Pontianak
Pontianak, also known as Khuntien or 坤甸 in Teochew and Hakka, is the capital of the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan, founded first as a trading port on the island of Borneo, occupying an area of 118.21 km2 in the delta of the Kapuas River, at a point where it is joined by its major tributary, the Landak River.
Pontianak, also known as Khuntien or 坤甸 in Teochew and Hakka, is the capital of the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan, founded first as a trading port on the island of Borneo, occupying an area of 118.21 km2 in the delta of the Kapuas River, at a point where it is joined by its major tributary, the Landak River. The city is precisely on the equator, hence it is widely known as Kota Khatulistiwa. The city center is less than 3 kilometres (2 mi) south of the equator. Pontianak is the 23rd most populous city in Indonesia, and the fourth most populous city on the island of Borneo (Kalimantan) after Samarinda, Balikpapan and (Malaysia's) Kuching; it is now slightly ahead of Banjarmasin. It had a population of 658,685 at the 2020 Census within the city limits, with significant suburbs outside those limits, particularly in the regencies of Kubu Raya to the east and south of the city, and Mempawah to its north. The official estimate as of mid-2025 was 686,019.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Worth seeing in and around Pontianak
5 places within 25 km that the world writes about, in the order of how widely: the ones a visitor has heard of first, then the ones only a local would name.
- 01Tanjungpura University
Tanjungpura University or UNTAN is a public university in the city of Pontianak in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Hamzah Haz, former Indonesian vice president, once taught at the university.
4.2 km · university in Indonesia · Wikipedia - 02Jami Mosque of Pontianak
Jami Mosque of Pontianak, also known as Sultan Syarif Abdurrahman Mosque, is the oldest mosque of Pontianak, in Kalimantan, Indonesia. The large wooden mosque, together with the royal palace of Kraton Kadriyah, was among the first buildings constructed in the city following the establishment of Pontianak in 1771.
1 km · mosque in Indonesia · Wikipedia - 03St. Joseph's Cathedral, Pontianak
The Cathedral of Saint Joseph or simply Pontianak Cathedral is a parish of the Roman Catholic Church in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia. It is the mother church and seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Pontianak.
800 m · church in Pontianak, Indonesia · Wikipedia - 04Pontianak State Museum
West Kalimantan Provincial Museum is a museum in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, near Tanjungpura University. The concrete reliefs on the museum's exterior depict the lifestyles of Kalbar's two largest ethnic minorities: Malay and Dayak.
3.1 km · historic museum · Wikipedia - 05Sultan Syarif Abdurrahman Stadium
Sultan Syarif Abdurrahman Stadium is an association football stadium in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, which is also home of Persipon Pontianak. It has a seating capacity of 5,500.
2.9 km · football stadium in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia · Wikipedia
Ranked by the number of language editions of Wikipedia with an article on each, from Wikidata; the sentences are the openings of those articles, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
- 01Tugu Khatulistiwa
It is built directly under the 0 degrees equator line.
- 02Kalimantan Barat Museum
This museum is made of concrete, with concrete reliefs depicting the lifestyle of the two well-known West Kalimantan ethnicities Malay and Dayak.
- 03Masjid Jami' Pontianak
This mosque is one of two buildings that marked the founding of Pontianak City in 1771 AD, besides the Kadriyah Palace.
- 04Kadriyah Palace
The palace of the Pontianak Sultanate which was built from 1771 to 1778 AD.
- 05Radakng House
From Wikivoyage: Pontianak, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
Sungai Kapuas (Kapuas River) divides Pontianak into two different sides. Get a boat ride along the river about five or six o'clock local time and you will see amazing views along this river. The locals who live along this river taking a bath in this river during these hours throughout the year. A unique tradition that should not be missed.
From Wikivoyage: Pontianak, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
Pontianak is quite popular among domestic tourists due to its wide range of food with strong cultural touch, most notably the Chinese. There are plenty of eating options for culinary adventurers, from street hawker food to local restaurant culinary to internationally franchised fast food.
- 01Bakmi Kepiting Ek Meng
Try the local noodle dish of Pontianak, mie kepiting.
- 02Bubur Ikan Ahian
WR Supratman No.A3/27, Benua Melayu Darat,.
- 03Gleam Cafe
Try local Pontianak dumplings called choi pan or chai kue.
- 04Sotong Pangling Pangkong & Digiling
Serves sotong pangkong, one of Pontianak's specialty dishes, grilled dried cuttlefish with special sambal.
From Wikivoyage: Pontianak, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to Pontianak
- Airports
- Supadio (PNK), 16 km · Kuching (KCH), 202 km
- Jakarta → Pontianak741 km · quickest by air, 5h 42m · Rp1,286,320–1,995,650
- Batam → Pontianak604 km · quickest by air, 8h 24m · Rp1,747,390–2,710,500
- Banjarbaru → Pontianak720 km · quickest by air, 6h 44m · Rp1,151,100–1,785,520
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for Pontianak
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Pontianak. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- Get inThe same ferry then continues to Semarang, Java.
From Wikivoyage: Pontianak, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2026-09.
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If you know how people move in Pontianak – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.
Next door to Pontianak
- West Pontianakdistrict in Pontianak City, West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia5.1 km
- South East Pontianakdistrict in Pontianak City, West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia6.6 km
- South Pontianakdistrict in Pontianak City, West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia5.5 km
- East Pontianakdistrict in Pontianak City, West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia2.4 km
- North Pontianakdistrict in Pontianak City, West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia4.9 km
- Pontianak Kotadistrict in Pontianak City, West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia2.5 km