped to put cash in farers’ pockets. The government has been active in introducing new, high yield varieties of rice that grow well in swamps. Irrigation programs bring two or more crops a year. Recently, a novel technique has been used to plant two new varieties of rice directly in the swamplands, increasing production. Since the water level here sometimes reaches two meters, boats are used to harvest the crop.
Thanks to the modern methods, new seeds and close to a half-million hectares under irrigation, rice production has shot up over the last few years. Most of the surplus is exported to Central and Eastern Kalimantan.
As in the rest of Kalimantan, the wood industry dominates the local export economy.
Other export items include frog’s legs, snake and lizard skins, a kind of tree bark used in making joss sticks and insect repellent, roots for jamu and other traditional medicines.
Sawn timber, dried fish and recently, coal from the Batu Licin region are exported to other islands in the archipelago. Crude oil from the inland Tanjung region is piped to Balikpapan for processing.
Over 160,000 fishermen make a living from Kalsel’s open inland waters, more than anywhere else in Kalimantan does. In contrast, there are only 5,000 sea-fishermen here, compared to 15,000 in Kalbar, 48,000 in Kalteng and 19,000 in Kaltim: Taiwanese experts are now designing commercial aquaculture systems here.
The pepper harvest, barely 500 tons a year, is a minor part of the economy today, but valuable cash crops such as cacao and illipe nuts (tengkawang) are commanding increased acreage. Although there are many small coconut plantations in the region, this crop is chiefly for local consumption.
There are large known deposits of iron ore, kaolin and limestone in the Meratus Mountains waiting for investment. The diamond fields of Cempaka provide several hundred jobs, but even more pans for gold on a small-scale basis.
- BANJARMASIN
Banjarmasin is just 22 km from the Java Sea, and since portions of the city are below sea level, the city rises and falls with the tides. Where it passes by the capital of Kalsel, the Barito River is a full kilometer wide. The Martapura River, much narrower, snakes through the city, a busy ‘main street’ for a bewildering variety of boats.
Banjarmasin was founded at the junction of the Martapura and Barito River on September 24, 1526. This happened just after Pangeran Samudra overthrew his uncle with the help of an army from Demak in Java.
Originally the city was completely river-oriented, and much of its characteristic is still evident today. Houses on stilts, called lanting, line the water ways, crisscross the capital. Taking a small motorized boat klotok around the rivers and canals, especially during the early morning and late afternoon hours, shows the city from the inside: Banjarese bathing, washing laundry, buying fruit, vegetables or fish from women vendors in tiny canoes.
The city’s industrial strip is along the Barito River, close to downtown. Here are plants where workers saw thick logs into planks, in some cases by hand. The modern plywood factories here face the river so they can receive the huge rafts of timber that float down from the interior. Among the lumber plants are huge shed like buildings where crumb rubber is processed for export.
Pulau Kembang, an island just off Banjarmasin, is the home of dozens of semi tame monkeys. The island, which is an attraction for Banjarese and visitors alike, gets very crowded on Sundays and holidays. Further down river is an island nature reserve, Pulau Kaget, where there are proboscis monkeys, birds, and other wildlife.
Banjarmasin has one of the most splendid mosques in all of Kalimantan. The Grand Mosque, the Sabilal Muhtadin, is set on a 10 hectare plot in the center of the city, and it faces the Martapura River. The mosque is named for the great writings of Sheik Mohammad Arshal Al Banjari, a Muslim scholar who lived from 1710 to 1812. The inside of the mosque is top quality marble, with exquisite calligraphy from the Qur’an gracing the walls. A watchman is always around to open up the mosque for visitors. While the front gates to the mosque area are often closed except at prayer times, the enclosure is usually open in the back.
Klotok can be rented at the bridge near Kuin Pertamina for $2-$3 an hour. They are usually powered by a 6-HP engine and can take six to ten passengers in comfort. Get an early start: the floating market starts at first light and is pretty much over by 8.30 am. Best to start out around 6.00 am, to be there at the first light of dawn.
The floating market, or pasar terapung, is a busy, colorful gathering of small boats and canoes. The larger crafts bring fruit or vegetables at wholesale prices. Tiny canoes, called jukung, are padled by turbaned women in colorful dress. They buy their stock of food stuff from the stationary wholesale boats, and then take their buys to their river side customers. Along the river, stop at one of the floating mini restaurants for a refreshing cup of hot tea or coffee, and a sweet cake.
From the floating market, it is a quick hop to Pulau Kembang (‘Flower Island’) now full of common long tailed macaque monkeys of all sizes. They are believed by some to hold spirits who must not be offended.
The monkeys wait for you right at the dock, hoping for a handout of peanuts, which you can buy in a nearby stall. If you want any of the little fell as to get a peanut, pitch it to him accurately, as the big male raja monkeys will otherwise hog all the food in sight.
Continue your trip around Pulau Kembang, past the Trisakti port of large vessels, coast by the towering rubber processing mills and plywood factories and enter the Martapura River. A short way in, you will see colorful riverside shops, open to customers arriving by canoe. Houses, shops, even gas stations are on floating plat forms. Further upriver, you will see dozens of the magnificent Bugis sailing ships. Swarming dockhands loads and unloads these ocean going vessels, the backbone of Inter – Island commerce.
Pulau Kaget, or ‘Starting Island’ is 12 km south of Banjarmasin in the Barito River. The name comes from the island’s reputation as a haven for ghosts. The trip by klotok from Banjarmasin takes about one and half-hours, and the round trip fare should cost around $10-$20.
To see the proboscis monkeys, it’s best to be there at dawn, around 6.30 am, which means that you should get started at around 5 am. Later in the day, the monkeys move to inaccessible palaces in the swamps, and return to the shore at dusk. It is not difficult to spot the monkeys, but getting within telephoto range requires silence, time, patience and lots of luck.
Pulau Kaget actually is two islands, the larger one covering 24 hectares. The best spot for viewing Nasalis larvatus is the river inlet heading into the interior from the south shore of the first, northernmost island. At low tide, this mini-river becomes too shallow to navigate another factor to consider when planning your visit. A guide could be very helpful in arranging this jaunt, if he has experience.
Banjarmasin is an ideal base for exploring the surrounding attractions, as there is plenty to do in town, while you arrange your visits to the vicinity. The most popular short trip from Banjarmasin is to the diamond fields of Cempaka, the gem-Occulting center of Martapura, and the provincial museum, which on the way. Colorful oxcarts, called keroba sapi, ply the roads. Other recommended trips, to visit the Dayaks in Laksado and to see the orangutan rehabilitation center at Tanjung Puting, require several days.
The Cempaka diamond field are about 45 kilometers from Banjarmasin, near Lake Riam Kanan. Here teams of men and women dig vertical, well-sized shafts up to 5 meters deep to bring up the clay.
Rocks and pebbles are picked from the raw, gray muck; the clay is washed, and then panned by members of the team. For hours on end these folks sit in the muddy water, waiting for Lady Luck in the form of flakes of gold, an occasional sapphire, an amethyst, a garnet or maybe even a tiny diamond.
Once in a great while it is boom time, and a monster, such as the 167.5 carat Trisakti Diamond brought up in 1964, and is found.
According to records, the largest diamonds found here were in 1846 and three diamonds of 12, 13 and 20 carats. In 1850 two shoppers one 106.67 carats, the other a measly 77 carats. In 1965 in addition to the Trisakti, one of 19 carats. In 1968, one of 26.5 carats. In 1970 one 13 carat gem. And in 1987, three big ones of 14,33 and 50 carats.
Ten percent of the value of all the gems goes to the owner of the land who parcels out plots to the various teams. If you don’t mind picking our way through the mud and water, you can see all the phases of work from up close. You can buy a raw diamond or some other precious stone on the spot.
Near the diamond fields, in the village of Cempaka or the town of Martapura, the gem, called galuh lady are cut and polished.
- THE LAMBUNG MANGKURAT MUSEUM
This museum, covering the history and culture of Kalsel, is worth a short visit. If you are really interested in the area’s history you should stay longer, but then we need an English speaking guide. A good way to see the museum is to stop there on your way to or from the diamond fields.Unfortunately, the museum has only copies of large bronze pieces from the Hindu period, and a model of Candi Laras, a temple from that time. (The originals are in Jakarta).There is also a large-scale model of the sultan’s wood palace, palace clothing, model ships and fishing gear, a red-sugar processing apparatus, the royal gamelan and the Javanese-style masks, weaving tools, and various old ornaments. There is even a genealogical chart listing all the past rulers of Banjarmasin.
There is some Dayak art here too, including funerary pieces and carvings. There are a couple of dragonheads on display, which were used in weddings and were presumably a carryover from pre-Muslim times. Parked just outside the main building is an elaborate ruler’s canoe, called a tambangan, covered with decorations. A separate building holds an exhibition by Gusti Sholihin Hassan, a locally famous painter of semi-abstract portraits.
The museum is on the main highway in the town of Banjarbaru, close to Martapura.
- DANCES AND WEDDINGS
The dances include the hadrah, a dance of Arabic origin performed to escort the bride to the groom. The rudat, originally from Persia, danced in connection with various Islamic ceremonies. The Dayak gintor or welcome dance, a flower dance and the mumenggung, an elegant masked step which welcome spectators to the all male dramas performed in villages after the harvest. These dramas, or mamanda plays, often include topics from the Thousand and One Nights, integrated with Malay themes, Javanese influence shows in many other dunces and in the occasional wayang performances.
The Dayaks of South Kalimantan are the most remote in Borneo, and the combination of trekking, rafting and over knighting in the Dayak ‘home stays’ of Loksado has been done many visitors. Still, it could be the highlight of your trip Kalimantan, if time permitting.
Trips to Loksado usually start from Kandangan, four to five hours by bus north of Banjarmasin on the main road to Balikpapan. Either on the way back, you might stop at Margasari (not far from Rantau), which is a handicraft center.
There are several trails to Loksado, the shortest one 8 hours, the longest perhaps 24 hours of hiking, spread over several days, the best trail for jungle scenery and animals starts at Batu Ampar. During the dry season, four wheel drive vehicles can sometimes make it all the way to Loksado. But this way o not see much along the way and miss all the suspension bridges. The engine scares away all the wildlife. Kalsel is rich in animal life, with 500 species of birds, more than 200 kinds of amphibians and reptiles (including 150 snake species) and over 700 varieties of freshwater fish.
The Bukit or Meratus Dayaks practice a form of ancestor spirit worship called Karaingan. After harvest, around the end of July, they celebrate the Aruh Ganal to Thank the spirits. A month later performs a follow up ceremony called Aruh Biasa. During the rainy season, when there is lots of sickness, the belian or women healers perform exorcism rites that sometimes last several days.
The Dayaks here do not perform rituals for tourists, and unless a ritual is taking place, the villages here are not really worth visiting.
There are over two dozen village long houses in the area, with the largest, in Melaris, holding 165 people. These communal balai are not the long houses familiar to other parts of Borneo, where the communal veranda stretches the structure’s entire length and sleeping quarters are in the back.
In Melaris the balai are large, slightly rectangular buildings, some 30 by 40 meters, with family units on all four sides and a communal space in the middle.
Instead of staying in Loksado, continue on to Melaris village just three kilometers away. You can sleep there and the weather is cooler. A short distance away, there is a bamboo and rattan suspension bridge to cross. A spectacular waterfall can be seen from here.
The return trip is by bamboo raft, through the rapids of the Amandit River. From the raft you can see big monitor lizards sunbathing on the riverside rocks, otters, black monkeys, and perhaps proboscis monkeys as well as butterflies, an occasional snake and lots of birds, including hornbills.
These rafts are used by the local farmers and rubber tappers to take their produce to the market in Kandangan. There they sell the craft as well, for its bamboo. From Loksado at Kandangan are 12 hours, but travelers usually disembark after the thrilling rapids between Lumpangi and Muara Hariang, a 45 minute walk from Mawangi. Here, year round land transportation is available to Kandangan.