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Surabaya, Indonesia’s second largest city, is located near the northeastern tip of the island of Java. It’s an extremely lengthy trip by car or train from Jakarta—on average, nine hours one way via train at about $35 each way, but the train is at least 20x better for the environment than air travel. Round trip flights to Surabaya from Jakarta can be found for as little as $180, as of November 2023. Surabaya can also serve as base for exploring most of the eastern archipelago and the entire province of East Java. Surabaya is also interesting in its own right and worth a couple days of exploration.
No other city I’ve ever visited has a massive Soviet submarine parked in the middle of downtown, but Surabaya does. This circa 1952, Pasopati 410 KRI model is more than a mere oddity—it was actually a combatant in the Battle of Aru Sea where Indonesia was attempting to liberate West Irian from the Dutch. It’s fun to walk through the sub’s interior and I certainly quickly realized that the terribly cramped quarters presented extremely difficult living conditions for the sailors aboard. It’s a fun diversion for a couple of hours.
This seaside temple adjacent to Kenjeran Amusement Park is one of my favorites in Indonesia. It was constructed in 1999 by Tri-Dharma followers, an eclectic Indonesian group that practices a blend of the teachings of Buddha, Confucious, and Lao-Tzu. The entire complex is beautiful, but I was particularly entranced by the Ocean Gate which sits directly on the shore of the bay. This gate is gigantic and is guarded by two massive heavenly dragons and is topped by an 18-meter Kwan Statue. In my opinion, Sanggar Agung is a Surabaya must see.
I enjoy visiting the mosques of each place I go in Indonesia as often they reflect the local culture in which they are situated. The Cheng Ho Mosque definitely is tied to local Chinese traditions as it is built in the style of a Tri-Dharma temple, though it is a Muslim place of worship. It is a relatively new structure, completed in 2002, but it has a timeless feel to it and is an interesting religious hybrid.
I love old heritage hotels and Hotel Majapahit is one of the best I’ve ever stayed in. It was built in 1910 in an elegant art deco style. There’s a beautiful inner courtyard and the amenities and services are top notch. Best of all, the hotel was the site of one of Indonesia’s most important independence era events.
In September 1945, the Japanese had lost World War II and abandoned the hotel which had served as their headquarters in Surabaya. Even though the Indonesians declared independence in August 1945, the Dutch were attempting to maintain control of Indonesia. When the Japanese left, the Dutch raised their flag on top of the hotel, which enraged the local Indonesians who stormed to the top of the hotel and slashed off the blue part of the Dutch flag, leaving the red and white stripes which serve as the modern Indonesian flag. This dramatic event served as a famous act of symbolism which helped mobilize Indonesian resistance to the Dutch. You can see the exact place on the rooftop where this happened and there is an exhibit in the lobby commemorating the event.
The hotel is a bit of a splurge (about $80 a night as of Nov. 2023), but it’s such a charming and elegant experience (I enjoyed taking formal tea in the lobby, for example) representing so much Indonesian history that, for me, it was well worth it.
I’m not necessarily fond of zoos. And when I walked by the entrance of the Surabaya Zoo, I was a little suspicious. Furthermore, the paltry $1 entry fee didn’t increase my confidence that I would be entering a cruelty free refuge for animals. I was partly right. Most of the animal exhibits were a little run down and a couple of the animals were in cages that were far too confining and medieval. However, there is one exhibit in the Surabaya Zoo that might be the best in the world of its kind. It’s the extraordinary display of Komodo Dragons that makes this zoo well worth a visit. This collection of Komodo Dragons is by far the largest one on the planet outside the wild and serves as a vital link for preservation and expansion of the species. I have always been fascinated by these creatures and was treated to an intimate glimpse of their intimidating behavior in a well-tended and natural environment. Supercool.
While staying in Surabaya, I took a fun adventure to one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, Mt. Bromo. The Hotel Majapahit concierge arranged the trip, and the driver met me at midnight, so that we could see the sunrise and a view of Bromo from Mt. Penanjakan.
About 40 km from Bromo my ride stopped, and I transferred to one of the safari Toyota Land Cruisers that haul passengers to the volcano. At 3:30 a.m. we arrived at Mt. Penanjakan (at about 2800 meters) and huddled in a small shack for a warm cup of tea, as this place was actually a bit cold. Around 5:00 was the sunrise, but it was a bit cloudy, so the sunrise was obscured. However, the view down to Bromo and across to Mt. Semeru in the distance was still spectacular.
After sunrise viewing was completed, we took the land cruiser down the mountain, and across the Sea of Sands to near the base of Bromo. I rode a horse the remaining kilometer to the base of Bromo, where I then had to scale almost 1,000 stairs to reach Bromo crater’s rim. A constant eruption of steam was coming up from inside the crater and provided the viewer with an amazing glimpse down the throat of a volcano
It was definitely a lively journey that I would recommend for everyone like me who enjoys volcanic exploration, sunrise panoramas, and journeys through the Indonesian highlands. You can also access Bromo via Malang and other East Javan cities.