Things to See In Pontianak

Welcome to my review of Things to See In Pontianak.

Pontianak is the capital of the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. It is a pretty large city with a population approaching 700,000 but it is not on the tourist trail for international visitors. In fact, the only reason my wife and I visited is because it is just a short hop by air from our home in Kuching (Sarawak).

We stayed for 3 nights and while the town is not crammed with tourist attractions we found enough to fill our time without having to leave the city limits.

Here are some of the highlights (all of which cost nothing by the way).

Things to See In Pontianak

Dayak Carvings at West Kalimantan Museum

1. West Kalimantan Museum

A good place to start is the Museum. It is a modern building set in a garden with various pavilions and outdoor exhibits. Galleries cover topics such as flora and fauna (with one of the saddest-looking stuffed orang-utan and baby that you will ever see!), bank notes and coins, seals and crests, religious statues, Dayak masks and sculpture, costumes, tribal shields, baby carriers, games, weapons, Qurans, burial houses and more.

It is air-conditioned and free admission.

Betang Longhouse

2. Betang Longhouse

Just a short walk from the museum is this traditional Dayak longhouse. Interesting if you've never seen a longhouse before, but not much to see here. We couldn't go upstairs but there were some attractive Dayak artworks stored on the ground level. Free of charge.

Masjid Raya Mujahidin

3. Masjid Raya Mujahidin

A little further along the same road is this rather grand mosque with five tall minarets, Moorish style arches and what looks like a copper dome. I didn't go inside but a number of friendly worshippers asked to take photos with me. I appeared to be almost the only orang-putih in Pontianak during our short stay and everyone was so friendly and curious to know where I was from.

A selection of teas on sale in the supermarket.

4. Shopping

With the Indonesian Rupiah at a record low against many currencies the price of everything in the shops and restaurants seemed very reasonable. There were very few touristy souvenirs on sale here, which is a good thing, so we mainly bought stuff like tea and coffee, shoes and clothing to take home. There are a few malls, notably the Ayani Megamall which was close to our hotel, but also plenty of street markets and commercial areas.

Masjid Jami' Sultan Syarif Abdurrahman

5. Masjid Jami' Sultan Syarif Abdurrahman

This is the oldest mosque in Pontianak, dating back to 1771 and named after the Sultan who built it. It has managed to survive so long because it is held up by six massive pillars made of ultra-durable belian wood (ironwood). The guardian of the mosque showed us around the carpeted interior which is embellished with Quranic inscriptions, an ornate wooden pulpit and a grandfather clock. The mosque is on the opposite bank of the Kapuas river from the previous attractions but at the waterfront you will find boatmen who are only too happy to ferry you across for a modest fee.

Istana Kadriah

6. Istana Kadriah

A short walk from the mosque is the Istana Kadriah, the old royal palace of Sultan Syarif Abdurrahman Alkadrie, a man of Yemeni ancestry, who founded the Pontianak Sultanate. It dates from the same period as the mosque and is built of the same belian hardwood. Architecturally it is a blend of Malay, Middle Eastern, Chinese and Western styles. Until I came here I was not aware that the there is still a Sultan until today. The current Sultan is Sultan Sharif Mahmud Melvin Alkadrie and there is a portrait of this distinguished gentleman and his wife on display. They no longer live in this palace (they have a more modern home in town) and today the palace serves as a museum. It is free to visit although donations are expected to pay for preservation. Guides will be happy to take photos of you inside.

Pontianak Port

7. Boat Trip

Pontianak lies at the confluence of the Kapuas and Landak rivers. Although it is about 20km inland it is a major port and large ships berth here including this vessel which appeared to have had a bit of a prang. At jetties along the waterfront you can find speed boat drivers to ferry you across the river or give you a short tour.

the globe marks the spot where the Equator passes

Khatulistiwa Park

8. Khatulistiwa Park

Our boat driver took us to this spot. One of Pontianak's claims to fame is that it lies exactly on the Equator. The line of the Equator is marked in this park and you can take a selfie with one foot in the northern hemisphere and one in the southern hemisphere. There is a small museum here and this is one of the few places in the city where you can buy souvenirs such as keychains, fridge magnets, Dayak handicrafts etc.

Taman Alun Kapuas

9. Taman Alun Kapuas

There is a smaller scale replica of the Equator marker in a park on the opposite bank of the river. This is one of the few green spaces in the city centre.

dayak carvings in front of the cathedral

St. Joseph Cathedral

10. St. Joseph Cathedral

This huge Roman Catholic church has modern conveniences like an elevator, air conditioning and an underground car park while retaining traditional features such as the massive metal doors and impressive stained glass windows. The mishmash of architectural styles might not be to everyone's taste but the scale of the interior and dome is imposing and the worshippers were very friendly.

Flamboyan Market

11. Flamboyan Market

This vast and pungent covered market sells everything from dried fish, to fresh fish to live aquarium fish as well as clothing, live chickens, spices, fruits, vegetables, sandals, bags and cooked food. You might also see snake meat.

Monument of Eleven Digulists

12. Monument of Eleven Digulists

You know you are scraping the barrel when you have to include roundabout monuments in the list of things to see in Pontianak, however this one is considered a symbol of national identity, resilience, and anti-colonial resistance and honours eleven local heroes who opposed Dutch colonial rule in the early 20th century. The monument features eleven sharpened bamboo spears which were used as improvised weapons by Indonesian fighters.

Talking of the Dutch, I noticed very few signs of Dutch influence in Pontianak unlike places I have visited in Sumatra and Java where colonial-era bungalows and official buildings still remain.

Arboretum Sylva

13. Arboretum Sylva

Adjacent to the above monument is a small patch of lush jungle in the middle of the city. I believe it is managed by the agricultural university next door to observe, study and preserve rare plants and trees and their animal, bird and insect inhabitants. You can walk around the park on raised wooden boardwalks. Bug-off recommended. Entry is free.

Getting Around

Becak

Once upon a time you might have been able to get around town on one of these tricycles, a becak. But Indonesia has moved on and in Pontianak at least it seems they are now only used to pick up rubbish for recycling.

We stayed at the Ibis Pontianak City Centre which is fairly well situated for all the above attractions. Apart from the boat rides, we went everywhere on foot though I admit some of the walks were quite long and sweaty.

One tip - the main thoroughfare in front of the hotel is Jalan Jenderal Ahmad Yani, a six lane highway with constant, relentless car and motorbike traffic making it impossible to cross safely. There are a couple of overhead pedestrian bridges (not enough) so if you intend to do a walking tour like we did you need to plan your route around the locations of the footbridges.

Apart from that inconvenience, we enjoyed our short trip to Pontianak. Having said that, I doubt we will need to go again.

Location of Things to See In Pontianak

Most of the places mentioned in this review of things to see in Pontianak can be found on this map:

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AUTHOR BIO

David (the one on the left) is the writer behind Malaysia Traveller, sharing first-hand travel advice from over five decades of living and travelling across Asia and the Middle East. Based in Malaysia since 2009 and now in Kuching, he has published over 760 pages on this website, personally visited every place he covers, and uses only his own photos. Readers can learn more on his About Me page. He also shares updates on Facebook and YouTube. He loves uncovering overlooked places that even some Malaysians have never visited.