Tourism of Indonesia
Ready to Go to Pontianak the City on the Equator
Planning to go on a tour or travelling, we definitely want a smooth trip, comfortable accommodation, cheap hotels, good food, cheap plane tickets, close to everywhere, and can rent a motorbike or car.
Attraction
In Pontianak the City on the Equator, there is natural beauty and unique culture of the local community. There are many uniqueness, starting from the village (desa), sub-district (kecamatan), district (kabupaten) and provincial levels.
In Indonesia, each province has different and interesting characteristics. Each province has a different and unique culture and lifestyle.
Pontianak is the capital of the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan, founded by Syarif Abdurrahman Alkadrie as a capital of Sultanate of Kadriyah on 23 October 1771 / 14 Rajab 1185 AH.
Syarif Abdurrahman Alkadrie developed Pontianak as a trading port on the island of Borneo, occupying an area of 107.82 km² in the delta of the Kapuas River.
It is located on the equator, hence it is widely known as Kota Khatulistiwa (Equatorial City). The city center is less than 3 kilometres (2 mi) south of the equator.
Pontianak City on the Equator lies on the banks of the Kapuas, the country’s longest and largest river, and one of the longest rivers in the world.
The Kapuas River has its source at Gunung Lawit, deep in the Mueller mountain range in Central Borneo where it rushes down, meandering 1,143 kilometers west, passing 9 of West Kalimantan’s 14 districts, until it finally reaches the South China Sea, forming a wide delta upon which Pontianak is built.
It is no wonder, therefore, that the Kapuas River serves as the livelihood of the region, a major waterway to reach interior towns and its major water supply.
Boats with a 3 meter draft can navigate upriver to the town of Sintang, some 465 km. inland from the mouth Kapuas. This is the gateway to the interior, home of the Dayaks. While boats with 2 meter draft can reach Putussibau, 902 km from Pontianak.
Long known as a busy trading port facing the South China Sea, Pontianak is a cosmopolitan city where various races and ethnic groups live peacefully side by side.
Malays and Dayaks are the major ethnic groups here with Bugis, Bataks, Minangkabaus, Javanese, Chinese and Arabs making up the city’s population. Until today, Bugis Phinisi schooners can be seen tied at Pontianak’s docks, their crew busy loading and unloading goods.
In the mid 1700’s a gold rush attracted Chinese miners, who came and settled around the gold fields of Mandor, Montrado, and Singkawang, north of Pontianak.
At the time, the West Borneo (now Kalimantan) gold fields were rich, producing 18 to 21 carat gold. Soon, however, yields diminished. Nonetheless, until today, gold panning is still rampant, covering an area of more than 6,600 hectares.
As in those early days the Chinese Emperor forbade women from leaving the country, the Chinese men in West Borneo married the local Dayak girls, thus creating inter-marriages between the two groups.
The town of Pontianak was built by Syarif Abdurrahkan Alkadrie in 1771 who established the Pontianak Sultanate here. Today Pontianak is the seat of the provincial government of West Kalimantan.
The government is taking good care of the preservation of nature and maintaining the condition of the forest.
The environment is also well maintained.
Activity
Visiting Pontianak the City on the Equator, we will witness routine community activities in unique traditional cultures. And there are special dishes and food as part of culinary tours that are delicious and yummy.
There are limitless sensational scenery along the precious Kapuas River as you sit at the bow of the roaring speedboat. Floating empty canoes, stilt houses along the riversides, bathing mothers and their kids, hardworking fishermen, and colorful floating markets with old women sitting at the stern of noisy dinghies, are some of the picture-perfect visuals found along the bronzed-color water.
Chinese and Arabs are two of the migrant groups who developed this region. Shop houses are silent proof that Chinese traders have been there since centuries.
The town of Singkawang, a city two-hours drive away from Pontianak, still has a large Chinese population. Singkawang is known for its excellent Chinese ceramics, which until today still produces “antique” style ceramics. Singkawang is also famous for its annual Cap Goh Meh celebrations, drawing descendants from around Indonesia.
Back in the city’s vicinity, at the edge of Kapuas River lies the Kadariah Sultanate with adjacent Masjid Jamie, the mosque that radiates the Islamic way of life. The magnificent history of the sultanate is an open book to welcome any traveler wishing to find out the stories of the city.
There are several points of interest in Pontianak and its vicinity. One of the city’s icons is the Equator Monument at Sintang. The monument was built in 1928 to mark the spot at zero degree on the Equator.
Considering the technology available in that year, the effort was a remarkable feat. The Dutch explorer indicated the site with a simple pole and an arrow.
Several renovations and improvements have taken place including the development of a dome in 1990 to protect the initial site. The monument today is five times larger than the original. Historical facts are presented within the monument and in the small museum.
Visit the Kadariah Sultanate in the Dalam Bugis District, East Pontianak. The sultanate appears like a huge house in old Malay style architecture. It has a gate as an entrance to a buffer zone filled with rows of houses prior to entering the main building.
The sultan’s palace is an open house that receives everyone anytime in the year. An English speaking interpreter is available, who is a family member of the last Sultan.
Nearby, stands a mosque that was built in the same year as the sultan’s palace. Legend has it that Syarif Abdurrahman Alkadri once fired a cannonball to fight a disturbing female ghost, known here as “pontianak” hence the name of the city.
The site where the cannonball landed became the location of the palace, with attached mosque for prayers. Today, the mosque still looks grand and beautiful especially when seen from a river cruise on the Kapuas.
The museum of Pontianak is also a good place to get to know the history of Pontianak. As one of the five best museums in Indonesia, the Pontianak Museum presents interesting historical and cultural facts. Historical and cultural artifacts are well preserved, although interpreters here are limited.
A cruise on the Kapuas River is a must as you visit the waterfront in front of the Mayor’s Office on Taman Alun Kapuas or Jalan Rahadi Usman. Boats are available from here offering you a great cruise on the river.
Take the cruise before sunset and it will show you the lively activities along the river. The captain will usually cross the equator line and tell you that you are about to move from the south of the globe to the north. Capture all the activities shown with your cameras.
Souvenirs are found at Pasar Souvenir or you may want to buy local products in local markets such as at Pasar Tengah, Pasar Sudirman, or Pasar Flamboyan. Most of the souvenirs are authentic as you see Dayak handicrafts, Equator Monument key chains or replicas, and Pontianak shirts and accessories.
There are many other activities in Pontianak city:
- Gajah Mada Street for a nighttime cullinary adventure.
- Rumah Panjang or Rumah Betang, is a traditional Dayak Iban longhouse that displays wonderful architectural features, including the stairs, carvings and ornaments.
- Pantai Pasir Panjang on the way to Singkawang is also worth visiting as you may want to see Chinese fishermen and their catch. Other beache are Pantai Kura-kura (Turtle Beach), Pantai Batu Payung, and Pantai Karang Gosong. Many say that these beaches are as beautiful as Kuta or Sanur Beach in Bali. Promotion being the only difference.
- Singkawang, a city north of Pontianak, was once filled with Chinese gold miners which at the time contributed a staggering one-seventh of the world’s total gold supply. It has unique Chinese shophouses and delicious food. It is nowbetter known for the Chinese ceramics it still produces in their workshops. Also stop by the street of food sellers at Mempawah, a clean and quiet town where you will find a peaceful environment, a wonderfully colored Buddhist temple, and friendly people drinking at the street coffee corners especially in the afternoons.
In this place there are also regular events or activities held every year, both national and international.
Accessibility
The journey to Pontianak the City on the Equator is now very easy. We can enter through various modes of transportation.
Access to go to Pontianak the City:
Pontianak is accessible by air, sea, and land. Supadio Airport is the main airport connecting Pontianak with the rest of the cities in and outside Kalimantan. The existing airlines that mostly have direct flights to Jakarta are:
- Garuda Indonesia
- Sriwijaya Air
- Lion Air
The sea port is at Dwikora where PELNI boats and ferries serve commercial and other industries in the city.
For travelers coming overland from Brunei, Malaysian Sarawak and Sabah, the town of Entikong is the entry point. Most travelers leave from Kuching, Malaysia, and terminate at Pontianak.
Buses are available each day. Comfortable, 30-seater DAMRI buses regularly ply the Pontianak-Entikong -Kuching – Brunei Darussalam route. Pontianak – Kuching takes around 8 hours, with 2 rest stops on the way, while pushing on to Brunei, the journey takes one day and night.
In Pontianak, transportation is quite convenient to get. Taxis are found everywhere, although the angkot has outnumbered taxis, operated by 8 different companies.
Today, many companies offer cars for rent. Usually these come in 7-seaters minivans. The price depends on the type of car, ranging from IDR 500,000 to IDR 800,000 for half a day.
The condition of the infrastructure is getting better. Starting from highways, airports, trails, ports, bridges, stairs, even some places can be reached by toll roads.
We can visit by plane, car, ship, bus, motorcycle and bicycle. At some point, we can take the train. We can also walk freely.
Amenity
In Pontianak the City on the Equator, as technology getting better. We can easily find locations for mini markets, shops (warung kedai), Money Changer, ATMs, Bank BRI BCA BNI Mandiri, BTPN Bank Nagari BJB, supermarkets, and restaurants. So we will not starve or lack the necessary items.
Suggestion:
Do not get dehydrated when travelling under the glaring Pontianak sun. Bring adequate drinking water with you in your travel gear.
If you are sick and need help, you can also visit clinics, drugstore pharmacies (apotek), practice doctors, hospitals, and health centers (puskesmas).
In this place we can also look for places of worship such as mosques, churches, and others.
Accommodation
Finding place to stay in Pontianak the City on the Equator is very easy. We can stay at homestays, hotels, inns, hostels and other places.
To get lodging at a cheap and definitely comfortable price, please see below:
Booking.com
Experience and Reviews
There are already many visitors have visited Pontianak the City on the Equator, there are many interesting stories that are told. Like feeling satisfied, happy, wanting to come again, sleep well, and almost no one is disappointed or complains to come here.
So, visitors will find out on how to find the best hotels, where is exactly located, why it is amazing, how much is the fare and rate, who are the people, whom to ask, and when is the best time to visit.
We can visit these tourist attractions from Tanjung Pinang, Tanjung Redep, Tanjung Selor, Tapak Tuan, Tarakan, Tarutung, Tasikmalaya, Muara Bungo, Muara Enim, Muara Teweh, Muaro Sijunjung, Muntilan, Nabire, Negara, Nganjuk,
That’s all the information we provided, hopefully useful.
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