Banjarmasin: the city that lives on the river

Banjarmasin sits at the mouth of the Barito river system, on a low delta criss-crossed by waterways. The Martapura river runs through the centre, and for most of the city's history it has been the main road: people, goods, vegetables and gossip have all moved by boat. Even now, with bridges and motorbikes, the river is where the city's identity lives.

Travellers come for the floating market, and it deserves the trip. But Banjarmasin is more than a dawn photo call. It is the capital of the Banjar people, with a distinct cuisine, a tradition of Islamic scholarship, a diamond trade in the nearby town of Martapura, and a river culture that has shaped everything from architecture to the way people shop.

A city built on water

Banjarmasin is one of the few Indonesian cities where the river is not a backdrop but the main street. The historic centre clusters around the Martapura, and the older kampungs are built on stilts over the water or along narrow creeks. Houses face the river, boats are parked like cars, and the morning traffic includes canoes loaded with bananas and bundles of firewood.

The delta is also the city's vulnerability. Banjarmasin is low, flat and tidal, and flooding is a fact of life in the wet season. The rivers carry sediment from the interior, the land subsides, and the sea is close. The city has built embankments, pumps and a new toll road on stilts, but water still finds its way into the streets. It is worth understanding this before you complain about a wet afternoon.

Pasar Terapung: the floating market

The classic trip is to Lok Baintan, a village on the Martapura about half an hour upstream from the city, where the floating market forms at dawn. Women in wide-brimmed hats paddle jukung, narrow wooden canoes, loaded with bananas, oranges, spinach, chilli, cakes, fish and rice. Buyers arrive in larger boats, and for an hour or two the river becomes a moving supermarket.

You need to leave Banjarmasin around five in the morning, either by rented klotok from the harbour or by road to Lok Baintan and then a small boat. The market is at its best between six and eight, and it fades quickly once the sun is up. The nearer Pasar Terapung Kuin, inside the city, is smaller and more convenient but far less atmospheric. Bring cash, wear a hat, and ask before photographing the vendors.

Kuin and the old sultanate

Kuin, just north of the centre, is the historic heart of Banjarmasin. The Masjid Sultan Suriansyah is the oldest mosque in South Kalimantan, founded in the sixteenth century when the local ruler converted to Islam and the kingdom of Banjar took shape. The building is small and wooden, with a tiered roof and a quiet cemetery beside it, and it feels much older than the city around it.

Nearby, the Masjid Raya Sabilal Muhtadin is the modern grand mosque, a large domed building on the riverbank that serves as the city's main place of worship. The riverside promenade and the Menara Pandang viewing tower are a short walk away, and the area is lively in the late afternoon with food stalls and families. This is the easiest place to see Banjarmasin's river life without leaving the city.

Martapura: diamonds and sasirangan

About 45 minutes east of Banjarmasin, Martapura is a market town known for two things: gemstones and cloth. The diamond trade goes back centuries, and the town's workshops still cut and polish stones in small rooms behind the shops. The gem market is not glamorous, but it is fascinating, and you can watch the cutting and setting if you ask politely.

Martapura is also the centre of sasirangan, the Banjar tie-dye textile. The cloth is stitched, bound and dyed in bold patterns of yellow, green, red and purple, and finished with a characteristic wavy line. In Banjarmasin, the Kampung Sasirangan district has workshops and showrooms where you can see the process and buy directly. A scarf costs a fraction of what you would pay in Jakarta.

What to eat

Banjar food is one of the underrated cuisines of Indonesia. Soto banjar is a clear chicken soup with vermicelli, boiled egg, potato and a fragrant spice paste, served with rice cakes or lontong. Ketupat kandangan is rice cakes in a thick coconut and fish gravy, and it is the dish locals miss most when they leave. Gangan humbut, a sour vegetable soup, and iwak haruan, snakehead fish cooked in various ways, are the other staples.

For snacks, look for apam, a small rice-flour pancake with coconut, and pisang susu, the small sweet bananas that grow in the region. The food is mild by Indonesian standards, with less chilli than Sumatra or Sulawesi, and the river fish and prawns are excellent. Eat at the warungs around the market and the river, where a full meal costs less than IDR 50,000.

Practical and a plan

Syamsudin Noor airport is in Banjarbaru, about 45 minutes from the city, with flights to Jakarta, Surabaya and other Indonesian hubs. There is no railway; the bus terminal and the river harbour are the other arrival points. The city is spread out and hot, so use ride-hailing apps or hire a car with a driver for the floating market and Martapura.

The dry season, roughly June to September, is the best time for the river and the market, though the floating market runs year-round. The wet season brings flooding and heavy rain. Two days is enough for the market, Kuin and Martapura; three days allows a trip to the Meratus mountains and the bamboo rafting at Loksado.

• Day 1: dawn boat to Lok Baintan, breakfast on the river, Kuin and the old mosque in the afternoon.
• Day 2: Martapura gem market and sasirangan workshops, then the riverside promenade at sunset.
• Add a day for Loksado, bamboo rafting on the Amandit river and the Meratus foothills.
• Bring cash for the floating market; there are no card readers on a jukung.

Questions people actually ask

What time does the floating market start?

The Lok Baintan market forms around five in the morning and is best between six and eight. You need to leave Banjarmasin by about five to get there by boat, or drive to the village and hire a small boat locally.

How do I get to Banjarmasin?

Fly to Syamsudin Noor airport in Banjarbaru, about 45 minutes from the city, or take a long-distance bus. There is no railway to Banjarmasin. From the airport, use a taxi or ride-hailing car.

Is the floating market touristy?

It is a working market, not a show, but it does attract visitors. Lok Baintan is more authentic than the Kuin market in the city. Go early, buy something, and ask before taking close-up photographs of the vendors.

What should I eat in Banjarmasin?

Start with soto banjar and ketupat kandangan, then try gangan humbut and river fish. For snacks, look for apam and pisang susu. The food is mild, so it suits most palates.