Pontianak, Indonesia

Pontianak is the capital of the Indonesia province of West Kalimantan. It is a medium-size industrial city on the island of Borneo, among Indonesian, Borneo Island is called Pulau Kalimantan. Pontianak is located in the delta of the Kapuas River, at approximately 1143 km, the longest river in Indonesia and the 138th-longest river in the World by length. It is situated precisely on the equator, hence widely known as Kota Khatulistiwa (Equator City).

Pontianak's most entertaining attraction is the Museum Negeri Pontianak, a comprehensive collection of Dayak tribal masks, weapons and musical instruments. The museum lies 1.5km south of the town centre on Jalan Jend A Yani.

Just round the corner from the museum, on Jalan Sutoyo, is an impressive replica of a Dayak longhouse, over 50m long and 15m high, where you're free to wander around. Pontianak's twelve-metre-high equator monument stands by the side of Jalan Khatulistiwa on the way to the bus terminal. he monument stands about 2km along the road on the left-hand side.

Things to See & Do

* Kebun Binatang Pontianak (Pontianak Zoo)
* Tugu Khatulistiwa (Equatorial Obelisk)
* Boat ride along Kupuas river
* Waterfalls - Melanggar and Remabo

General information

Cruise Season - Jan - Dec
Currency - Rupiah (IDR)
Language - Indonesian
Electricity - 2 round pins European style
Population - 550,000 approx.
Land Area - 107.82 km2
Time - GMT plus seven hours
International Country Telephone Code - +62

Travel Links - Pontianak is reachable by air with Batavia Air from Jakarta, Batam (accessible from Singapore by ferry), Pekanbaru, Surabaya, Yogyakarta and Semarang. Batavia Air also operates direct international flights to Singapore and Kuching, Malaysia. The name of the local airport is Supadio.

Bus trip to Pontianak can be arranged from Kuching in neighboring Malaysia. A trip from Kuching to Pontianak or vice versa will spend at least 8 hours.

Pontianak is accessible by boat from Jakarta (12 - 18 hours). The journey can be rough and seas unstable.