Introduction

Introduction to Kalimantan Selatan

Kalimantan Selatan - KalSel - is the smallest of the four provinces in Kalimantan. This was different in the past. Until far in the 1950's the nowadays Kalimantan Tengah - Central Kalimantan - belonged to KalSel. With small guerrilla-like actions and support from Jakarta the Dayak managed to break off their own territory from the mostly islamic KalSel. In geographical way, KalSel is dominated (...)

Banjarmasin	Moving city along the Barito River

Banjarmasin is the only city in Kalimantan which is worth while bringing a visit. The direct environment included, the total area is about 70 sq.km. The most important attractions are the busy floating market, the monkey islands and the diamond mines. Banjarmasin is located 22 km from the Jawa Sea. Because the city is partially located under the sea-level, it rises and lowers with the tides. The B (...)

Travel	Dayak, gemstones and monkeys

Banjarmasin is an ideal starting point for excursions in the neighborhood. The most popular are those to the diamond mines of Cempaka, the gemstone center Martapura and the Lambung Mangkurat Museum, which can be visited during a stop. Furthermore it's very nice to bring a visit to the Dayak in Loksado and the orang-hutan center in the Tanjung Puting Reserve, but these trips will take several days. (...)

Trisakti	Story of a giant diamond

The soil was muddy, with water somewhere; wood and treelogs formed the only footpaths. Pieces of plastic and some leaves offered only very little protection against the tropical heat. Dozens of workers, men and women, worked hard, looking for diamonds in the fields of Cempaka. Some dug holes as deep at wells. Others got baskets of muddy clay from the already created deep holes. Motorized pumps bro (...)