Introduction

Introduction to Kalimantan Barat

The vast province of West-Kalimantan is mainly shaped by the catchment area of the Kapuas, the longest river of Indonesia. Kalimantan Barat - KalBar - has a surface of 146.807 sq.km and counts only a few milion inhabitants. Travelling in this area is demanding, and elemental knowledge of the Indonesian language and adaption to local problems and delays. Tourism in this province, almost unknown to (...)

Pontianak	City with a spooky past

Pontianak is a flourishing center of trade with about half a milion inhabitants, of which 30 per cent is from Chinese origin. The city is located several km from sea, outside the mangrove forests along the coast, on the split of the Kapuas and Landak. Towards the south, the 5400 sq.km. wide Kapuas delta. Pontianak got it's good position because of it's strategical location, the rival sultanates an (...)

Putussibau	Outpost along the Kapuas

The name Putussibau comes from putus Sibau, or 'cut oof (rivertraffic) in Subau'. At the end of the 19th century it was a remote village which lived in continuous fear of attact by fearless headhunters like the Batan Lupar Iban from Sarawak. The Chinese traders lived on their big trading ships (bandung), ready to flea. The Malay kampung, was protected by a small garrisson of J (...)

Sintang	Entrance to Kalimantan Barat

With it's several hundred-thousand inhabitants, governmental buildings and Chinese shops, Sintang dominates most of the Kapuas. The city used to be, and still is the entrance to the inlands of Western Kalimantan, in special the rivers of Melawi, Kayan and Pinoh, which can be reached by longbot from the city. The Pinoh springs in the Schwaner Range, the natural border between the provinces K (...)