Travel Instructions : Land Travel

You will most likely arrive on the island of Borneo in one of two cities. Pontianak (to our south) is the capitol of the Indonesian state of West Borneo. Kuching (to our north) is the capitol of the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Either way, the last part of your journey to Bethesda Hospital will be by bus and/or car. Although the road conditions may be somewhat different from what you're used to, the trip is sure to give you a good feel for the landscape and living conditions in West Kalimantan. However, we recommend taking Dramamine to prevent motion sickness

Travel from Pontianak to Bethesda Hospital takes about 4 hours by car. For the first three hours of your journey you will travel north along the more populated coast before turning east and winding your way interior. The cost is around $100 (USD) each way.

From Kuching you will need to travel by bus to the Indonesian city of Ngabang.  During this 5 hour trip you will cross the Indonesian/Malaysian border at Entikong. The cost of a bus ticket is RM 70 (about $20 USD). From Ngabang a 3 hour trip by car will bring you to Bethesda Hospital. The cost for the car trip is around $50 (USD). Since travel from Kuching can be a bit complicated we recommend you travel with someone who has gone that way before. Otherwise, there are daily flights from Kuching to Pontianak for around $90 (USD).