Keraton Sambas in Sambas Regency, West Kalimantan Province
Perhaps most tourists visit Sambas Regency for its beaches and natural attractions. The good news is that the region also features some interesting historical and cultural sites. The most famous one is Keraton Sambas or Sambas Palace. The location is in Dalam Kaum Village, actually. As for tourist activities, visitors indeed come to the palace to learn history and get further information about Sambas Sultanate. Moreover, everyone can enter it freely! During exploration, the guests are allowed to take photos, as well. Another reason is the location, which is quite near to downtown. Thus, it won’t take much time to reach the site either from the airport or nearby hotels.
The Nuance
The nuance varies due to the presence of lots of features. For instance, the area is surrounded by swamps and pristine environment. Some royal tombs also reside in that area! The gate of the palace has two levels and it has the shape of eight-square. The first level is meant as a guard post and resting area. As for the upper level, it is used to supervise and control. During special occasions, though, this spot is used as an entertainment area where many local musicians play Gamelan. In the midst of the palace, tourists may find a tall flag pole, supported by 4 beams. Not to mention two cannon reside under it.
Exploring Keraton Sambas
Thanks to management. Keraton Sambas looks clean and neat. The best thing is that tourists can enter the site without paying any fee. As mentioned before, the entrance has a majestic gate with its eight-square shape. When it comes to size, it is definitely vast. It even has a wide yard that has a similar size to a soccer field! In the yard, tourists would see a flag pole as well. Usually, tourists would conduct photography in this area.
Once passing through the gate, visitors may see three main building. Located on the left side of the prime building, there is a royal kitchen! In the right side of the prime building, a building resides and it was used as a working place for the sultan and his employees. In this site, tourists can also find numerous heirlooms including weapons, gong, lele cannon, and much more!
What about the prime building? Well, tourists are allowed to explore it as well. Once entering it, they may see 7 rooms including the balairung, Sultan’s room, kids’ room, living room, wife’s room, eating, room, and a special room for tailoring. As mentioned earlier, everyone is allowed to take photos either outside or inside Keraton Sambas. The only rule is related to the environment. That means littering is prohibited!
Nearby Attractions
- Waterfront Sambas
- Wisata Alam Tanjung Mekar
- Museum Daerah Sambas
How to Get There
From Jakarta City, tourists should head to Pontianak City first by airplane. A flight from Soekarno – Hatta International Airport to Supadio Airport may take around 1 hour and 25 minutes. Once arriving at Pontianak, people can take Ahmad Yani Street and head to Sambas Regency right away. The distance is 229 km, so the trip would take around 4 hours and 51 minutes. Next, from Sambas, they can take Siapat and Lintas Kalimantan Poros Utara Street in order to reach Sambas Palace. The distance is only 4.4 km, so the trip would take about 11 minutes.
Where to Stay
- Sambas Indah Hotel
- Sambas Terigas Hotel
- Pantura Jaya Hotel
