The Sungai Siring neighbourhood, in the northern part of Samarinda, is where traditional sarong weaving has been practised for generations. Small workshops here use wooden handlooms (alat tenun) to produce sarung Samarinda, the woven cotton and silk sarongs that are Samarinda's most celebrated craft product.
Visiting a workshop is straightforward — most are home-based operations and welcoming of curious visitors. You can watch the weavers at work, see the progression from thread to finished cloth, and buy direct from the maker at prices significantly lower than market stalls. The finest sarongs, with silk supplementary weft patterns, can take a skilled weaver two to three weeks to complete. They make exceptional purchases — lightweight, culturally specific, and genuinely handmade.