Surabaya Budget Travel Guide is created for the benefit of those who are thinking of visiting it. The places of interest in this city are listed and described for your convenience.
Surabaya is a major city in Indonesia. The capital of East Java, it is located on the northern shore of Java, at the mouth of the Mas River. Among Indonesians, Surabaya is the significant site of the battle that propelled the nation towards independence. Today Surabaya is a city of 3 million people within a metropolitan area with a population of close to 7 million people. It is the second biggest city in Java as well as in Indonesia.
The first recorded mention of Surabaya was in the 13th century. It was also mentioned in the chronicles of Ma Huan, who travelled with the fleet of Admiral Zheng He in the 15th century. Surabaya was an independent sultanate until 1625, when it was conquered by the Sultan of Mataram. It then fell into Dutch hands in 1743. Under the Dutch, Surabaya became a major trading port and naval base.
Today Surabaya is a major seaport and trading hub for eastern Java. It is a metropolis with big shopping malls, numerous mosques - there is even one dedicated to Zheng He, and the only synagogue in Indonesia.
The main international gateway to Surabaya is the Juanda International Airport (SUB), located in Sidoarjo. It is the second biggest and second busiest airport in Indonesia after the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport of Jakarta. Among the airlines flying there include Garuda, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, EVA Air, Malaysia Airlines, Mandala Airlines, Merpati Nusantara, SilkAir and Sriwijaya Air. Budget travellers can take AirAsia from Kuala Lumpur and Valuair from Singapore.
From the airport, you can take a taxi to downtown. The fare is between US$5-US$10 depending on your destination. There is a taxi counter where you buy the taxi coupon. Alternatively if you are able to hop into a taxi dropping passengers, you may get a cheaper ride to town.
The main form of transportation for tourists would be the taxi. The flag-fall is Rp. 4,000, though drivers will expect a minimum fare of Rp. 10,000 for short trips.
Gereja Kelahiran Santa Perawan Maria The oldest church in Surabaya.
Grahadi Former residence of the Dutch governor of East Java. Now cultural performances are staged for the benefit of tourists.
House of Sampoerna Dutch-era building from 1862 housing the museum of Sampoerna, Indonesia's popular cigarette manufacturer. There is also an art gallery and café at the premises.
Loop A night bazaar and food centre.
Masjid Al Akbar Surabaya The biggest mosque in Surabaya.
Masjid Cheng Ho Mosque dedicated to Admiral Zheng He, who happened to be a Muslim.
Monumen Jalasveva Jayamahe Waterfront monument dedicated to the Indonesian Navy.
Surabaya Zoo One of the largest and best zoological gardens in Southeast Asia.
Suramadu bridge Cable-stayed bridge connecting Surabaya in Java to Bangkalan on the island of Madura.
Tugu Pahlawan Memorial commemorating the fallen heroes of the fight for independence in 1945-49.
Sights near Surabaya
Alas Purwo National Park National park on the southeastern tip of Java.
Baluran National Park National park on the northeastern tip of Java.
Gunung Arjuna 3,339-meter mountain near Tretes.
Madura Island off Surabaya, popular for its annual bull races (kerapan sapi)
Malang Highland town two hours from Surabaya.
Mount Bromo One of the most beautiful volcanoes in Indonesia
Pamekasan Capital of the island of Madura
Tretes Mountain resort about 55 km (35 miles) to the soouth of Surabaya.
Shopping in Surabaya
Surabaya has a number of shopping malls, with more in the process of completion in the next few years.
Ciputra World Mall A major shopping mall to be completed in 2011. It features the longest escalator in Surabaya.
Grand City Mall An upscale shopping mall on Jl Bukit Darmo.
Lenmarc Mall The first golf-view mall in Surabaya.
Mal Galaxy Biggest shopping mall in eastern Surabaya.
Plaza Tunjungan The biggest shopping mall in central Surabaya.
Supermal Pakuwon Indah (SPI) and Pakuwon Trade Center (PTD) Together, these form the largest shopping complex in western Surabaya. SPK is the more upmarket of the two.
Before booking a hotel room, make sure you are getting the lowest price for it. Different hotel booking websites offers the same room at different prices. If you stick with one site all the time, you could be paying more for the same room. Now why pay more?
The form below is a Research Engine. It doesn't take bookings. Instead it lets you find the hotel booking website that offers the room you want at the lowest price. You can see and compare what different sites are offering, and then click to choose the one with the best price. Do this, and you're guaranteed to save a whole lot of money on your room reservations!
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Our engine will return you a list of possible flights that you can take. You can compare the fare of different airlines for your trip. Click on your selected airline, and we transfer you to the airline website.
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