At Amanwana jungle resort on Moyo island.

When it comes to Amanwana, it really is almost about the journey as much as the destination. Situated on Moyo island in Sumbawa Besar, the jungle resort is just an hour’s flight from Bali in a C-208 Amphibian Cessna Caravan float plane that flies impossibly close to stunning volcanoes and dives into marshmallow clouds of brilliant white, emerging again to reveal dazzling views of rugged green slopes and picture-perfect coastlines before it lands at a backward tilt with a gentle series of splashes on the most perfectly sapphire waters. A multitude of varieties of fish are already visible as the plane pulls up to the jetty and the door opens.

“Selamat pagi. Welcome to the jungle.”

Sunset with sea view.

The beautiful island of Moyo is located just kilometres off the northern coast of Sumbawa. Since 1976 it has been a protected zone for an abundance of animal and bird life, from deer and banteng bull to wild boar, macaque monkeys, sea eagles, and osprey. The island has a population of just 3,500, residing in eight villages around the coast and subsisting through fishing, farming, and trading. Amanwana, styled as a luxury camp, has been here since 1993. Of the is-land’s 36,000 hectares, Amanwana actively manages 12,000, officially set aside as a nature reserve.

Some of the abundant marine life found in the waters around Amanwana.

Moyo is truly a nature lover’s dream, offering a fascinating natural environment for exploration, with vegetation that ranges from dry savannah to dense jungle and hikes that take in a series of spring-fed waterfalls and cool freshwater pools. Its shores are lapped by the Flores Sea, in which a wealth of coral is found, from stag horn to gorgonian fans, while throughout the waters can be seen a profusion of colourful tropical fish and sometimes also dolphins, manta rays, and whales. Amanwana has its own dive centre and offers PADI certified dive courses, so divers at all levels can experience the magnificent worlds under these waters.

“I’d rather be in a tent than in a house,” Mary Leakey famously said, and in tents like these, few would argue. With either ocean or jungle views and linked by sand pathways under a canopy of tropical forest through which families of monkeys scramble, the resort accommodation consists of 20 luxury air-conditioned tents that are bright, spacious, and airy, each enclosed by a solid wall underneath a canvas ceiling, with teak-framed windows along the sides offering panoramic views of the surroundings. The tents are not walled off from the rest of the island, which is also a sanctuary for the indigenous Rusa deer, beneficiaries of Amanwana’s breeding programme, which has ensured a steady increase in numbers of their population.

In May 2008, Amanwana created the Moyo Conservation Fund, which enables guests to contribute to the conservation efforts and community work on the island. From restoring the coral reef to building a school in the nearby village of Labuan Aji, the resort works towards protecting, nurturing and enriching the environment for future generations of islanders and visitors. These efforts also include a turtle protection project, waste recycling scheme, and education and support for stewardship of the land. At another level of community involvement, one-third of the staff is from local villages, opening up opportunities to them abroad while strengthening ties between the resort and the villages back home.

A sense of this harmony with both the environment and the surrounding communities is deeply felt during a stay here. Add to this the usual impeccable Aman service and understated elegance, and you have the ingredients of an incomparable resort and a truly memorable experience.

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Bull races on Madura.

The passionate blur of “kerapan sapi”, the bull races on the island of Madura, begins our journey on a momentous high. The preparation and setting for the event are equally spectacular. After the toil of the harvest season, the bulls enjoy a special treat combining fodder with a gourmet concoction of crushed ginger, pepper, honey, beer, and a hundred eggs! Surely this potent brew would rouse any animal (or human for that matter) to extraordinary feats of athleticism, but some tender loving care doesn’t hurt, either. A soothing massage and inspiring whispers in the bulls’ ears from the owners before the race act as perfect catapults for the ensuing frenzy. The real heroes of this amazing spectacle guide their thundering charges on a bamboo sled or “nanggala”, attached to two bulls. Having to harness and channel the energies of a released demonic power, these jockeys seem to exist in a surreal world of swirling motion and chaotic control. The bulls and their masterful charges leave us reeling with the spontaneous thrill of life at its outer margins.

Child in Kalimantan.

In Kalimantan, another region known for its rich indigenous traditions, my camera searched for living traces of ancestral culture, and was well rewarded at the “lamin” or longhouse of the Dayak Benuaq group at Mancong and the elongated ear lobes of the elderly Dayak Kenyah women. However, I soon found myself delighting in the energy and laughter of the younger generation. We were surrounded everywhere by pranks, pouts, and peeling knees, overseen by the warmth of child-rearing that seems to be the natural asset of all Indonesian people. My slightly reluctant model at Muara Mantai sat within the handsomely crafted boat of his father, preparing him for a life amidst the riches and swaying tides of the river. Indonesia is a young country, surging with the hopes and desires and aching vitality of fresh blood. While we may regret the passing of some old ways, this land is ripe for the renewal of an unleashed vigor and new dimensions of beauty.

Anggrek bulan in front of Gunung Lokon.

Stunning landscape vistas complement the aesthetic appeal of the people and their cultures. Upon our arrival in Manado, the eyes feast on the beauty of the Minahasan people, refined and tempered by an ethnic cauldron that combined groups from mainland South East Asia, Indonesia, and the Philippines with the colonial blood of three European tribes – the Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch – as well as enterprising Chinese migrants. Blessing this land with fertility and exuberant color stand tall volcanic cones, forming a protective ring around the peninsula. At the pleasant resort town of Tomohon, the magnificent vista of Gunung Lokon energized my lens. Appropriately, the summit carried a crowning layer of foggy cloud, underlining its mysterious majesty and its active qualities. “Anggrek bulan” (the serene white orchid, literally “moonlight orchid”) enframe this ethereal scene, for Tomohon is indeed “Kota Kembang”, the Flower City. This is the perfect setting for the exuberant Minahasa culture, with its celebratory dances, the lilting tones of the “kolintang” (wooden xylophone), and the fiery gastronomic juices released by the spicy cuisine, layered with the subtle flavors of the bamboo cylinders used in its preparation. Joy and generous hospitality come naturally to these delightful people.

At Rante Lombok.

The pride of the Tana Toraja in Southern Sulawesi, grave sites carved into limestone cliffs, preserves the continuing influence and blessing of the ancestors, who cannot stay away from the emerald symphony of this cool plateau. I came across a rather more mysterious site at Rante Lombok, hidden deep within the recesses of a bamboo jungle. Although the “bombo” (souls) of these ancestors were pacified and interred in exquisitely carved wooden coffins, this rebellious group decided to come back to life and recreate their favorite pastime: theater. As I looked around at the amazing groupings of “actors”, I was particularly struck by the solitary figure, who appeared ready to star in yet another new version of “Hamlet”. Was he Hamlet’s father, haunting his tortured mind, or was it Hamlet himself, launching into the most beloved soliloquy of all time, “To be, or not to be…” I knew this Hamlet’s answer, a ringing affirmation of the beauty of his land and culture:
“To be, to be
In this glorious land
Of sunshine and thunderous rain,
Of sweet-odored mist and emerald grain”.

The Dani warriors of Papua.

Papua brings you the thrill of encountering human origins and the crafting of our earliest civilizations. The handsome Dani warriors, accompanied by apprentice boys and “cheer leading” women, hark back to a tradition of “weem” or war, inevitable in a group of 50,000 people divided into twelve alliances. However, from the standards of present-day warfare (or rather, butchery), an estimated annual death rate of 20 or 30 per group does not appear excessive. “Weem” has now become a mock spectacle, and Dani men continue to use the occasion to appear at their fearsome best. Pig fat adding a sheen on their sleek muscular frames, many bedeck themselves with precious ornaments of cowrie shell, animal fur, and bird plumage. The real beauty of the Dani people, though, resides in the region of the solar plexus, called “etai-eken” or “seeds of singing”. Fusing our concepts of soul and personality, the “etai-eken” are regarded as the vital center of every individual’s being. I find the connection between soul and singing a perfect affirmation of my passion for music. For the Dani, as for us, pleasurable sound creates the harmonious accompaniment of life, transforming and uplifting the inner self.

From dizzying motion to serene calm, from the powerful mystique of ancestors to the spontaneous giggle of children, from volcanic stirrings to gentle waves, this archipelago fulfills a hunger for completion.

By Vivek R. Bammi, photographer and author, “Indonesia: A Feast for the Senses” (Jakarta, PT Sukarya & Sukarya, 2005).

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Nikoi Beach House.

Think of Indonesia’s perfect beaches and idyllic island life, and Bali and Lombok immediately spring to mind. Their beaches and other island offerings may still rank among the world’s most stunning and exotic, but seclusion is an increasingly rare commodity. Perhaps you’ve tired of the ‘tropical paradise’ picture perfect postcard retreats you love, which are still undeniably beautiful, but now spoilt by unkempt beaches and more likely to feature other red-faced foreigners more interested in their Bintang Beer than endless stretches of white sand and palm trees. Or perhaps as a seasoned Southeast Asia old hand you’ve seen it all, and island-hopped enough so much so that it’s the rare few special island or resort that can stir up any excitement at all.

One of the best things about Indonesia that’s easy to forget, especially after getting caught up in the big city lights of Jakarta, is that the country is in fact also the world’s largest archipelago, among its other claims to fame, which puts more than 18 000 islands at your disposal — 6000 if you count only the inhabited ones. And the fact that few international travellers bother to venture elsewhere beyond the usual suspects only means more space for the rest of us.

Nikoi Beach Sunshade.

Closer to Singapore than to Jakarta, Nikoi island off the east coast of Bintan, is Riau’s best-kept secret. The private island is owned by a small group of expatriate owners who’d spent decades working in the region. The vacation spots in the vicinity fell short of their expectations. Bintan and Batam’s resort selections offered mostly mass tourist hysteria, and the very idea of a ‘resort’ was synonymous with uniform mediocrity and packaged tourists. They accidentally discovered the island of Nikoi on a boat trip from Bintan, and the rest is history: building up the the island’s slowly and sensibly, there are a mere six houses on the island at the moment, and plans in the pipeline for just nine more. If you’re here for privacy, seclusion, and a spot of romance, this is precisely it.

Zipping over from Singapore by ferry, we whizzed through the VIP lounge on arrival, the seaport equivalent of ‘fast track’ immigration clearance. An hour later we were in Kawal, site of a small Nikoi-bound jetty. My measure of how special an island is is pretty rudimentary. How much does it makes my jaw drop, in the first minute or so when the island comes into your line of sight, and does it make me think “I’m so lucky to be here”? Islands like Koh Lipe do that to me, while Phuket and Koh Phi Phi never do. And now, onboard Nikoi’s homebound classic wooden launch boat “Mana”, as we approached Nikoi I felt what owners Andrew and Julia Dixon must have felt when they first spotted the island in 2001: this might be paradise.



Fishing Floats.

There was no one on the beach when we landed except the affable Yogi (“Call me Yogi Bartender!”) and his crew — amazing. Yogi mixed us a much-needed welcome drink, and the mellow sounds of good jazz never stopped. Some islands just exude a wonderful vibe without having to try too hard, and Nikoi was one such place. It felt more like stumbling into someone’s Robinson Crusoe island, not the least bit like the impersonal resorts we’ve all grown used to. And it kept getting better.



Each one of the houses was a sturdy two-storey beach house. Downstairs, a wonderful chill out space with day beds and a bar; upstairs, a comfortable, spacious bedroom with the balcony opening out to the ocean. The houses, like most other architectural elements on Nikoi, are the pride and joy of designer Peter Timmer, who was part of the original founding party. Having lived in Bintan for decades and passionate about the natural surroundings of the region, he handcrafted the houses from driftwood, and emerged with distinctive double vaulted roofs for each. The way the houses are built, says Timmer, makes the very idea of air-conditioning unnecessary — the houses are kept cool naturally, for hot air escapes through the chimney-like roofs.



I haven’t been in a hotel like this in a long time, in fact I wasn’t even sure I could call Nikoi a ‘hotel’ or a ‘resort’. It was everything it promised to be: secluded, private, charming, quiet… and different. This was barefoot luxury at its best. The houses in their smallest configurations, the one-bedroom houses (they also come in two and three-bedroom) had at least 100 square metres upstairs, a far cry from tiny standard hotel rooms. Instead of opulent five-star luxury, accommodation is all about adventure and charm — “Luxury Survivor”, according to its owners — and every inch of the rooms, with natural touches of stone and wood everywhere, stood out. Within five minutes of being there, I felt like I never wanted to leave.



The food was fresh and seasonal, with the items on offer depending on what’s available that day transformed into fine dishes under the watchful eye of Nikoi’s expert chefs. The wine list was short but commendable, and Yogi Bartender’s cocktails delightful. Local flavours and dishes, barbequed seafood and unbelievably sweet tropical fruits, were served three times a day at the dining room or sea-view clubhouse, with the occasional live jazz act on hand to provide entertainment. At other times, meals can be served in the privacy of your own beach house or right on the beach. Whatever you end up doing in Nikoi one thing’s for sure: there won’t be many people around to cramp your style. The island can hold up to 60 people, but in reality very rarely ever even reaches half of that.



Yoga on the Rocks.

If long lazy dinners, pina colada in hand, gets too much for you, the fine people at Nikoi will be glad to help. Pick up snorkelling or fishing equipment, and head for the sea — the waters off Nikoi are as lovely and pristine as the island itself is. All equipment for activities are provided free of charge, and on a slow day if you feel like sailing — but can’t — one of the staff will be happy to take you out to sea on one of the lasers they own. Land-roving adventurers may prefer unwinding at the beach or the lovely swimming pool, or if that gets stale, beach vollyball or a nature walk around the island to witness the beautifully conserved flora and fauna are always viable options (if you have children, ask about special activities for kids — there are too many to name).



All of which was activity enough for us for three days. We woke up every morning in Nikoi to a view of the open ocean and trundled about barefoot everywhere: beach, house, beach, house, pool, house, bar, clubhouse, and when we decided to attempt to be ‘active’, ended up stuck at sea in a laser neither of us could operate (but that’s another story for another day). The food was good, and the beach, perfect. In a short period of time Nikoi’s become the best-kept secret you only want to tell your favourite people about, and is already becoming increasingly harder to book, but it’s easy to see why. This could be the new paradise.



Getting There
Via Singapore: Numerous ferries depart from Singapore’s Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal for Bintan, daily. Upon arrival at Bintan’s ferry teminal, Nikoi’s transportation package arranges for VIP clearance at immigration, the car to Kawal, and the boat ride to Nikoi (return).


Via Jakarta: Riau Airlines and Sriwijaya Airlines fly from Jakarta to Tanjung Pinang, Bintan’s main town. Upon arrival, transportation can be arranged towards Kawal, and to Nikoi.



Nikoi: www.nikoi.com Everything you need to know about the island, accommodation, activities, and bookings.
 

Adrianna Tan is a Singaporean photojournalist and new media producer based in Dubai and Kuala Lumpur. Her “Postcards from London and Dubai” travelogue can be found online at http://fortylove.tv.

This article was published in the print edition of Kabar in March 2009.

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Dede Suryana

Mengejar Ombak, the documentary about Dede Suryana, a young surfer from a West Java village who became an international star, has just won two awards at X-Dance Film Festival in Salt Lake City, a sports documentary festival that runs in conjunction with Sundance Film Festival.

Big congratulations to Jakarta-based director Dave Arnold – this has been a labour of love many years in the making, and all the hard work has resulted in an excellent and thoughtful film that explores the journey of a very special kampung kid thrust into the international surfing spotlight.

Click here to view the trailer and read the article about the film that Dave wrote for Kabar back in 2007. Premieres are planned soon for several locations in Indonesia – we’ll keep you posted!

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‘Nausicaa’ suite

It starts out as an aimless drive, undertaken purely for the pleasure of being out and about on rural Bali roads on a clear blue afternoon. One glimpse of the sign, however, and the day has a new sense of purpose. It is discreet, simple, a smallish slab of wood engraved with a Kanji character that, we later discover, represents Michi: a Taoist word denoting ‘the Journey and ultimately the Way towards one’s Great Integrity.’

Little knowing what awaits, but happily idle and intrigued, we look at each other, reverse, and take the turn that will lead us through Jukut Paku village, past a magnificent banyan tree and down to the Michi Retreat.

Once there, we are confronted by a mosaic marvel. Gaudi in Bali? The restaurant dazzles with its playful mobiles and claw-footed, mirror-studded pillars. Across the valley, distant figures are discernable in the lush padi, where a terrace of intense green drops down to the rushing river below.

View of pool and valley.

The Founder – who, with a combination of modesty and mystique, does not wish to be named – appears shortly after our arrival. A former professor of cultural anthropology, he is in his late seventies and walks with the aid of a silver-capped stick, his canine companion Bubu by his side. While he consults with staff, someone presents a brochure.

Towards the back of the booklet is a page entitled ‘The Tale of a Nomad: Freedom from the Spurious and the Specious.’

The Tale reads as follows:
Japan’s invasion of Manchuria in 1931 was a thunderclap to an infant living near the Russian border of inner Mongolia. After seven decades of a peripatetic existence, the founder was able to unearth a strip of the land in Ubud, an art & craft center of Bali. The place was a providential “Canaan” for him…

The Founder approaches us, then listens appreciatively to our story of how we were inexplicably drawn along the path to Michi. “You’re not staying here? You can’t afford it,” he surmises, with some sympathy, before we have a chance to respond.

His sympathy is sincere: we are treated to lunch. The meticulous care taken over every detail here soon becomes apparent – every item of cutlery and tableware is unique, and beautiful. The chilled water is delicately flavoured with hints of fresh mint and lemon. And, as we discover from this and future meals, the food is divine. “Food is my obsession,” the Founder remarks. So much so that he has sent his chef, Ayu, for training abroad: she has had the opportunity to enhance her culinary skills in Italy, France and Japan.

Michi is a cooperative, built and run by the people of Jukut Paku, under the guidance of the Founder. It has now been almost ten years in the making, a process of design, training, construction and reconstruction. The workers will share in any profits of the retreat and, ultimately, it belongs to them. “I found my heart in harmony with the local people,” says the Founder. “I want to leave something good here.”

‘Only Yesterday’ suite

Each room or villa is different to the last detail (and of details there are many). One suite is inspired by the story of Odysseus, the rest by the Founder’s own lifetime of wandering, taking in the friends he met along the way (one suite is dedicated to Man Ray), his passions (coffee and Coco Chanel), and the good old days (the glittering Only Yesterday is replete with old cameras, typewriters, contemporary art and jazz memorabilia). There is a temple, a meditation hall, a library dedicated to Gandhi and Tagore, and a dance studio dedicated to celebrated Indian classical dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai.

While guests have been visiting the retreat for some time now, it has most often been by chance or invitation – “the longest soft opening in history,” as the Founder would have it. Now, however, the time has come for Michi to be discovered.

To find Michi, visit www.michiretreat.com or call +62 361 973432.

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Real Sundanese food.

We took the Jalan Tol west to Serang, then headed south on the coast road towards Labuan. It didn’t look very promising at first – it’s a dusty, industrial stretch of road with rocks-only beaches and dirty water. Tourism is one of the main industries here (along with steel and petrochemicals- yum!) and there are lots of seedy guesthouses and mile after mile of kitsch pink concrete karaoke parlours. There are a few good hotels, all a bit expensive for what you get, but nothing that fit our ‘back to nature’ ideal. That said, if you do get stuck here you could do worse than staying at the Nuansa Bali or Ekowisata Carita Banten. We found one more place- a private beach called Pondok Anda with only two (rather ratty) bungalows run by a man named Pak Udi.

One very good reason to stop here though is the Bandulu watersports center. They have a massive selection of sailing dinghies, catamarans and windsurfers. If it wasn’t for the shipwrecked barge on the beach, this would be Java’s most idyllic sailing spot. The operation is twinned with the Ancol Windsurfing Club and is clearly signposted from the main road.

Further south the development begins to thin out- with the exception of the Sol Elite Marbella. This mind-numbingly ugly jumble of concrete boxes enables tourists to completely deny the existence of anything natural or beautiful on their holiday. I suppose it makes going home to Jakarta easier. It has a stretch of beach but it is almost always in the shadow of the hotel and the two-metre high cement walls around it.

As the developments thinned out, the road grew quieter and there was more and more green around. But there were still no good beaches. Most of the coast along here is rocky reef which is great if you like lobster but not so good for easy swimming.

Then we saw Sambolo.

A Banten Beach.

‘It’s Sambolo!’ I cried.
‘We already passed Sambolo,’ said our driver.
‘Okay, but could you please stop anyway,’ I said (I was learning).

Sambolo beach is idyllic. It’s got a clean sandy bottom and is protected from the open sea by two reefs that reach out to each other across the bay. The 7-bed bungalows are all made of traditional materials (ironic as it’s owned by a foreigner, unlike all the pink concrete monstrosities we’d passed), face the sea and have their own barbecue pits. Most of them are leased by embassies and foreign companies but the ones at the northern end of the beach can be rented by anybody who turns up, it seems.

Three minutes after we got out of the car the Great Banten Beach Hunt was officially discontinued. Sambolo wasn’t in need of any ‘discovering,’ but it is still very very nice. It’s quiet, it’s in tune with its surroundings and its surroundings are very nice too. The sea is nearly always calm and clean, making it perfect for families with small children. One of the local massage ladies who hangs around Sambolo, Ibu Sarni, offered to cook us dinner. We took her up on the offer and were treated to some absolute gems of Sundanese cuisine. Could life be any sweeter?

The next day we took a walk up to a waterfall a few kilometres south. It’s a fairly easy walk but it does get a bit rocky and slippery towards the end. The waterfall itself is stunningly gorgeous and you can jump from the top and swim down the river before climbing up and out through the jungle. It’s popular with locals and we had a really good time sipping Teh Botol from one of the warungs that somehow has appeared there and singing Beatles songs with some guitar-equipped local lads. There’s also an eco-resort nearby that offers lectures on the uses of the plants that grow in the area. Just ask the way to the air terjun.

The next day, as we headed back to Jakarta we stopped at one of the beachside ikan bakar places a few kilometres north of Sambolo. Like all the others, it’s a series of miniature huts in which you can while away your weekend with cheap lobster, views of Krakatau and a very lazy atmosphere. Sundanese cooking is healthy, tasty and credited with giving Sundanese women the halus-est skin in Indonesia. It simply must be tried- the specialities here are snapper and lobster.

Out of our planned 500km trip, we’d covered about 150km. That leaves 350km of possible perfect beach to explore next time. Or at least that’s what we told ourselves. After all, if you already know a perfect beach…

Contacts:

Ibu Sarni
Don’t worry- if you’re at Sambolo, she’ll find you!

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Every time I came home to Surabaya, for the near-year I lived there, when I stepped off the plane, I thought “Oh, there’s my Surabaya sun”. Always shining, (ok, except for during the rainy season), the sky bright blue, and panas. So strong in fact that when I walked across my campus at the University of Surabaya, I was often jealous of the students that had umbrellas. But, as a fan of the sun, and of clear blue skies, I found it very comforting that this East Javanese village of over 4 million people never let me down.

Sunny Surabaya.

When you find yourself in Surabaya, whether for work or on a stop-over, you should take a few days to look around. The expat community is quite small and walking through even the Tunjungan Plaza, Surabaya’s (currently) biggest mall, will probably draw some stares. It’s not a city about foreigners. It’s also not a city dedicated to the memory of traditional Javanese culture like Yogyakarta. Rather, it’s a thoroughly modern Java. The city is replete with a growing collection of malls and hypermarkets; highly observant Muslims and a thriving Chinatown; mosques dedicated to the founders of Javanese Islam and those built recently with Saudi sponsorship; and weekly drag shows featuring Dangdut performances at the local amusement park (Taman Remaja) – combining bumper cars and waria nightlife in one fell swoop.

Minke (the hero of Toer’s infamous Buru Quartet) hailed from Surabaya and returned there, as many do, to go to University. It’s probably not a coincidence that this “City of Heroes” was also key in the fight for Independence. Indonesian nationalists declared independence here just after the end of WWII saw the defeat of the occupying Japanese. However, the British helped the Dutch re-capture their colony in the Battle of Surabaya, and so the city had to wait, along with the rest of the country, until 1949 when independence was officially granted.

This battle is memorialized all over town, particularly at the Tugu Pahlawan monument. But no visit to Surabaya is complete without a trip to the beautiful Majapahit Hotel, where nationalists gathered to discuss plans for revolt. This thoroughly enchanting spot has been well-preserved, and if you squint you might be able to see the likes of Graham Greene sipping his whiskey in the lobby bar. The dark wood and colorful stained glass combined with lovely gardens and high arches make for an excellent example of Dutch colonial architecture. Even if you don’t stay there, you just must go for a drink in the bar or dinner at Sarkies, arguably one of the best Chinese restaurants in East Java.

For hundreds of years Surabaya has been a significant port and trading city for Eastern Indonesia. Currently, the major official products to come out of its port include sugar, tobacco, and coffee. Unofficially, it’s legacy as a port city has also helped make Surabaya a major sex-trafficking hub (something that has contributed to the growth of the ‘Dolly Brothel Complex’ – allegedly the largest red light district in all of Southeast Asia).

Despite this dubious distinction, Surabaya’s port city atmosphere should be experienced, which is easily done by taking an easy 30-minute ferry over to Madura. You can spend anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days exploring this little island – the far eastern side of which offers lovely beaches in Sumenep. The best time to go is during August or September so you can see the colorful and exciting bull racing – the Madurese prepare all year for these races and it’s well worth the trip. Just go to Tanjung Perak, the Surabaya harbor, and follow directions for Madura.

Gateway to Chinatown.

Kya-Kya, Surabaya’s Chinatown, is located in the northern part of the city, and in the evenings the main street is shut down to cars and a pedestrian area is opened up offering a plethora of Chinese-Indonesian food options and some shopping. Also located in these parts is a Chinese Buddhist Temple, Tri Darma Temple, where they will happily show you around and may even give you an I-Ching reading. Nestled in the Chinese quarter, which is mostly made up of old Dutch buildings, the walk to the temple affords you the opportunity to stroll, which is not so easily done in the Indonesian big city.

Not far from Kya-Kya is Ampel, the Arab Quarter, originally the home of the region’s Yemenese population. Named after Sunan Ampel, one of the five walis who brought Islam to Java in the 15th century, this compound contains Sunan’s tomb as well the oldest mosque in Surabaya, Masjid Ampel. The narrow and very colorful streets are alive with activity and are easily walkable. They all lead eventually to the bustling market that brings you directly to the mosque. As long as you dress respectfully (for women that means having your head covered) you should have no problem wandering around this area and the mosque all afternoon.

Rolling kretek cigarettes at the House of Sampoerna.

When you are done exploring Ampel you should go directly to Café Sampoerna, also in the North. Located in the House of Sampoerna, a colonial-style Dutch compound built in 1862, this site includes both a neat museum and spot to view women workers speedily rolling Sampoerna kretek cigarettes. The food is amongst the best in Surabaya, both for lunch and dinner, and the art-deco décor is delightful. It’s also one of the few places you can get Storm Brew, the excellent micro-brew from Bali. The cool air-con will be welcome after an afternoon in the hot Surabaya sun.

Lastly, if you happen to be in Surabaya during Ramadan, you must go to the warungs around Masjid Agung (Al-Akbar) in southern Surabaya, on Jalan Achmad Yani, in Gayungsari. The area around this beautiful and imposing blue mosque, the newest in Surabaya, comes alive with activity as families gather in the late afternoon to buy food to break the daily fast. With the soft setting sun in the background there is lovely a festive feel to the air, not to be missed.

First published in Kabar 2006.

Surabaya Specifics

Places to stay

High End:
Majapahit Hotel
Jl. Tunjungan
+62 31 545 4333 65
www.mandarinoriental.com

Affordable and nice:
Santika Hotel
Jl. Pandegiling No. 45, Raya Darmo
+62 21 532 8682, 535 7573

Narita Hotel (lovely Javanese style)
Jl Barata Jaya XVII/57-59
+62 31 501 6969
www.naritahotel.com/sbyeng

Places to eat

Café Sampoerna
Jl. Taman Sampoerna 6
+62 31 353 9000

Café Jendela
Jl. Sonokembang – right in downtown Surabaya. Offers excellent Indonesian and Western food in a lovely garden setting. In addition to the food you will also enjoy the invariably high quality live music that plays every night. Also, for the ladies, attached to the restaurant is a shop called Read’s that sells unique and colorful handbags and jewelry – I found it hard to resist buying something every single time I popped in.

Sarkies in the Majapahit Hotel
Hachi-Hachi (Sushi) in Tunjungan Plaza (fifth floor TP4).
Bakerzine (Frenchish café food) in Tunjungan Plaza (third floor TP4).

Night Life

Colours on Jalan Sumatra
Hugo’s in the Sheraton Hotel downtown.
Redboxx at the Supermall Pakuwon Indah

Getting to Surabaya
There are frequent flights from Jakarta, but if you are coming from Yogyakarta I strongly suggest the train – the Executive Class Argo Willis is a cheap and easy way to see the East Javanese country side and it brings you right into downtown Surabaya.

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