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Pontianak
Capital and largest city of West Kalimantan, Indonesia

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.

Plan a trip to Pontianak→From Jakarta

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.

Get in

Getting to Pontianak

Bus trip to Pontianak can be arranged from Kuching in neighboring Malaysia. A trip from Kuching to Pontianak or vice versa will last at least 8 hours which will pass the border area of Entikong. Some of the bus providers serving this route are Damri, SJS and Biaramas Express (www.mybus.com.my). The fares for the trip ranges from RM45 to RM75. Click Pontianak to Kuching for travel itinerary on this route.

  1. 01
    Supadio Airport

    There are very frequent flights from Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport operated by all major Indonesian airlines.

See

Worth seeing

  1. 01
    Tugu Khatulistiwa

    It is built directly under the 0 degrees equator line.

  2. 02
    Kalimantan 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.

  3. 03
    Masjid Jami' Pontianak

    This mosque is one of two buildings that marked the founding of Pontianak City in 1771 AD, besides the Kadriyah Palace.

  4. 04
    Kadriyah Palace

    The palace of the Pontianak Sultanate which was built from 1771 to 1778 AD.

  5. 05
    Radakng House
Do

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.

Eat

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.

  1. 01
    Bakmi Kepiting Ek Meng

    Try the local noodle dish of Pontianak, mie kepiting.

  2. 02
    Bubur Ikan Ahian

    WR Supratman No.A3/27, Benua Melayu Darat,.

  3. 03
    Gleam Cafe

    Try local Pontianak dumplings called choi pan or chai kue.

  4. 04
    Sotong Pangling Pangkong & Digiling

    Serves sotong pangkong, one of Pontianak's specialty dishes, grilled dried cuttlefish with special sambal.

How locals move

Getting around Pontianak the local way

  • Get inThe same ferry then continues to Semarang, Java.

From Wikivoyage: Pontianak, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.