East Java (Jawa Timur) covers the eastern third of the island ofJava,Indonesia, as well as the island ofMadura and several small offshore islands.
— Mount Kelud, Brantas river, waterfalls, and significant archeological sites — verdant agriculture, rail industry and Mount Wilis — cool, clean air and the ancient seat of the Kanjuruhan and Singhasari Kingdom
The spine of East Java is dominated by a series of rugged, spectacular volcanic peaks. The most famous of these are in theBromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park and Semeru and Bromo together make up one of the great iconic images of Indonesia. There are four volcanic peaks higher than 3,000 m in the region. This volcanic activity has created a largely fertile area and verdant agriculture is a prominent feature of the area.
Both the north and south coasts offer some beautiful, deep, fine sand beaches and these are another key attraction of the region.
The two large southern national parks of Alas Purwo and Meru Betiri are remote and sparsely populated and represent the nearest thing to a wilderness experience that you will find on Java. In the north-east, Baluran National Park recalls African Savannah plains.
The island ofMadura sits off the north eastern coast of the region and is asoff-the-beaten-track as you can get in this part of Indonesia. That is slowly changing as the road bridge linking Surabaya to Madura opened in mid-2009.
Surabaya is the capital city and Indonesia's second largest. It is though largely bereft of attractions, over-crowded, polluted and supports sprawling industry. Few visitors stay in Surabaya for reasons of tourism.Malang is the second city of the region and a bigger contrast to Surabaya could not be imagined. It is a clean, airy city with an important and interesting history.
People in East Java speakIndonesian as well asJavanese which they mix together at times. A significant minority also speakMadurese. English will be understood and spoken at large city hotels and at obvious tourist destinations.
For all place names, beware that in the local East Javanese accent, "A" and "O" are largely interchangeable: often the official spelling uses "A", but the locals pronounce it "O". Hence a resident ofSurabaya is locally anarek Suroboyo andCemoro Lawang andCemara Lawang are the same place.
Surabaya'sJuanda Airport (SUB IATA) is one of the busiest in Indonesia, with very frequent flights fromJakarta,Bali and other major Indonesian destinations. There are some direct international flights from destinations includingSingapore,Kuala Lumpur,Johor Bahru,Hong Kong,Taipei, andBandar Seri Begawan.
Malang's Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport (MLG IATA) is a smaller airport with a few flights everyday fromJakarta,Bandung andBali. Heavy traffic is common between Surabaya and Malang, though, so you should strongly consider flying directly to Malang if that's your destination. Blimbingsari Airport (BWX IATA) nearBanyuwangi on the eastern tip of Java sees some scheduled flights from Bali (and Surabaya).
Surabaya is connected by rail fromJakarta,Semarang,Yogyakarta andBanyuwangi with many stops in between. Booking online with a credit card is possible ontraveloka. Always prefer the "Executive" class to travel.
The popular star tourist attraction ofBromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park is sadly not part of the Indonesian rail network.
Ferries ply the route betweenGilimanuk,Bali andBanyuwangi every 20 min, 24 hr a day. The crossing itself takes about 30 min, although embarking and disembarking can take much longer.
Surabaya is a major port and virtually every major coastal city in Indonesia is connected to it in some way. Check the national passenger ship operatorPELNI's website[dead link] for detailed information.
Frequent buses travel across Java and this is a reliable, if not always a comfortable, method of travel. All of the major cities and towns in the region can be reached by bus. Most of the buses including luxury buses come fromWest Java. There are also buses from Bali to Probolinggo/Surabaya.
Driving anywhere in Java is a hazardous business for visitors not used to Indonesian driving habits. East Java is no exception and visitors are advised to rent a car with a driver if this is your chosen method of getting around in the region.
The region is well served by the national rail network which connects all major cities and towns.
For getting to some of the more remote parts of the province, flying can be an option. There are scheduled flights from Surabaya's Juanda Airport toBanyuwangi (BWX IATA) andJember (JBB IATA) in the east of the province,Sumenep (SUP IATA) on the island ofMadura, and the remote island ofBawean (BXW IATA).
TheBromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park is the main attraction in East Java and accounts for a large percentage of overseas tourists who visit the region. The national park is named after its two mountains, Mount Semeru (the highest in Java at 3,676 m, Mount Bromo. the most popular. TheTengger people inhabit this area. Mount Semeru also known as Mahameru (Indonesian languageholy mountain orseat of the gods), is one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes. Semeru is often closed due to its highly active nature.
There are many opportunities for trekking in the park to suite all levels of physical fitness. One of the most popular activities (especially for the less energetic!) is to stay in one of the simple lodges in the park, then drive up to the top of Mount Penanjakan (2,770 m) pre-dawn in a 4x4 vehicle and wait for a truly spectacular sunrise. Later in the day, a slightly more arduous 90 min climb up to the rim of the Mount Bromo caldera to view the bubbling active crater is very worthwhile. You can also make this ascent seated atop one of the local ponies.
TheIjen Plateau nearBanyuwangi and Bondowoso is a less well known but in its own way equally spectacular area of volcanic activity. The Ijen Plateau is the centrepoint of the large mountain range west ofBanyuwangi and which abuts theBaluran National Park to the north. For the adventurous traveller a visit to theIjen crater (Kawah Ijen) is a must whilst in the region. The crater can be approached from Bondowoso in the west or Banyuwangi in the east. The Bondowoso route is recommended as the road is relatively better (although that is not saying much) and the 90 min foot climb much easier. When you arrive the colour of the water in the lake is scarcely believable being an extraordinary vivid aqua blue. Evidence of volcanic activity is everywhere with steaming water and brilliant yellow crystalline sulphur deposits. The Ijen Crater is one of the great natural wonders of Indonesia. Since BBC and National Geographic mentioned Ijen blue fire/flame crater, more tourists have visited Ijen Crater, not only during the day but also for a new (as of 2014) midnight trip to see the blue fire. These trips are guided and require a mask which can filter sulphur dioxide. Midnight trips require 2 hours hike up to the rim of the crater and 45 minutes to hike down to the bank of the crater.
Malang is a city of great historical significance. It was a seat of major power in Java's Hindu past and the Dutch took a great liking to its relatively cool, fresh climate in the colonial period. Modern day Malang, although significantly urbanised, has retained much of its historical character and a few days looking around this lovely city and visiting nearby places of interest, will be time well spent.In the city centre a great first stop is Ijen Boulevard. This is a quite beautiful street lined with tropical trees against a backdrop of old colonial structures. The street houses a number of interesting buildings including the Brawijaya Army Museum, Immanual Catholic Church and the city library. Nearby Jalan Tugu is home of the city hall (Balai Kota Malang), the Tugu Monument, and Alun-Alun Bunder (park).
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About 30 km south of Malang there are three lovely beaches close together: Balekambang, Ngliyep and Sendangbiru. It is best to visit on weekdays as this is a very popular weekend escape and it can get crowded. It is not safe to swim here but these are great relaxation beaches which offer some stunning coastal scenery. There is an offshore island calledPulau Sempu which can be visited by chartering a boat from Sedangbiru beach. At Balekambang beach there are three little islets just offshore which are attached to the beach by walkways. Of the three beaches, Balekambang itself is the most attractive. The beaches are easily day-tripped from Malang in a car.
TheBondowoso region has many ancient stones spread across several districts including kenong stone, grave stones, sarkofag, and others. Alun-alun (city square) is the main place to gather people (the crowd), to the north stood the Regent Hall, which is an old building, and there are also Dutch heritage building that is now a Junior High School 1 Bondowoso. There are many more Dutch heritage buildings in this city. About 10 km east of Bondowoso, there is a brass handicraft centre (Cindogo). Kalianyar village (sub-district Tamanan), 15 km south of Bondowoso is a good destination if you want to enjoy the countryside with cool air.
Baluran National Park is a large forest and coastal park. It has a relatively easy access to and fromBali. It is often said to be the Africa of Java because of the savannah grasslands.
Madura is a dry and crowded island very much off the beaten path for visitors. It is home to the tradition of bull racing (kerapan sapi).
Western food is available in the large cities of Surabaya and Malang but there are so many local delights that any visitor is surely better off concentrating on these. Indonesian cuisine from all corners of this vast nation is widely available. As elsewhere in Indonesia, the best bet is often simple warungs and roadside stalls and the rule is to follow the local crowds.
The food of East Java is similar to that of Central Java. East Java foods tend to be less sweet and spicier compared to the Central Java ones. Fish and fish/seafood products are quite extensive, andterasi (dried shrimp paste) andpetis udang (black colored shrimp paste) are used a great deal. Specific East Javanese specialties include:
There is a local type of fermented palm tree alcohol, calledtuak. Other popular drinks in East Java include:
Sleep at Tugu Hotel in Malang city, a hotel that houses a magnificent collection of Javanese antiques. They also serves lunch or tea.
If you are feeling adventurous, you might want to camp near Mount Bromo.
When visiting any of the volcanic areas, understand and be respectful of their active nature.Never take unnecessary risks.
Temperatures in the high parts of theBromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park can get close to 0°C at night, although it can sometimes be very hot near the peak at noon, so come prepared, either way.
| Thisregion travel guide toEast Javais ausable article. It gives a good overview of the region, its sights, and how to get in, as well as links to the main destinations, whose articles are similarly well developed. An adventurous person could use this article, but pleasefeel free to improve itby editing the page. |
