South
KalImantan Province of Indonesia Borneo Island is famous of it's
diamonds traditional mining. Surrounded by a wealth of
ecological and cultural treasures that
survive deep within the rainforest jungle of Indonesia ’s
largest island. You can
enjoy a sightful experience of traditional culture and grand
diversity of exotic flora and wildlife from black orchids to fresh
water dolphins and orangutans, and venture ashore for captivating
jungle explorations and unforgettable encounters in our village visits.
Join us for a once-in-a-lifetime exploration of the Kalimantan Island!
The Tour Expeditions are a collection of exploratories and Indonesia
dream
destination journeys
that reflect the particular passions and favorite places. We created
the Borneo adventure tours for those who search a indigenous Dayak
Culture in the deep dense jungle with it's exotic flora and fauna.
Borneo travelers will have an unforgettable
experience trip in Indonesia, however, it is designed
for those who are adventurous in body and spirit.
Destination
: Indonesia, South Kalimantan, Cempaka
Main Interest & Things to do
:
Cempaka traditional Diamond Digging and
Market
recommended visit time is 1 day
Traditional digging is done in the area of Cempaka and Martapura
including a local markt of stones and diamonds, as one of the famoest
in Indonesia.
Rainforest and traditional farming with Coconut,
Pepper and rubber plantaions can be found along the way
Sight
seeing city tour at Banjarmasin
Jungle Trek can be done between villages
Culture : Banjarnese and Dayak
Ngaju
Flora & Fauna :
Rainforest & excotic tropical wild
life
Starting Point
: Banjarmasin
Transport Possibilities :
by Public Bus from Banjarmasin to Cempaka
& Martapura, about 40 km from Banjarmasin city..
Estimated
travel time to reach Cempaka from entry point Banjarmasin is one
hour.
Ending Point : Banjarmasin
Distance to enry point
: 40 Km to from Banjarmasin
Airport
Duration : Short Get
Through Visit 1 Day
Overnights : Simple
Hotels
Grade :
Usual
South
Kalimantan & Cempaka Tourism Information
Banjarmasin
Banjarmasin is the capital of South Kalimantan province. The
town lies
at the estuary of Barito and
Martapura rivers, and inhabited by about half a million people. It
occupies an
area of about 72 square kilometers embracing four district:
East Banjar, West Banjar, North Banjar and South
Banjar.
The town has 50 villages.
During the Dutch
colonial
period, Banjarmasin
was capital
of
the Borneo Residency. Business and commerce blossomed, which was
reflected in an increased
river traffic, and in a
burgeoning of the
floating market on the river, where agricultural products were
sold.
The town has always
lived
in the shadow of
the jungle, and most of the daily activities take place along the river
only.
Up to the middle of the 20th century
few newcomers
were willing to stay here. In the 1960s, however, there was an influx
of
loggers, who came to top the riches of surrounding
forests.
The
Floating Market of Banjarmasin is a
traditional
market at the estuary of the Kuin river,
a tributary
of the Barito. From daybreak boats come from villages around the rivers
Tabuk,
Jelapat, Anjir and Selapat, bringing vegetables, fruits and other daily
needs
and household utensils. Buyers and sellers come to the market in small
boats
and close their transactions on the water. All daily needs
can be obtained at this
market.
As
the day proceeds, the
atmosphere becomes
more cheerful. The number of buyers increase, and more boats gather. At
a
little past noon, the market quietens down. The now empty boats leave.
The
number of buyers dwindles, and finally everything is quiet again on the
river.
The best time to see arket in action is in the early morning,
between
6 a.m
and 7 a.m.
Mantuil
Mantuil is an attractive
floating village on
the outskirts of Banjarmasin.
The
Palau Hijau
recreation park is suitable
for family recreation. There is a fishing pond, a mini zoo, a
playground and
other entertainment facilities. The park is located 24 kilometers from
the
center of the town, near Syamsuddin Noor
airport.
Sabital
Muhtadin Grand
Mosque
The
Sabital Muhtadin
Grand Mosque is the
biggest and the most beautiful mosque in South
Kalimantan.
It lies in the center of the town, and is the pride of its citizens.
The mosque
and its yard occupy an area of about ten hectares. The Martapura
river
flows in front. It was built in 1974
and officiated by President Soeharto on February 9, 1981.
The mosque
also has facilities for religious education and a
library.
The Grave of Sultan
Suriansyah lies at Kuin
village, and can be reached
within
15 minutes from the
center of town. Sultan Suriansyah, titled Prince Samudera, was the king
of
Banjars who spread the islamicDemak
Kingdom
in Java. He died on September 24, 1526,
only 18 days
after all the people in the Banjar kingdom had adopted the Islamic
faith.
Martapura
Martapura
is the capital of the Banjar regency, 36 kilometers southeast of
Banjarmasin.Martapura, particularly the Cempaka district, is a well
known
producer of diamonds.Several mining villages exist, such as Lukaas and
Sungai
Tiung, lying five kilometers from
Martapura.
People
can be seenis
usually named the head of the group. Before starting to
work, they ask
for guidance from "the expert one" the spirit of the
village - so
they will be led to the
richest
mining
grounds. panning for diamonds
at
villages in the Cempaka
district, eight kilometers from Martapura. Panners usually work in
groups. Each
group consists of the 16 to 18 people. The oldest person
First,
the panners have to come to an agreement with the owner of the land,
who has
the right to 10 percent of the
diamonds found. Then,
several people are chosen
to dig a
hole, while others
remove the soil or remove any water from the hole with buckets or with
a pump.
The holes are usually six to 10 meters deep. The sides are
propped up with logs to prevent them from collapsing. As
long as no
diamonds are found, the
digging
continues in a
horizontal direction so that tunnels are
formed.
They
work without schedule. It can start in the morning and continue until
midnight,
under the light of
lanterns.
Deposits
are usually found
at depths of 10
to 15 meters, in
rocky earth layers. The dirt is taken
out and
washed.If
diamonds are found, the
head of
the group must
immediately be notified. The right to offer the diamond for sale
belongs
the group leader
only.
In
the
past, it was strictly prohibited
to talk to the person
washing the gored. According to the local belief
the
diamonds become frightened and hide among the grains of sand. Women
are strictly
forbidden to step over the
pits. The rough
diamonds are referred to
as
"virgins".
Diamonds are classified
into four
types:
petrous
diamonds (yellow and of low quality), black
diamonds (black and
believed to posses
mystical powers), white diamonds and
pink diamonds
(the best sparkling with the colors of a
rainbow).
The
Trisakti diamond was the most expensive diamond ever found in this
region. It
weighed 160 carats and belonged to the pink diamond
category.
Diamonds are
cut and
polished in the Diamond Market of Martapura. Such places
are always better
known than the sites
where the diamonds
are found. That is why Martapura is
also
known as Diamond Town.
There are
several well known
experts in diamond processing in
Martapura.
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