City of a thousand rivers
A Martapura promenade.
Sam Hidayat — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ilham Mufti Laksono — CC BY 4.0
Banjarmasin's river frontage, a long promenade on the bank of the Martapura River at the heart of a city its people call the city of a thousand rivers for its many rivers and canals. In the middle of the promenade stands a multi-storey viewing tower in the style of a traditional Banjar house, which visitors climb to see the river, city and boats. On the promenade is a large statue of the long-nosed proboscis monkey, South Kalimantan's emblem found only on Borneo, with seating and stalls of Banjar food such as soto Banjar. On weekend mornings a small floating market is held nearby, and klotok boats leave from here on river tours. The promenade is free and the tower costs a token fee. It is loveliest in the evening when lit. Come in the late afternoon to climb the tower, stay into the evening on the promenade and try soto Banjar. This is also where to book a floating-market boat for the next morning.
A Martapura promenade.
Banjar style.
Borneo's emblem.
Martapura riverbank, central Banjarmasin
A spiced Banjar chicken soup with egg and rice noodles, the city's signature dish, served in many riverside restaurants, and halal.
