A few minutes ahead of the landing, the view from the window of the plane showed a stretch of villages and the Kapuas River, the longest river in Indonesia, connecting Pontianak with the Sanggau, Sintang, and Kapuas Hulu Districts.
The bustling life in the city, which now has more than 554,764 inhabitants, was evident from the movement of vehicles on the boulevards and the hustle and bustle in the area of Supadio International Airport on Sunday.
In addition to being the main gateway for locals and foreigners going to Pontianak, the airport is a transit point for passengers traveling to all the major cities in Indonesia and cities in Sarawak, Malaysia.
Pontianak, the capital of the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan, is traversed by the Equator (0� latitude).
Because of this condition, West Kalimantan has become one of the tropical regions with high temperatures and humidity. The region also consists of exotic wildlife and tropical forests.
In addition, West Kalimantan is directly adjacent to neighboring country, namely the State of Serawak, East Malaysia. The province has an access road to enter and exit Sarawak, Malaysia.
From Supadio international airport in Kubu Raya District, Antara, along with the entourage of the Ministry of Tourism, used a rental car to reach Entikong.
The distance from Pontianak City to Entikong was 299 kilometers.
Entikong is one of cross-border posts that have been built in West Kalimantan. The others are in Aruk Village and in Badau sub-district.
Entikong is the main gateway for the traffic of goods and services between Indonesia and Malaysia.
Entikongs border control area had been under construction since Aug 11, 2016, with an investment worth Rp152.49 billion.
In December 2016, President Joko Widodo inaugurated the integrated cross-border post in Entikong.
More than 1.5 thousand people pass through Entikong border post. They use public buses or private vehicles.
After reaching the border of Pontianak City, Antara started their journey towards the road of South Trans Kalimantan.
The first road was from Pontianak City to Simpang Ampar, Tayan Hilir sub-district, Sanggau district. The distance was about 120 kilometers.
Along the way, the condition of the roads was good, although it was full of bends and uphill climbs.
The vehicle could be driven at a speed of 100-120 kilometers per hour.
In some locations, the vehicle could even be driven at a speed of 150 kilometers per hour.
The smooth and wide road ended at Ampar intersection (Simpang Ampar), Tayan.
Antara turned left, heading to Entikong. Meanwhile, the right turn was the direction to Central Kalimantan, South, and East Kalimantan.
When turning left, Antara was warmly welcomed by well-paved roads. Along the Simpang Ampar-Sosok road, the car could be driven fast.
The road was not too wide, but it could be passed by two vehicles. The view along the way was beautiful, with oil palm plantations.
The travel time from Simpang Ampar to Sosok, which is about 60 kilometers, can be reached in about an hour. Coupled with the curves and corners of the road, the journey was definitely worth enjoying.
Then, Antara continued its journey to Simpang Tanjung. It took 15 minutes to reach the intersection between Sanggau City and Entikong.
From Simpang Tanjung to Entikong, some of roads were being paved with asphalt.
However, the road was in good condition for traveling.
In Kembayan sub district, several workers were paving the road with asphalt. The work did not hamper the traffic.
While approaching Entikong border post, the road was wide and had four lanes.
Near the border post, two excavators were being used to dig the soil, and several workers were paving the road with asphalt.
After a seven-hour drive, Antara arrived at Entikong border post. Several vehicles were queued in front of checkpoints.
For private vehicles, there were several conditions to be followed, such as avoiding the use of dark glass for cars.
The rental vehicle should be equipped by a power of attorney from the owner.
People who want to get into Sarawak should pass four agencies. The agencies are Customs, Ministry of Transportation, Police, and Jasa Raharja Insurance. The officers will explain the procedures that must be passed.
The cost of vehicles insurance could be adjusted for the duration of use in Malaysia as well as the number of passengers.
The officers will then install a sticker on the windshield.
The sticker explains that the vehicle has passed all the procedures.
Furthermore, the passport should be stamped during immigration.
At Tebedu, Malaysian border post, the passport must be stamped.
There are certain procedures that must be followed to drive the vehicles into Serawak.
The vehicle must be insured. The cost, of around 63 Malaysian ringgits, would be adjusted for the duration of its use in Malaysia.
On reaching Sarawak Transportation Agency, the passenger will be asked about their destination, after which they would head to the Customs.
Antara left the border at 04.00 p.m. local time. Tebedu is about 120 kilometers from Kuching, but it would take about two hours to get there depending on the traffic.
Kuching is the capital of Sarawak. Between Kuching and Tebedu, there is a large city called Serian. Tebedu is about 42 kilometers from Serian.
The road from Tebedu to Serian is similar to Indonesia. One road is used for two lanes. The roads were nice and the view was beautiful.
From Serian to Kuching, it would take about one hour to get to the city. The road is similar to toll road on the island of Java. The road has two lanes.
On entering Kuching, the road is wider and has four lanes, with a number of well-organized intersections, shopping centers, and housing estates.
The roads in Kuching are much wider and cleaner, with less traffic, beautiful trees, and flowering plants, which add to the charm of Kuching.
(KR-BSR/B003/B019)
Reporter: Azis Kurmala
Editor: Bayu Kuncahyo
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
