Pelaihari is the seat of Kabupaten Tanah Laut (Tanah Laut Regency), in the south of South Kalimantan. It’s smaller and quieter than Banjarbaru, set among hills, farms and grassland.
Plenty of buyers like Tanah Laut for two reasons. The ground is generally drier than in Banjarmasin, and there’s more choice: town houses, farm plots and land near the coast. This guide covers what’s usually for sale there and what to check before you hand over money.
Getting to know Pelaihari and Tanah Laut
Banjarmasin and Barito Kuala are mostly swamp. Much of Tanah Laut, by contrast, is flat land and low hills. In many places you won’t need to raise the ground with fill the way you would in a swamp city before building. Still, don’t assume every site is fine: there are low-lying and tidal areas near the coast and the rivers.
The regency’s economy leans heavily on farming and livestock. Along the roads you’ll see corn fields, fruit orchards and cattle. Tanah Laut also has a mining history, including coal and iron ore, which affects land prices and land status in some places.
Pelaihari itself has the regency government offices, a market, schools, a hospital and the Politeknik Negeri Tanah Laut campus. Together they create demand for housing from civil servants, teachers and students.
Getting to Banjarbaru, the airport and Banjarmasin
Pelaihari connects north via the road through Bati-Bati. From there one route heads to Liang Anggang in Banjarbaru, near Syamsudin Noor Airport, and another goes to Banjarmasin through Gambut. So a trip to the airport doesn’t have to go through central Banjarmasin.
Travel time depends a lot on where you set off, road conditions and truck traffic. The road towards Pelaihari also carries vehicles hauling mine and farm output. If you plan to commute daily to Banjarbaru or Banjarmasin, drive the route at the times you’d actually travel, rain included.
For the airport area at the northern end of this route, see our guide to property around Syamsudin Noor Airport.
What buyers usually look for
Property on the market in Tanah Laut roughly falls into four groups:
- Houses in Pelaihari town, close to offices, the market and schools. These suit civil servants and families working in the regency.
- Land on the main roads, for a home with a business, a workshop, a small warehouse or a shop.
- Farm and field plots, for growing crops, keeping livestock, or simply holding as a long-term asset.
- Land near the coast, along the southern shore around Takisung and Batakan, looked at for weekend homes or tourism businesses.
Each carries different risks. Town houses are relatively easy to resell. Farm and beach land can be appealing, but there are fewer buyers and the paperwork goes wrong more often.
Farm and field land: what to check
Buying farmland isn’t like buying a plot in a housing estate. Make sure of the following:
- The land document. Some land is certified, and some is still held on a Surat Keterangan Tanah (SKT), a village land statement, or an old segel letter. Read our guide to SKT and segel land letters before you deal.
- Boundaries the neighbours accept. Visit the owner on every side and make sure the markers match what the seller points to.
- Zoning. Check the spatial plan to see whether the land is designated for farming, housing or something else. Some rice fields are protected as Lahan Pertanian Pangan Berkelanjutan (LP2B), sustainable food farmland.
- Mining permits and forest zones. Ask the provincial energy and mineral resources office (Dinas ESDM) whether the site lies inside a mining permit area, and the forestry office whether it’s inside a forest zone.
- Water and access. In the dry season, wells and small streams can run dry. Also make sure vehicles can reach the land when it rains.
If you plan an orchard or livestock, ask the farmers next door about the soil and pests. They know best.
We’ve deliberately left out oil palm plantations here, since they come with their own rules and risks.
Land near the coast
Tanah Laut’s southern coast has several beaches that people from Banjarmasin and Banjarbaru visit at weekends. Land on the roads to those beaches is sometimes pitched as an investment for a guest house or restaurant.
Before you get excited, check:
- The coastal setback line. There’s a minimum distance from the shoreline where you can’t build. Ask the relevant agency what it is for that stretch.
- Land status. Some coastal land is in a forest zone, a protected zone, or is state land that can’t be certified in a private name.
- Erosion and high tides. Ask locals whether the shoreline has been retreating and how far the high tide comes in.
- Visitor seasons. Beaches are busy at weekends and in school holidays and quiet on weekdays. Work out income with honest assumptions.
If you’re thinking of a guest house, also read our guide to investing in guest houses in tourist areas.
Judging prices in Tanah Laut
Sales data in a regency like Tanah Laut isn’t always easy to find. Prices also vary a lot between land on the main road, land on a village road, and farm plots that are hard to reach.
To judge a fair price:
- Compare with several recent sales in the same village.
- Ask village officials what land actually sold for, not what it was offered at.
- Add the extra costs: certification, taxes, fencing, an access road and a water source.
- Think about how easily you could sell it again if your plans change.
Our tips for buying land in South Kalimantan walk through the general steps.
Practical steps
- Decide what you want the property for: a home, a business, farming or a long-term asset.
- Visit more than once, in both the rainy and dry seasons.
- Check the land document at the village office and the Land Office (Kantor Pertanahan).
- Ask the relevant agencies about mining, forest zones and coastal setbacks.
- Use a land deed official (PPAT) for the deed of sale.
Pelaihari and Tanah Laut offer more space and generally drier ground, with more paperwork to get through. To see what’s available, browse land for sale in Tanah Laut, and the Vorneo Property team can help you check a plot with you.
