Overview
Driving Into the heart of the Meratus Mountain Range, some two and a half hours from Banjarmasin, capital of South Kalimantan Province, one will be welcomed by a lush landscape decorated with wonderful waterfalls, rushing rivers, and the enchanting culture of its indigenous people. That isolated piece of South Kalimantan’s paradise is known as Loksado, a sub-district of the Hulu Sungai Selatan Regency where the well preserved indigenous Dayak culture meets the stunning natural landscape.
This particular part of Kalimantan is home to the indigenous Dayak Meratus tribes–a sub ethnic group of the Dayak in Kalimantan that occupy traditional houses called Balai. Today, there are at least 43 of these Balai that can be found in 9 villages across Loksado. Among these, the most notable are Balai Hambawang Masam, Balai Adat Malaris, Balai Kacang Parang, Balai Haratai, and more. A Balai is a traditional wooden long house with tens of rooms measuring 3 by 4 meters and are occupied by tens of families.
