Visiting Martapura City in Banjar Regency, South Kalimantan – Indonesia

When it comes to a vacation in Banjar Regency, tourists may think about visiting the capital before exploring other attractions. In this case, Martapura City in Indonesia becomes their best choice. It is none other than the capital of Banjar and acts as one of its Sub-Districts as well. The location is about 40 km from Banjarmasin City (the capital of South Kalimantan Province) and it has several nicknames like “Kota Intan” and “Kota Santri”. In terms of history, Martapura was once the capital of Banjar Kingdom during the reign of Sultan Adam. Even a famous theologian, Syekh Muhammad Arsyad Al-Banjari, came from there.

The Nuance
The good thing is that tourists can easily reach Martapura City regardless of where they come from. In fact, it only takes 30 minutes from Syamsudin Noor Airport! In terms of nuance, it indeed looks beautiful and clean. Many diamond stores operate there as well. No wonder, it gets the nickname of “Kota Intan” by such fact. Not only diamonds, the locals also sell numerous types of jewelry and other crafts including embroidery too. Another interesting fact is that the city emits Islamic culture well. Even a grandiose mosque, Al-Karomah, resides there!

Exploring Martapura City
Once arriving at Martapura City, tourists get many options regarding the places to visit. For example, they can simply visit dozens of Islamic boarding schools that scatter all over the city. The most famous one is called Darussalam, actually. No wonder, Martapura gets the nickname of “Kota Santri” or the city of Islamic scholars. For those who want to relax, though, they can head directly to the city square and join the public gymnastics on Sunday.

The next popular thing to do in Martapura City is none other than to buy beautiful gemstones! It is because the city is famous for its diamonds and unique jewelry. Despite the price, the products come with excellent conditions and values for sure. Moreover, tourists have the chance to witness the creation of diamonds jewelry as well as to buy them directly from the makers. Here is another fact. Martapura has been recognized by the world as one of the best producers of gemstones with an excellent quality!

What is next? Another interesting activity to do in Martapura City is to visit natural attractions and interesting places. These include parks, local villages, hills, public fishing ponds, monuments, historical tombs, etc. Tourists can even witness beautiful traditional houses directly and learn how the locals live! Have no worries. Many types of local transportation services are available for them to use there.

Nearby Attractions

• Prince Muhammad’s Tomb
• Albasia Park
• Zalecha Square
• Pelangi Village
• Lentera Hill
• Selamat Datang Monument
• Bincau Fishing Pond

How to Get There
From Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Jakarta Indonesia, tourists can take a flight and head to Samarinda first. The next destination is Syamsudin Noor Airport where they can take a taxi and head to Martapura City right away. The whole trip takes approximately 51 hours, so it is going to be a long trip.

Where to Stay

• Raudhatul Husna Hotel
• Yudilesmana Hotel
• Lerina Inn
• Riawahyudi Hotel
• Ratu Elok Hotel
• Diah Hotel