River of Live

The floating market on Martapura river represents the unique side of the local traditional living. Here social interaction goes on and economic wheels roll. The floating market is of the strongest tourism magnet of Banjarmasin, both domestic and foreign, regardless the fact that similar phenomena can be found in some other Asian destinations, such as the counties along the stream of Mekong river.

Best time to come is when the floating market festival initiated by the local government takes place. Visitors gather on the roads full of stalls selling foods and unique handicrafts of South Kalimantan, Indonesian official name of Borneo. Among attractions during the festival is jukung competition, traditional wooden long boat at similar shape of canoe. Each boat carries six paddling passengers.

The floating market is located at a village names Lok Baintan. Best way to go is on klotok, small wooden boat. But if you want to safe time you can take a motorbike taxi. Trip has to be started early in the morning. Span along the side of Martapura River, trip to Lok Baintan takes about an hour on motorbike from Banjarmasin. The village has a 200 meter long cable bridge, a favorite place of photographers to frame the sunrise, 10 minutes away from the market.

There are many small wooden boat in the market, most of which are ridden by middle aged women, which will happily take you to wander the market for Rp. 10,000. Alertness is required as so many boats in the same spots creates wave and sometime collide among another.

Whilst it takes longer and therefore requires you to wake earlier, a visit on small wooden boat is by far more interesting. Along the two hours trip your boat will race other boats carrying tourists, including foreign ones, all heading to the market. Most of the trip is taken in darkness and silence, but occasionally you will see riverside villagers rise upon the morning prayer call.

Among a few other floating market, Lok Bintan is believed as the original one as it has been around for a very long time. Buyers come in wooden boats with empty baskets whilst sellers comes with baskets full of fruits and vegetables. The trading time is rather short, only taking place between 6.00 and 8.00. After that, transactions will be closed, and buyers will paddle their boats to smaller river branches, going to riverside villages to resale their merchandise.

The living breath along Martapura river is very interesting to explore. However Martapura is not the only river of Banjarmasin. Literature tells that the city known as “city of a thousand rivers” currently has 70 rivers, a steep decrease from original 200 in the past. Not many cities on the globe has that such unique characteristic. Understandable why tourists are attracted to come.

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