TAMAN ALUN KAPUAS

This riverside park (Jl Rahadi Usman) includes the ferry crossing to Siantan and vistas of Kapuas activity. At night, it swells with families, kid" die rides, hawkers and food stalls.

ISTANA KADRIYAH & MESJID ABDURRAHMAN

On the east bank of Sungai Kapuas, IstaM Kadriyah (admission by donation;  8.30am-4pm) was completed in 1771 for Pontianak's first sultan, Abdurrahman Habib Hussein Al Kadrie. The ironwood palace is now a museum of royal relics.

Just north of the dock, the sultan's mosque, Mesjid Abdurrahman (also known as MesjW Jami'), with its Sumatran-style square-tiered roof, holds a commanding spot on the Kapu Cross wobbly planks to village houses on stilts over the water, busiest at early- or late-day washing times.

Get there by canoe taxi (2000Rp) from the  foot of fl Mahakam or charter from nearby piers.

VIHARA BODHISATVA KARANIYA METTA

KalBar's oldest and biggest Chinese temple (Jl Sultan Muhammad) dates to 1679. Amid the sensory festival, note huge urns bookending the entrance and cement rock gardens.

MUSEUM PROVINSI KALIMANTAN BARAT & OAYAK LONGHOUSE

The West Kalimantan Provincial Museum (Jl A Yani; S 8am-2pm Tue-Thu, 8-11am Fri, 8am-1pm Sat-Sun, closed Mon) features artefacts of the province's Dayak, Malay and Chinese inhabitants plus tempayan: Asian ceramics dating to the 16th century. Its garden has replicas of traditional houses, factories and Perahu Lancang Kuning, the sultan's golden yacht.

Around the corner,  replica rumah betangor Dayak longhousa (Jl Sutoyo) sports genuine totems and carved log steps. Rumah Makan Rumah Betang (792 9975; mains 8000-25,000Rp) serves Indonesian and Kenayant Dayak favourites, including ular (snake) and asu (dog), some cooked in bamboo rubes, and sells handicrafts.

Take a red or pink opelet (intracity minibus) south along Jl A Yani.

EQUATOR MONUMENT

Grown from a simple marker in 1928 into a collage of circles and arrows with a huge replica outside marking its spot, Palling Khatulistiwa (Equator Monument; Jl Khatulistiwa) makes much - too much - of Pontianak's geography. It draws crowds every equinox to experience shadowless sunlight.

Take a bis kota (intercity bus; 2500Rp) going south along Jl Tanjungpura across the bridge to the monument or the ferry to Siantan and an opelet heading northwest. Patung Khatulistiwa is alongside the highway. Believe us, you can't miss it.

SAHAM LONGHOUSE

Located in Pahauman, this longhouse is one of KalBar's oldest (more than 2DO years) and longest (180m).

Visit by bus from Batu Layang to Ngabang (35,000Rp, 3W hours, 1141ffli) or take any downtown executive bus east. Get dropped at the Pahauman turn, then catch a local laxi or ojek (motorcycle taxi; 12km). Chartered Kijangs from Pontianak cost up to 500,000Rp.

Festivals & Events

Pontianak's geography inspires the Equatorial Culture Festival around the March and September equinoxes with Dayak, Chinese and Malay traditional dancing, singing, and competitions.

Robok-Robok celebrates neighbouring Mempewah's kingdom with a royal yacht procession, dragon boat races and terrestrial events in Mempewah (15,000Rp, IVi hours, 67km). Dates follow the Islamic calendar; falling mid-January in 2011, moving approxmately two weeks earlier annually.

Gawai Dayak harvest festival in May centres on Pontianak's longhouse (Jl Sutoyo).