( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0561-734401; Jl Rahadi Usman 2; riverside incl breakfast 477,600Rp; aW)
Its location on the river sets this hotel apart. Catch a breeze on the balcony as you plot upstream expeditions like an explorer of yesteryear. If the riverside rooms are full, however, give the place a miss. The open-deck Panorama Restaurant serves cold beer 24 hours.
5Eating
At night Jl Gajah Mada becomes crowded with cafe culture, while seafood tents take over the Jl Diponegoro–Agus Salim median.
oChai Kue Siam A-HinDUMPLING$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Siam; 10 dumplings from 20,000Rp; h10am-10pm)
Pork or veggies, steamed or fried – whichever you desire, you'll be waiting your turn among the mob of locals jockeying for a table or take away.
Mie Tiau PoloINDONESIAN$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Pattimura; mains 25,000Rp; h10am-9pm)
Not to be confused with Apollo to the left, whose sign proudly states: 'Since 1968. Never moved.' Polo's sign retorts simply: 'Moved from next door.' The dispute is as legendary as the noodles they serve. Draw your own conclusions about which is the best…or oldest.
Ce Pien ChekVEGETARIAN$
(CPC; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0821 5101 8969; Jl Siam 87; mains 15,000Rp; h8.30am-9.30pm; v)
Piles of vegetables and fake meat served up with a small, but endearing, touch of self-righteousness.
Rumah Makan BetangDAYAK$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Letjend Sutoyo 4A; h10am-11pm; W)
Located behind the replica betang (longhouse) this small warung (food stall) cooks up traditional Dayak fare including babi kecap, a dish made from sautéed pork and pig fat. Wash it down with a glass of tuak pulut, a traditional sweet wine made from sticky rice.
Abang KepitingSEAFOOD$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Hijas; fish per oz 20,000Rp; h5-10pm)
Buckets of iced fish out front are begging to be steamed, fried or grilled to your liking. Treat yourself to an experience and dive into a pile of smoked crabs: a full-body, all-evening affair. Come early as the place fills quickly.
3Entertainment
Café TisyaLIVE MUSIC
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Budi Karya; h7pm-2am)
Have a few Bintang, enjoy some (loud) live music, and meet the locals, from university students to sailors on shore leave.
7Shopping
For general souvenirs, visit the craft shops lining Jl Pattimura.
oBorneo Art ShopANTIQUES
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0813 7499 6145; Jl Nusa Indah I B24; h9am-5pm)
Come here to enter a world of exotic curios from around Borneo including arts, antiques and etcetera. Lots of etcetera.
8Information
Aria TourTRAVEL AGENCY
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0561-577868; Jl Tanjungpura 36, near Hotel Garuda; a)
Good for airline tickets and SJS buses to Kuching.
Haji La Tunrung StarEXCHANGE
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0561-743385; Jl Diponegoro 163)
Exchange chain dealing in multiple currencies.
Immigration OfficeIMMIGRATION
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0561-765576; Jl Letjend Sutoyo)
Klinik Kharitas BhaktiHOSPITAL
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0561-766975, 0561-734373; Jl Siam 153; h7-12.30am)
Emergency open 24 hours.
Main Post OfficePOST OFFICE
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0561-730641; Jl Sultan Abdur Rahman 49; h7.30am-9.30pm Mon-Sat, 8am-2pm Sun)
WORTH A TRIP
SINGKAWANG, HOME OF KALBAR'S BIGGEST PARTY
Reminiscent of Shanghai 1950, Singkawang's vibrant energy is unique in Kalimantan. The largely Chinese city has some classic shop houses, ancient ceramic kilns, an impressive night market (Pasar Malam Hongkong), and nearly 1000 Chinese temples. The city swells beyond its streets during the Cap Goh Meh celebration on the 15th day of the lunar new year, when dragons and lions dance among Chinese and Dayak tatungs (holy men possessed by spirits who perform acts of self-mutilation and animal sacrifice). A luar biasa (extraordinary) spectacle.
The best rooms in town are those at the top of Villa Bukit Mas (%0562 333 5666; Singkawang; s/d 560,000/600,000Rp), a sophisticated hillside hotel with wooden floors, private porches and a refined seclusion. The restaurant has grand open-air seating ringed by plumeria trees, and specialises in shabu-shabu (66,000Rp for two) and cold Bintang beer.
The extensive beaches near Singkawang offer everything from deserted paradise to garish 'resorts' with carnival atmospheres. Catch the public boat (25,000Rp, 1 hour, departs 8am) from the police station at Batu Payung to Penata Island for some truly off-the-beaten-path exploration.
DAMRI buses (100,000Rp, three hours) and shared taxis leave for Singkawang regularly from Pontianak's airport and Kota Baru.
8Getting There & Away
Air
GarudaAIRLINE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0561-734986; Jl Rahadi Usman 8A)
KalstarAIRLINE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0561-724234, 0561-739090; Jl Tanjungpura 429)
Lion AirAIRLINE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0561-721555, 0561-742064; Mahkota Hotel, Jl Sidas)
MASwingsAIRLINE
(%0856 5454 5016; Airport)
Sriwijaya AirAIRLINE
(Nam Air; %0561-706 2400; Airport)
TriganaAIRLINE
(%0561-725513; Airport)
Xpress AirAIRLINE
(%0823 5791 9555, 0561-717 0456; Airport)
Boat
Ships bound for Java leave from the main harbour on Jl Pak Kasih, north of the Kartika Hotel.
Dharma Lautan UtamaFERRY
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0561-765021; Jl Pak Kasih 42F)
PelniFERRY
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0561-748124; Jl Sultan Abdur Rahman 12)
The Poly 2 Express (%0561-35864; economy 260,000Rp) jet boat to Ketapang leaves from Sheng Hie Harbour ( GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Barito) daily. At time of research, the Bahari Express (%0561-760 820) was dry-docked for the foreseeable future.
Speedboats ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %8.30am boat 0857 5484 3414, 9.15am boat 0813 5213 4440) to Sukadana (five hours) leave from behind the Kapuas Indah Building.
There are no scheduled passenger boats upriver to Putussibau. However, if both your time and bahasa are abundant, negotiate a ride on a combination houseboat, freighter and general store, that can take several days to a month to make the epic 900km journey. Priceless.
Bus
AInternational Pontianak seems determined to make international bus travel as inconvenient as possible. Malaysia and Brunei arrivals and departures take place at the massively overbuilt Ambawang Terminal, 9km east of the city. The taxi cartel has fixed the rates into town at 150,000Rp and prevents public transport from serving the terminal. Buy international tickets from ATS ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0561-706 8670; Jl Pahlawan 58), DAMRI ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0561-744859, SMS 0812 5420 6001; Jl Pahlawan 226), or one of several companies along Jl Sisingamangaraja.
ADomestic On the bright side, improved roads and newer fleets make bus travel within Kalimantan faster and leagues more comfortable than in the past. Regional buses still depart from within the city, with Bis Sentosa ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0856 502 1219; Jl Kopten Marsan B5) serving Putussibau, and DAMRI Pangkalan Bun. Few minibuses depart from Batu Layang terminal these days, instead picking up passengers for Sambas and Singkawang on their way past the Siantan ferry terminal.
Car
A car with driver costs 450,000Rp per day within the city. Private charters to Singkawang and points north start at 700,000Rp per day.
TRANSPORT FROM PONTIANAK
AIR
Destination Company Fare (Rp) Duration Frequency
Balikpapan Kalstar 1,160,000 2hr Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun
Bandung Kalstar, Xpress 1,000,000 1¼hr 1 daily
Batam Lion 717,000 1¼hr 1 daily
Denpasar Kalstar 1,161,000 3hr Tue, Thu, Sat
Jakarta Garuda, Lion, Sriwijaya 560,000 1½hr 18 daily
Ketapang Kalstar, Trigana 440,000 40min 5 daily
; Kuala Lumpur AirAsia 399,000 2hr Sun, Mon, Wed, Fri
Kuching MASwings, Xpress 850,000 45min 1-2 daily
Palangka Raya Garuda 1,113,000 1¾hr 1 daily
Pangkalan Bun Kalstar, Trigana 854,000 1½hr 2 daily
Putussibau Garuda, Kalstar 556,000 1hr 2 daily
Semarang Kalstar 1,020,000 2hr 2 daily
Sintang Kalstar 700,000 45min 2 daily
Surabaya Kalstar 923,000 1¼hr 2 daily
Yogyakarta Nam, Xpress 1,000,000 1½hr 1-2 daily
BOAT
Destination Company Fare (Rp) Duration (hr) Frequency
Jakarta Pelni 288,000 36 weekly
Ketapang (jet boat) Bahari Express, Poly 2 Express 260,000 8 daily
Natuna Islands Pelni 184,000 28 weekly
Semarang Pelni, Dharma Lautan Utama 280,000 40 weekly
Sukadana (long boat) multiple operators 240,000 5 daily
Surabaya Pelni 334,000 44 weekly
BUS
Destination Company Fare (Rp) Duration (hr) Frequency
Brunei ATS, DAMRI, SJS 650,000 26 daily
Kuching ATS, Bintang Jaya, Bus Asia, DAMRI, EVA 230,000 9 daily
Pangkalan Bun DAMRI 350,000 20 daily
Putussibau Bis Sentosa 200,000-300,000 12 daily
Sambas DAMRI, local minibus 45,000-90,0000 5 daily
Singkawang DAMRI, local minibus 35,000-100,000 3 daily
Sintang ATS, DAMRI 160,000-200,000 6 daily
8Getting Around
Airport taxis cost 110,000Rp to town (17km). Alternately, take a DAMRI bus to the Kota Baru neighbourhood (35,000Rp, every two hours), then an opelet (3000Rp) downtown from there.
Opelet (3000Rp) routes converge around Jl Sisingamangaraja.
Becak (bicycle rickshaws) are available, but are a dying breed.
Taxis are unmetered and scarce.
Sungai Kapuas
Indonesia’s longest river, Sungai Kapuas, begins in the foothills of the Muller range and snakes 1143km west to the sea. Along the way it passes by some of Kalimantan's oldest, friendliest, and most vibrant longhouse communities, the photographer's paradise of Danau Sentarum, and – waaay off in the distance – Bukit Raya, the tallest peak in Kalimantan. Unlike the Mahakam, there is no kapal biasa service, making river travel impractical, but improving roads between Pontianak and Putussibau make bus trips manageable.
Sintang
%0565
Sintang sits at the confluence of Sungai Kapuas and Sungai Melawi, where the sentinel peak of Bukit Kelam looms between you and the Kapuas Hulu. A phenomenal weaving gallery (%0565-21098; [email protected]; h8am-4pm Mon-Fri, to noon Sat) in a replica longhouse and a well-meaning museum (Jl Sintang-Putussibau Km14; h8am-3pm Mon-Fri, 9am-3pm Sat-Sun) make it a good choice for breaking up your bus journey between Pontianak and Putussibau.
Start here for trips to Bukit Baka–Bukit Raya National Park and the seven-day expedition to climb Kalimantan's tallest mountain. Register (mandatory) at the park office (%0565-23521; bukitbakabukitraya.org; Jl Wahidin Sudirohusodo 75 , next to police compound), where they'll explain transport options.
The best lodging near town is the inconveniently located Bagoes Guesthouse (%0565-23733; Jl Dharma Putra 16; r 215,000-389,000Rp), southeast of the five-way intersection (simpang lima).
8Getting There & Away
AAir Kalstar flies twice daily to Pontianak (700,000Rp, 40 minutes), and Aviastar connects to Ketapang (410,000Rp, Tuesday and Saturday).
ABus Services run daily to/from Pontianak (160,000Rp, 10 hours) from Terminal Sungai Durian, and Putussibau-bound buses pass the Jl Deponegoro/Jl Bhayangkara roundabout. For trips to Danau Sentarum, go straight to the park office in Semitau on a minibus from Pasar Inpres (200,000Rp, five hours). Or take a Putussibau-bound bus to Simpang Pala Kota (100,000Rp, 3½ hours) and wait for any vehicle to Semitau.
8Getting Around
White angkot (5000Rp) connect Terminal Pasar Inpres on the east bank and Terminal Sungai Durian on the west bank, passing most major landmarks.
Putussibau
%0567
This lively river town is the last stop for airlines and long-distance buses, as well as the last chance for an ATM, before launching into the wilderness.
1Sights & Activities
You can't swing a mandau (Dayak machete) around Putussibau without hitting a betang (the local word for longhouse). Some of these traditional Dayak dwellings house 30 families or more. Stand at one end of the communal front porch, and the other end disappears into converging lines interrupted occasionally by sleeping dogs or playing children. Betang range from historic and ornate affairs elevated on ironwood pillars, to almost nondescript row houses resembling company barracks.
Many, but not all, betang welcome casual visitors, with overnight stays often possible. Ask permission before entering or taking photographs. Expect to be introduced to the headman or cultural liaison, who will invariably insist you join them for a cup of overly sweet coffee or tea, the modern equivalent of a welcoming ceremony. Homestays, where available, may simply be a mat on the community room floor and acbite of whatever is cooking. You stay here for the experience, not the luxury.
Betang Buana TengahLONGHOUSE
(homestay 35,000Rp)
Built in 1864, this betang is home to Tamambaloh Apalin Dayak. Debate over whether it is the oldest longhouse in the region (if not Kalimantan) abruptly ended in 2014, when neighbouring contender Betang Uluk Palin tragically burned to the ground.The floor looms 4.5m above the earth, supported by the original weathered ironwood columns. Take the Badau bus 50km northwest of Putussibau, then an ojek 4km southwest on a gravel road.
Betang SadapLONGHOUSE
(homestay 120,000Rp, meals 20,000Rp)
Not the oldest, nor the most picturesque, but perhaps the most welcoming longhouse community. An ecotourism effort spearheaded by Januar, an Iban Matthew Broderick lookalike, will have you angling for prize-winning semah fish or splashing up the cascading rainforest creeks of their community forest. Why pay millions of rupiah for a boat trip to Betung Kerihun when you can have it all here?
Melapi 1LONGHOUSE
The Taman Dayak longhouses of Melapi 1 to 5 stretch along the Kapuas upriver of Putussibau. As per usual, the sequels don't quite live up to the original. To find Melapi 1, borrow bicycles or a motorbike and head 10km southeast of town on Jl Lintas Timur. Turn left at the church and hail a canoe taxi across the river. A homestay may be negotiable.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
KALIMANTAN'S FINAL FRONTIER: BETUNG KERIHUN NATIONAL PARK
If you're the type to spend hours poring over satellite images to find the darkest green patches up the furthest reaches of jungle rivers, ripe for exploration, then you've noticed the northeast corner of KalBar. Four major watersheds draining the border with Malaysia are protected as Betung Kerihun National Park (%0567-21935; betungkerihun.dephut.go.id; Jl P Tendean, Putussibau), an expanse of mountains and old-growth forests where trekkers and boaters can spend lifetimes exploring. Facilities are few and river travel expensive; this is raw adventure of a kind increasingly hard to find in Kalimantan.
TTours
KompakhADVENTURE TOUR
(%0852 4545 0852; www.kompakh.or.id; Jl Kenanga Komp Ruko Pemda 3D)
The folks at this WWF-supported ecotourism initiative know everything about Kapuas Hulu, and offer tours ranging from Danau Sentarum National Park to longhouse visits to river cruising to jungle treks, including the Cross-Borneo Trek.
4Sleeping
Rindu KapuasHOTEL$
(%0567-21010; Jl Merdeka 11; r 165,000-198,000Rp; a)
Nice rooms, each with air-con and TV, arrayed around the central living area of a large single-level house. From the traditional market, head south toward the river and turn west on Jl Merdeka (which continues under Jl A Yani at the river bridge.)
Aman Sentosa HotelMOTEL$
(%0567-21691; Jl Diponegoro 14; r 110,000-352,000Rp; aW)
A variety of clean concrete rooms ring a central
parking courtyard. They don't serve breakfast, but do have wi-fi in the lobby and motorbikes for rent (75,000Rp).
5Eating & Drinking
Pondok MerantiINDONESIAN$
(%0567-21454; Jl Yos Sudarso; mains 15,000Rp; h10am-10pm)
A big, blue, open warehouse full of polished wooden tables where a limited menu of Indonesian staples, drinks and juice is served. Try the 'extra jos susu' for an afternoon jolt of tachycardia.
Cafe AmandaCAFE
(Alun Park; mains 20,000Rp; h3pm-midnight)
This al fresco cafe occupies the riverside park near the bridge, making it a uniquely popular place to hang out.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
DANAU SENTARUM NATIONAL PARK
To avoid accusations of hyperbole, we'll let the numbers describe Danau Sentarum National Park: 4m to 6m of rainfall each year causes water levels to fluctuate by up to 12m – higher than a three-story building. As the water recedes, the lake's 240 fish species are funnelled into narrowing channels, where they must contend with 800km of gill net, 20,000 traps, and 500,000 hooks placed by fishers occupying 20 villages, who haul out as much as 13,000 tons of fish a year. Meanwhile, 237 bird and 143 mammal species inhabit the 1320 sq km of peat swamp, lowland forest and seasonal grasslands so compelling you'll be thankful for packing that extra memory card for your camera.
Lonely Planet Indonesia Page 115