Where to stay in 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.

The word pontianak — probably from bunting anak, "pregnant with child" — means the "undead vampire" of a woman who died during childbirth. Disguised as a beautiful woman, the pontianak goes around murdering unwary men in cold blood without showing any remorse, harming pregnant women and eating babies, but she can be controlled by plunging a nail into a hole in the back of her neck. The modern Indonesian name for this type of ghost is kuntilanak, while it is referred to by the original word pontianak in Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore.

If you arrive by Pelni ferry late at night then it's better option to sleep aboard until morning as there is usually a long layover at Pontianak.

Getting in

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. Note that you might be dropped off in ALBN bus station, which is about 15 km east of the city center.

Getting around

The most convenient way to explore Pontianak is either by taxi or rented car. The entire Pontianak is integrated by road link, parts of which are not well maintained. There are also plenty of cheap (Rp2,000) public buses but sometimes it can be kind of adventure to use them since the buses are not well marked, drivers and most of the locals do not speak English and the orientation is difficult. Also there are boats crossing the river and this is in general the most convenient and the cheapest (Rp1,000) way to get in to the other side.

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.