A Solitary Beach in West Kalimantan, Indonesia

by Bohari Adventures

Ketapang, an Indonesian hidden gem, is located just south of Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan. I was personally delighted to visit Ketapang last Christmas and my visit brought back many sweet memories. As you may not know, I was born in Ketapang but my family moved to Jakarta when I was just 1 year old. So, to be able to visit the place where I was born was a fantastic experience. And I can tell you for sure that Ketapang is worth the visit.
There are two ways to get to Ketapang: by air or by sea. Supadio airport in Pontianak serves weekly flights to Ketapang. Or, if you prefer, you can also take an express boat, which is considerably a longer trip. One thing that I first noticed when I arrived in Ketapang was that there were many swallow birds flying freely. Harvesting Swallow's nest (a Chinese cuisine delicacy) is a very popular business here.
So, if you are an aggressive businessman who likes to seize every opportunity, visiting Ketapang can be worthwhile.
The highlight of my trip was "Pagatimun," a hidden beach that offers tranquility & solitude. The beach is approximately 1.2 hours drive from Ketapang. It goes deep to an area that is hardly touched by tourists or travelers, even the locals themselves. The sound of the waves breaking was as calming as the sound of stars above. Pagatimun offers serenity that you may not find anywhere in the world.
On my way back from Ketapang, I decided to stay for a couple of days in Pontianak. Pontianak, "Kota Khatulistiwa" or Equator City, is the place to visit to experience wonderful culinary creations. It is called "Kota Khatulistiwa" because the city is located precisely on the equator line.
Many travelers transit here before their long journey deep into jungles of Kalimantan via the Kapuas River. There are, however, many other attractions here that you may want to explore. Places to visit and attractions in Pontianak are coming soon as we launch our informativesite.
Interesting fact
The name "Pontianak" comes from a folklore. It is said that Pontianak means "pregnant with child" and she was the ghost that haunted the first group who arrived in the uninhabited area of Pontianak.

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