Surabaya
© OpenStreetMap, CARTO
Surabaya, kotanya pahlawan! | Surabaya, the city of heroes!
Why visit
Most travelers transit Surabaya en route to Mount Bromo or the Ijen volcano (sunrise tours leave from here), but the city itself rewards a day. Walk the old Dutch and Chinese quarters around Jalan Karet and Kembang Jepun, see the Heroes Monument and Submarine Monument (a real KRI Pasopati 410 sub on dry land), and explore the dynamic House of Sampoerna kretek-cigarette museum. Sample legendary Surabaya street food: rawon (black beef soup), rujak cingur (fruit-and-cow-snout salad), and lontong balap. Madura Island is a short bridge crossing for the famously rural pace and bull races.
When to avoid
Surabaya is hot, humid, and traffic-clogged, don't expect leisurely sightseeing on foot. Air pollution can be poor. Sensitive travelers should consider masks. Tap water is unsafe, stick to bottled. Petty theft happens in crowded markets and on packed buses. Carry only what you need. The city has a conservative dress culture in older Muslim neighborhoods, cover shoulders and knees away from malls. Mount Bromo tours start at 1 am, build in recovery time.
