Welcome to Singbebas

Singbebas is the acronymic name given to the area of regional cooperation formed between the city administration of Singkawang, and the Regencies of Bengkayang and Sambas that have a combined population of 809,000. Bengkayang and Sambas share a border with Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo and, as such, form the northern triangle of West Kalimantan.

The international airport at Pontianak has direct flight connections to Singapore, Kuching, Surabaya, Yogyakarta and Batam as well as 16 daily flights to Indonesia’s capital city of Jakarta. Visitors arriving at Pontianak and travelling further to Singbebas will cross the equator marked by the Tugu Khatulistiwa (Equator Monument) located seven kilometres north of Pontianak, which is also home to a small museum.  

The area’s climate is tropical, making it hot and humid in lowland areas, but more moderate at higher elevations. Temperatures fluctuate little over the course of the year with an average low at sea level of 23° C and the average high is 32° C. June, July and August are the driest months, while more rainfall occurring during the remainder of the year, with November being the wettest month. 

The city of Singkawang, with its majority ethnic Chinese population, is known as a centre of Chinese culture in Kalimantan. Singkawang also offers many beach attractions catering to domestic visitors, while the surrounding mountains provide attractive opportunities for nature loving enthusiasts. Singkawang is well known for its annual Chinese lantern festival (Cap Go Meh) celebrated during the first full moon of the  lunar year.  

In Bengkayang Regency visitors can enjoy nature and culture tourism attractions such as the many waterfalls and the large protected rainforest area of Mount Niut, the highest peak in Singbebas, where a genuine Borneo jungle adventure awaits visitors. Bengkayang is also starting point to experience Bidayu  Dayak villages such as Sebujit, where a large annual harvest festival is held. At Randayan Island visitors can enjoy an isolated tropical paradise surrounded by rich coral reefs.

In Sambas Regency an uninterrupted 42 kilometres long sand beach between the Paloh River and the village of Temajuk remains largely virginal, offering an endless succession of bays and small capes set against a lush rainforest backdrop facing a clear and pristine sea. Home to what is believed to be the longest and most unspoilt sand beach in Southeast Asia, the beach at Sambas is also known as one of  the world’s major nesting places for endangered sea turtles. Also not to be missed in Sambas is the Sultan’s palace that houses a small museum.