Surabaya Travel Guide

Most people go to Surabaya to take the boat to Bali or Sulawesi but there is a lot more to do and see than just the harbor, the docks and the piers. Surabaya has an interseting old city, great shopping in the modern center and the bustling kind of city life you can find only in Asian megacities.

Jembatan Merah is the place to start exploring the city. Around it you find many old houses built by the Dutch. Chinatown is just around the corner, with famous boulevard named Jalan Kembang Jepun.

The Pasar Pabean is a big market that is worth a visit. In the heart of the Arab quarter you find the Masjid Ampel Mosque. You can reach the mosque through the covered bazar in Jalan Ampel Suci.

Surabaya has good nighlife. Tunjungan Plaza is the place to head for, there are a few disco's around. There are many restaurants are nearby as well.  And now added with pedestrian food stalls within a complex named Kya Kya.

A booming city of over 3 million, Surabaya offers many good hotels, shopping centers and entertainment. Its well stocked zoological garden include several species of Indonesian fauna like "orang utan", komodo dragon and a collection of nocturnal animals.

Kalimas is an old traditional harbor for the world famous Bugis schooner "phinisi" which sailed the Indonesian seas for hundreds of years. At present those praus can still be seen in their former glory with big colorful sails.