ID · South Kalimantan · 3.32°S 114.59°E

banjarmasin

Floating-market breakfasts, river neighbourhoods and fragrant soto Banjar.

Best time
June to September is the drier season, though showers still come. December to February is the wettest, with flooded low-lying streets and a higher chance of disrupted river trips.
How long
2–3 days
Getting there
About 2 hours 20 minutes direct from KL. Syamsudin Noor Airport is in Banjarbaru, about an hour from central Banjarmasin by road. South Kalimantan is on the same time as KL.
Save postcard
ID · South Kalimantanbanjarmasin3.32°S 114.59°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Floating-market breakfasts, river neighbourhoods and fragrant soto Banjar.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingBanjarmasinID, South Kalimantan
KLbanjarmasin
≈ 1,604 km from KL, as the crow flies
Gedung-gedung tinggi di Banjarmasin

Photo: Halim Drone · CC BY-SA 3.0

1 / 4

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

A city of rivers and canals in South Kalimantan, where life still runs along the water. Head out at dawn to the floating market, where women in wooden boats sell fruit and breakfast, then spend the rest of the day eating your way through Banjar food.

Makan

  1. Soto BanjarChicken soup fragrant with cinnamon, clove and star anise, with rice cakes, egg and potato cakes.Map ↗
  2. Ketupat KandanganRice cakes and smoked fish in a rich coconut-milk gravy.Map ↗
  3. BingkaSoft baked custard cakes in flower-shaped moulds, flavoured with potato or pandan.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Lok Baintan floating marketTraders in small wooden boats sell fruit, vegetables and cakes on the Martapura River from first light.Map ↗
  2. The river by klotokA slow boat ride past stilt houses, mosques and riverside life.Map ↗
  3. Kampung SasiranganA neighbourhood of workshops and shops selling sasirangan, the region's tie-dyed cloth.Map ↗
  4. Siring riverfrontThe city's promenade and lookout tower, busiest on weekend evenings.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Leave for Lok Baintan before dawn; the market winds down by mid-morning. Book the boat the night before.
  • Food is halal as standard; the Banjar are a devoutly Muslim community.
  • The airport is a long way out, so give yourself plenty of time to get there for your flight.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.