Singkawang

Singkawang's temples, Lotus Lake and the night food streets

Singkawang's sights fit two easy days. Start with coffee in a kopi tiam near Jalan Niaga, visit Vihara Tri Dharma Bumi Raya, the oldest temple in town, and the smaller clan temples in the shophouse streets, spend the afternoon at Lotus Lake (Danau Teratai) 2 km out, and eat at the night stalls.

Day one, morning: start with coffee and toast in a kopi tiam near Jalan Niaga, then walk to Vihara Tri Dharma Bumi Raya, the oldest temple in town, where incense smoke drifts across a courtyard used by three faiths. Wander the surrounding shophouse streets and look into the smaller clan temples that give Singkawang its nickname.

Afternoon: take a short ride to Lotus Lake (Danau Teratai), an artificial lake about 2 km from the centre with water bikes and restaurants. Evening: back in town, the food stalls open as the heat drops, and the streets stay lively well after dark.

Day two goes outside the town. Head early into Raya Pasi Nature Reserve for a morning hike up Mount Poteng before the afternoon rain, or take it easier at Bougenville Hill, a garden park about 20 km from town with dozens of bougainvillea varieties. Finish on the sand at Pasir Panjang, a 3 km beach roughly half an hour from town, and watch the sun go down over the South China Sea. If you are heading on, Pontianak is about three hours south.

Choi pan, Singkawang tofu and Hakka cooking

Hakka cooking sets the tone in Singkawang, with Teochew dishes and Minang rice shops alongside. The dish people travel for is choi pan, translucent steamed dumplings of yam bean eaten in the morning with chilli and fried garlic; try Singkawang tofu, sweet kembang tahu and rujak ju hie, a sharp fruit and vegetable salad.

The dish people travel for is choi pan, translucent steamed dumplings filled with stir-fried yam bean, usually eaten from small family counters in the morning with chilli sauce and fried garlic.

Singkawang tofu has a reputation across West Kalimantan, and the sweet version, kembang tahu, comes as soft bean curd under a sweet sugar syrup. For something sharper, try rujak ju hie, a fruit and vegetable rojak tossed with dried squid. Bakeries stack cakes and pastries from early morning until close to midnight.

Coffee culture is serious. The kopi tiam pour strong, bitter robusta, often with condensed milk, and the older ones are as much meeting places as cafes. Evenings bring street stalls and night food along the central streets; follow the busiest tables. Some places serve pork, while halal Malay and Minang restaurants are easy to find for those who need them.

Chinese New Year, Cap Go Meh and Singkawang's steady climate

Singkawang's year turns on the Chinese lunar calendar. Chinese New Year closes shops for a few days, and fifteen days later Cap Go Meh brings the tatung procession of entranced mediums; in 2027 it is expected on 20 February, and rooms across town sell out. The weather is equatorial, with highs of 30-32C all year.

Chinese New Year brings lanterns, family visits and closed shops for a few days, and fifteen days later comes Cap Go Meh, the celebration that draws visitors from across Indonesia and beyond. Its centrepiece is the tatung procession, in which mediums believed to be possessed by spirits ride carried chairs and pierce their cheeks with skewers and blades. A ritual cleansing at Vihara Tri Dharma Bumi Raya is part of the observance. In 2027 it is expected on 20 February, following the Chinese lunar calendar.

The weather is equatorial and steady: highs of 30-32C and lows near 23C in every month. What changes is the rain. July averages about 165 mm, the lowest figure, while November and December bring 358 mm and 387 mm. January, at around 309 mm, often coincides with the new year build-up, so pack for wet streets.

For a quiet visit, June to August gives the best odds of dry mornings for Mount Poteng and the beaches. The festival period is the opposite: book rooms weeks ahead, travel up from Pontianak early, and expect road traffic on the coast highway.