Pontianak: A Humid Mess of Cheap Eats and River Vibes

i landed in pontianak with a backpack that smelled like stale instant noodles and a wallet that was already sobbing. the humidity greeted me before immigration did - 100% humidity at 23 degrees celsius is basically being inside a warm, wet sock. i checked my weather app and it’s showing the same numbers all week: 23, feels like 24, humidity 100, pressure 1011, basically the atmosphere is a damp blanket. hope you’re into that.

pontianak is the kind of city that doesn’t try to impress you; it just is. it’s built on the kapuas river, the longest river in borneo, and the water is the color of strong tea. the city straddles the equator, which means you can stand with one foot in the northern hemisphere and one in the southern if you find the right monument (i heard it’s near the airport, but i never got around to it). i dropped my pin on the map to remember where i stayed:

the map is zoomed out enough to show the river snaking through, but you can’t see the sweat dripping off my forehead.

i stayed at a cheap hostel called ‘rumahrakit’ (which means ‘houseboat’ even though it wasn’t on the water) for about $5 a night. the fan worked half the time and the bathroom was shared, but the view of the river from the balcony was worth the occasional cockroach encounter. if you’re looking for a place to crash, i’d recommend checking out the list on hostelworld - they have a few options that won’t break the bank. Hostelworld Pontianak.

getting around was an adventure. i rented a scooter for a day (cost about 50k rupiah) and promptly got lost in the maze of narrow streets. the traffic is a polite chaos - motorbikes everywhere, but they somehow avoid crashing. if you don’t ride, ojeks (motorbike taxis) are cheap, or you can hop on a ‘angkot’ (shared minibus) for a few thousand rupiah. i learned the hard way that the angkot routes aren’t really marked; you just ask the driver if he goes past your stop. someone told me that the angkot number 3 goes all the way to the equatorial monument, but i never dared to test it. you can also book intercity buses online via redBus to avoid the ticket touts: redBus Pontianak.

the food here is a whole other story. street food warungs line the roads, selling everything from soto banjar (a clear chicken soup with rice cakes) to grilled river fish that’s been slapped on a banana leaf and set over charcoal. the satay guy on the corner near the night market is a legend - his chicken satay is marinated in a sweet soy that glistens in the heat. i heard from a local that he only uses the freshest chicken because he buys it at 5am from the market, but the rumor is that on tuesdays he runs out by 8pm. TripAdvisor Street Food i also tried ‘ketupat’ - rice cakes compressed in woven palm leaves - served with a spicy peanut sauce. it’s messy, delicious, and costs about 2k rupiah. i ate so much i had to loosen my shorts.

pontianak has a few sights that are worth a peek, even if you’re a cheapskate like me. there’s a chinese temple called ‘Vihara Dharma Bhakti’ near the river that’s covered in gold paint and dragons. i visited it one afternoon when the sun was beating down, and the inside was cool and smelled of incense. i overheard a tourist saying it was ‘instagrammable’, but i thought it was just plain cool. then there’s a weird statue of a woman with giant black wings that stands in the middle of a roundabout. i have no idea what it represents - maybe freedom, maybe a local myth - but it’s striking, especially at sunset when the sky turns orange. the ridiculousness of a winged lady in the middle of a traffic circle made me laugh. here’s that weird statue:

speaking of roundabouts, the one with the bridge is also photogenic. there’s an old wooden bridge over a small tributary of the kapuas, the kind that creaks when you walk. i saw a guy in a small boat rowing under it, scattering ducks. that scene was so peaceful it almost made me forget the humidity.

brown wooden bridge over body of water during daytime

i also tried to find the equator line monument. i asked a fruit seller if she knew where it was, and she pointed vaguely east and said ‘it’s just past the big billboard’. after twenty minutes of walking under the sun, i found a tiny concrete line marking the equator with a sign that said ‘ EQUATOR 0°’. it was anticlimactic, but i still took a photo with one foot on each side. it’s the kind of cheesy tourist move i normally hate, but hey - free.

the people of pontianak are generally friendly. i met a student named ridwan who showed me a hidden warung that serves the best ‘nasi goreng’ (fried rice) at 3am. that’s right - some places stay open all night for the drunk and the sleep-deprived. i was both. he told me that during the rainy season (november to february) the river can rise and flood the low-lying areas, so check the forecast if you’re planning a visit. Kaskus Travel Guide.

one thing that surprised me: the city has a surprisingly lively art scene. i stumbled upon a small gallery tucked behind a photocopy shop that featured paintings by local artists. one piece was a surreal depiction of the kapuas river with fish swimming in the sky. i wanted to buy it but it was way out of my budget. maybe next time.

if you’re getting bored of the city vibe - which is unlikely because there’s always something happening - you can take a bus to singkawang, a coastal town about three hours away known for its chinese temples and beaches. or head inland to the kubur region for some jungle trekking. both are doable as day trips if you don’t mind the rough roads. i heard the bus to singkawang leaves from the terminal near the river, but make sure to bring snacks because the journey is long and the bus might break down (it did for me, but that’s a story for another day).

overall, pontianak isn’t a polished tourist hotspot. it’s sweaty, chaotic, and sometimes smelly (the river at low tide can be…interesting). but it’s real. you can eat a full meal for less than a dollar, meet people who genuinely want to show you around, and see a side of indonesia that’s often overlooked by the bali crowds. as a broke student, i felt right at home. i left with a heavier backpack (souvenirs? nah, just more dirty laundry) and a head full of memories - and a new appreciation for air conditioning.

that’s pontianak for you: humid, humble, and full of hidden gems. if you ever find yourself on the equator, ditch the fancy resorts and give this city a shot. you’ll probably leave with a new perspective, and maybe a fungal infection from the damp, but that’s part of the charm.

(ps: i still have no idea what that winged statue is about. if you know, please tell me.)

Pontianak: A Humid Mess of Cheap Eats and River Vibes

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About the author: Owen Steele

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