Palangka Raya is the capital of Central Kalimantan, spread along the banks of the Kahayan River deep in the Borneo interior. It is not a city that gets many tourists — most pass through on their way to the orangutan rehabilitation centres and peat swamp forests that surround it — but that is part of its appeal. This is a working Indonesian provincial capital with good food, a strong Dayak cultural presence, and genuine wilderness at its doorstep.
The city was purpose-built in the early 1960s as a pet project of President Sukarno, who envisaged it as a future national capital. The grand boulevards he planned never quite materialised, but the wide, tree-lined Jalan Yos Sudarso running through the centre still gives Palangka Raya an oddly spacious feel for a city of its size.
Languages reflect the mix of peoples who call the city home: Indonesian everywhere, but also Dayak Ngaju, Dayak Maanyan, and the Banjar dialect of Malay spoken by migrants from South Kalimantan. The Banjar influence shows in the food too — dishes like soto Banjar and ketupat kandangan appear on menus alongside Central Kalimantan specialties.