Pontianak Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Land

Bus

Pontianak’s intercity bus terminal is in Batu Layang, northwest of town. Take a ferry to Siantan (3000Rp) and a white opelet to Batu Layang (3000Rp), or take one of the opelet (3000Rp) that make the trip from the terminal on Jl Sisingamangaraja near the offices for buses to Kuching. From Batu Layang, buses go north along the coast to Singkawang (13,000Rp, 3½ hours) and Sambas (19,000Rp) and inland to Sanggau (22,000Rp) or Sintang (60,000Rp). Agents around the Kapuas Indah terminal also sell tickets for economy-class buses going to Putussibau (110,000Rp), but it’s a gruelling 20-hour ride. All of these buses leave daily.

Virtually on top of each other on Jl Sising­amangaraja are numerous bus companies that run to/from Kuching on a daily basis (economy/executive 140,000/200,000Rp, 10 hours). Buses are relatively comfortable and generally depart Pontianak around 9pm, stopping at the border for several hours before it opens. Companies include:

Eva Express (/fax 743045; Jl Sisingamangaraja 143A)

SJS (734626; fax 744207; Jl Sisingamangaraja 155)

Sri Merah Bus Ekspres (733175; Jl Sisingamanga­raja 137)

Car & motorcycle

Renting a car and driver in Pontianak is the perfect way to see coastal West Kalimantan at your own pace. Travel agencies or your hotel can arrange a car for about 650,000Rp per day, plus petrol. You might get a better price by bargaining with the taxis that wait around the entrance to the Kapuas Indah opelet terminal, near the Garuda office. Motor­cycles are an option for experienced riders only and cost around 100,000Rp a day.

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Boat

There are two Pelni (748124; fax 748131; www.pelni.co.id; Jl Sultan Abdur Rahman 12) ships sailing regularly between Pontianak and Java. The Lawit makes a weekly run to Jakarta (economy/cabin 170,000/600,000Rp, 36 hours) and also travels to Semarang for around the same price. Twice a month, the Bukit Raya goes from Pontianak to Surabaya (economy 170,000Rp, 40 hours).

The Senopati Nusantara is a private boat that sails to Semarang (economy 180,000Rp, 40 hours) about once a week. Another private boat, the Kapuas Express, sails to Jakarta (1st class/2nd class 400,000/300,000Rp, 20 hours) twice a week. Agents around town sell tickets for both of these. Daily jet boats go south along the coast to Ketapang (1st-class 135,000Rp, six to seven hours). All of these coastal boat services, including the Pelni ships, leave from the harbour area on Jl Pa’kasih north of the Kartika Hotel.

River boats up Sungai Kapuas have become a rarity as public buses have surpassed traditional river travel for speed and convenience. This is somewhat disheartening as the Western hustle and bustle leaves its mark; to truly get a taste of the local life in Kalimantan one must travel by its waterways. If time permits, seek out a bandung (cargo-cum-houseboat) and travel upriver with a family. The 800km journey from Pontianak to Putussibau could take anywhere from four days to a month. Families ply the river as a way of life, stopping to buy and sell along the way. Prices are completely negotiable, and for the right price there is always a more direct route. There is no organised way to arrange this and Bahasa Indonesia is essential for negotiations. Alex at the Kartika Hotel will be able to help you charter a boat.

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Air

Pontianak is well served by domestic airlines and the quickest way to get the cheapest fare is through a travel agent.

Batavia (734488; fax 736604; Jl Cokroaminoto 278), Sriwijaya (768777; Jl Gajah Mada),Garuda (734142; Jl Tanjungpura) and Adam Air have daily flights to Jakarta. DAS (731166; Jl Gajah Mada 67) and Kal-Star fly to Ketapang and DAS also flies to Putussibau. There are no direct flights to Balikpapan; you need to fly via Jakarta and at the time of writing Adam Air was the cheapest option.

Malaysian Airlines (737327; www.malaysiaair lines.com; Hotel Kini, Jl Nusa Indah III) flies to Kuching three times a week (US$100), with connections to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

MAF (733476; Jl Suprapto 50A) flies to various places in West Kalimantan; contact it for the most recent schedules. Fares for regular flights and charters are quite expensive. There’s no sign on the office in Pontianak, but it’s around the corner from the Malaysian Consulate.

Deraya connects Pontianak with Pangkalan Bun and Palangka Raya daily except Sunday.

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