The main reason to come to Palangka Raya is the natural environment. Sebangau National Park, a vast expanse of peat swamp forest and black-water rivers, begins just south of the city and is one of the best places in Borneo to see wild orangutans. Further north, the Nyaru Menteng rehabilitation centre is the world's largest orangutan rescue operation. The Kahayan River running through town is worth exploring by klotok (traditional motorised canoe), preferably as far as the Dayak villages upstream.
In town itself, the Balanga Museum is the best introduction to Dayak culture, the Kahayan Bridge is the most photogenic landmark, and the Sukarno Monument marks the spot where the city was founded as a planned would-be capital in 1957. The Darussalam Grand Mosque is the major religious building. Pasar Besar and Pasar Kahayan give the city's daily rhythm.