Istana Kadriah


For an outing that will show you a bit of town, visit the wooden palace of Pontianak's first sultan on the east bank of the Kapuas; in a refurbishment project in 2017 it was painted lemon yellow but the interior retains its original charm. Explore the surrounding village on stilts for a glimpse into the city's past. Get there by canoe taxi (regular/charter 2000/10,000Rp) from the foot of Jl Mahakam.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Kampung Beting

0.14 MILES

This redeveloped section of riverfront between the Sungai Kapuas and Sungai Ladak is a good place to explore 'old Pontianak', with colourful village…

2. Mesjid Abdurrahman

0.2 MILES

The wooden Mesjid Abdurrahman stands north of the river where a cannonball reportedly landed after Pontianak's first sultan fired it at a pontianak (the…

4. Kapuas Indah Building

0.65 MILES

Speedboats to Sukadana leave from behind this landmark giant tin shed containing a chaotic market.

5. Museum Provinsi Kalimantan Barat

1.44 MILES

In an imposing building this well-maintained collection of artefacts provides an informative English-language overview of local Dayak, Malay and Chinese…

6. St Joseph's Cathedral

1.69 MILES

Pontianak's dramatic domed cathedral was opened in 2015, replacing the earlier 1908 church deemed not large enough to accommodate the city's Catholic…

7. Taman Arboretum Sylva

1.89 MILES

This small patch of Borneo jungle is a welcome relief from the urban jungle outside. It's a community project with an orchid garden and a boardwalk…

8. Tugu Khatulistiwa

2.79 MILES

If you want to stand on two hemispheres, you can formally do so here – though continental drift has moved the monument 117m south of the actual equator…