Must-see attractions in East Java

  • Kawah Ijen

    East Java

    The Ijen plateau's most extraordinary sight is the magnificent turquoise sulphur lake of Kawah Ijen. A night hike to the crater in which the lake boils…

  • Trowulan Museum

    East Java

    One kilometre from the main Surabaya–Solo road, the impressive Trowulan Museum houses superb examples of Majapahit sculpture and pottery from East Java…

  • House of Sampoerna

    Surabaya

    Undoubtedly the city’s best-presented attraction, the House of Sampoerna is home to one of Indonesia’s most famous kretek cigarette manufacturers (now…

  • Permisan Bay

    East Java

    The best beach by far in the park is at Permisan Bay, an almost sausage-shaped bay with calm waters and a small island in the middle. It's a half-day hike…

  • Candi Singosari

    East Java

    Situated right in the village of Singosari, 12km north of Malang, this temple stands 500m off the main Malang–Surabaya road. One of the last monuments…

  • Panataran Hindu Temples

    East Java

    The Hindu temples at Panataran (locally called 'Penataran') are the largest intact Majapahit temples, and the finest examples of ancient East Javanese…

  • Candi Sumberawan

    East Java

    This small, squat Buddhist stupa lies in the terraced, cultivated foothills of Gunung Arjuna, about 5km northwest of Singosari. It was built to…

  • Pulau Tabuhan

    East Java

    A droplet of creamy white sand, topped with a tuft of scrub, this tiny island set offshore from Java, nearly halfway to Bali, is surrounded by a ring of…

  • Candi Jago

    East Java

    Along a small road near the market in Tumpang, 22km from Malang, Candi Jago was built between 1268 and 1280 and is thought to be a memorial to the fourth…

  • Sadengan

    East Java

    Down a spur that branches from the main road just after the Hindu temple, Sadengan grazing ground has the largest herd of banteng (wild cattle) in Java…

  • Kraton

    East Java

    Occupied by the present bupati (regent) of Sumenep, the grand kraton and its Taman Sari date back to 1750. The bathing pools once used by the royal women…

  • Candi Kidal

    East Java

    Set in the village of Kidal, west of Tumpang, with houses rising all around, this graceful temple was built around 1260 as the burial shrine of King…

  • Mesjid Ampel

    Surabaya

    The Mesjid Ampel is the most sacred mosque in Surabaya. While non-Muslims aren't allowed to enter the mosque itself, the souk-style streets surrounding it…

  • Sukamade Turtle Beach

    East Java

    The park’s major attraction is the protected turtle beach at Sukamade, one of Indonesia’s most important turtle-spawning grounds, where several species…

  • Hotel Tugu Malang

    Malang

    Malang’s most impressive museum isn’t actually a museum at all, but a hotel: the boutique, four-star Hotel Tugu Malang, a showcase for its owner, arguably…

  • Masjid al Akbar

    Surabaya

    Perhaps the most impressive modern mosque in Indonesia. You'll probably get a glimpse of Masjid al Akbar's magnificent array of bulbous watery-turquoise…

  • Glenmore Plantation

    East Java

    Rumoured to have been established in the 18th century by a group of runaway Scots (hence the name), the Glenmore Plantation, which is a few kilometres to…

  • Kebun Raya Purwodadi

    East Java

    A few kilometres north of Lawang on the road to Surabaya, the Kebun Raya Purwodadi are expansive dry-climate botanical gardens. The 85 hectares are…

  • Pantai Bama

    East Java

    Fringed by mangroves, the sandy cove of Bama is 4km north of Bekol. It’s a popular weekend retreat for local families, but usually peaceful at other times…

  • Jalan Besar Ijen

    Malang

    Malang has some wonderful colonial architecture. Just northwest of the centre, Jl Besar Ijen is Malang’s millionaires' row, a boulevard lined with elegant…

  • Candi Jabung

    East Java

    This rarely visited but worthwhile 14th-century, red-brick Majapahit temple is thought to be a funerary site for Majapahit royalty. The base of the 16m…

  • Kampung Warni Widi

    Malang

    A local initiative to beautify Malang's ramshackle, high-density kampung are these whimsical multicoloured neighbourhoods that have been transformed into…

  • Kong Co Kong Tik Cun Ong Temple

    Surabaya

    The highly evocative Kong Co Kong Tik Cun Ong delivers a blast of unfiltered culture. The primarily Buddhist complex (with dashes of Confucian and Taoist…

  • Mesjid Jamik

    East Java

    Looking more like an extravagant city gateway than a mosque, Sumenep’s 18th-century Mesjid Jamik is notable for its three-tiered Meru-style roof, Chinese…

  • Museum Panataran

    East Java

    Three hundred metres southeast of the turn-off to the Panataran Hindu temples, the Museum Panataran has an impressive collection of statuary from the…

  • Makam Bung Karno

    East Java

    At Sentul, 2km north of the town centre, former president Sukarno’s grave is marked by a massive black stone and an elaborate monument of columns and…

  • Ngagelan

    East Java

    The turtle hatchery at Ngagelan is set in a protected, fenced-off plot behind the beach, where rangers who have collected the eggs keep them piled and…

  • Songgoriti

    East Java

    Songgoriti, 3km west of Batu, has well-known hot springs and a small, ancient Hindu temple on the grounds of the Hotel Air Panas Songgoriti. The temple,…

  • Jembatan Merah

    Surabaya

    Originally the old city was divided along ethnic lines, with Europeans on the west side of the Kali Mas river and Chinese, Arabs and Javanese on the east…

  • Taman Sari

    East Java

    Occupied by the present bupati of Sumenep, the kraton and its pleasure garden were built in 1750 by Panembahan Sumolo, son of Queen Raden Ayu Tirtonegoro…

  • Monumen Kapal Selam

    Surabaya

    Surabaya’s foremost stretch of renovated waterside real estate centres on the iron hulk that is Pasopati, a massive Russian submarine commissioned into…

  • Asta Tinggi Cemetery

    East Java

    The tombs of the royal family are at the Asta Tinggi Cemetery, which looks out over the town from a peaceful hilltop 3km northwest of the centre. The main…

  • Governor's Residence

    Surabaya

    A holdover from the early 20th century, the former governor's residence, with its front porch colonnade and touches of gold paint, fronts an expanse of…

  • Kebun Balawan

    East Java

    Visits to this coffee plantation include a wander through coffee groves and an informal tour of the plantation’s factory. It also has thermal pools and a…

  • Sumber Brantas

    East Java

    The small village of Sumber Brantas, far above Selekta resort, and in a gorgeous misty mountain setting, is at the source of the Sungai Brantas (Brantas…

  • Ambunten

    East Java

    Ambunten is the largest settlement on the north coast and has a bustling market. Just over the bridge, you can walk along the picturesque river, which is…

  • Pamekasan

    East Java

    Bull races are held in and around Pamekasan every Sunday from the end of July until early October; during October each year the city throbs with the…

  • Tanjung Bumi

    East Java

    The village of Tanjung Bumi is situated on the northwest coast of Madura, about 60km from Kamal. Although primarily a fishing village, it is also a…

  • Blambangan Museum

    East Java

    Located in the same building as the tourist office, this small museum is devoted to culture from the area, with batik and traditional costumes, ceramics…

  • Air Mata

    East Java

    Near Arosbaya, 27km north of Kamal, the tombs of the Cakraningrat royalty are at Air Mata (Tears) cemetery, superbly situated on the edge of a small…