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South Kalimantan is
one of the most interesting tourist areas in
Indonesia. The Meratus mountains stride through
the center of the province, effectively dividing
South Kalimantan into two distinct regions. Some
famous tourist attractions in South Kalimantan
is made up of the eastern part of the province
which is mountainous and lush with dense tropical
rainforests and this part of South Kalimantan is
home to the 'Orang Gunung' or Mountain people.
Collectively called Dayak, they form the minority
of the region's population.
One of the popular
places of interest in South Kalimantan is the
southern section of the province which is much
flatter and is characterized by large and powerful
rivers, meandering through lowlands and depositing
enormous of slit, at vast mangrove swamps all
along the coast helping to make South Kalimantan
an exceptionally fertile land. Many villages and
settlements have been built along these rivers,
particularly the Barito River, by the indigenous
majority, the Banjars. The Barito River in South
Kalimantan is a famous landmark in South
Kalimantan.
South Kalimantan is
full of colorful and distinctive traditional
arts and cultures which can be seen in its
people from their daily lives in art, dance, music,
ancestral dress, games and ceremonies. Exquisite
traditional and commercial handicrafts are all
made from local raw materials which include a
variety of precious and semiprecious stones,
gold, silver, brass, iron and a wide variety of
wood producers in Indonesia. Extensive forests
with a wide variety of trees such as iron wood,
meranti, pinus and rubber have helped to make
the province a unique and rich natural resource.
The provincial
capital city, Banjarmasin, lies a short distance
from the mouth of the Barito River. Banjarmasin
is a famous tourist area in South Kalimantan.
The rivers are literally the life-blood of the
city and everything revolves around the river. It
supports hundreds of boats of all descriptions
and are lined with tightly packed stilt houses.
A lot of business is done on the waterways,
floating markets flourish by selling an enormous
variety of goods including a tropical selection
of fresh fruit such as Kesturi, a rare aromatic
species of mango, durian, rambutan, butter
fruit, pineapple, watermelon and banana.
South Kalimantan is
well connected with cities all over the
Indonesian archipelago through Syamsuddin Noor
Airport which is about 25 kilometers from Banjarmasin.
This busy airport is able to cater to DC-9's
allowing Merpati Nusantara, Bouraq, Sempati and
Dirgantara Air to service the province. There are
about 66 routine flights daily. South Kalimantan
can also be reached through the seaport of Trisakti
and Banjarmasin harbor. There are plenty of good
roads leading to towns in Kalimantan. If
waterways are preferable, go by boat along large
rivers which takes you to almost every direction.
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