Singkawang: Town of beaches and kilns

Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Singkawang, West Kalimantan

Singkawang, a small town three hours by car from Pontianak, is known among certain crowds for its amoy -- a derogatory term for teenaged female sex workers of Chinese descent.

Few people, though, are aware that the area also boasts splendid white-sand beaches and kilns where Chinese-style ceramics are fired, as over half of Singkawang's population is of Chinese descent.

A dozen kilometers out of town is the most popular of the beaches, Pasir Panjang.

There is not much in the way of public transportation in Singkawang, but visitors can rent a car or hire a motorcycle taxi to go to the beach.

Meanwhile, if departing from Pontianak, the kilns are located about seven kilometers before the town.

There are a number of huge ovens there, which are used for firing copies of ancient Chinese jars and other utility ware.

Walking around town is a pleasant way to fill in an hour -- though no longer, due to the town's small size -- and the commercial heart of the town comprises Chinese-style shop-houses with nice, clean sidewalks out front.

There is no supermarket, but there are blocks of shop-houses selling clothes, books, cell phones, home appliances and food.

At night, when the small shops are closed, the owners of night stalls set up plastic seats and tables for locals who want to dine out, or sip a cup of hot coffee or tea.

"Restaurants mostly open from morning to afternoon here. At night, it is our turn to provide meals and beverages," one of the street vendors said.

The night stalls are concentrated around the biggest market in Singkawang. Most stalls on Jl. Pasar Ikan are packed with customers.

They sell thick pancakes filled with cheese, chocolate or peanuts locally known as apam pinang. People living on Java call the pancakes martabak.

Unfortunately, there are few dinner options for the hungry tourist as the stalls mostly sell Padang food.

Chinese food, which is a specialty of Singkawang, can only be found in restaurants that are closed at nights.

The night stalls and beverage carts close at around 10:00 p.m.

Every Cap Go Meh, the fifteenth day after the Chinese New Year, a cultural show is held in Singkawang.

This year's Cap Go Meh should fall on Feb. 24, so mark your calendar, open your guide book and reserve a hotel room now, because that day is the busiest of the year in Singkawang.