Surabaya City

The name of Surabaya is come from the word Sura, means shark and Baya, means crocodile. With over 3 million people, unpretentious Surabaya may be the second-largest city in Indonesia, but it's a little lacking in sights. However, many people come here on business, and Surabaya is also a gateway city for Mount Bromo and the island of Bali. The city's attractions tend to be more apparent to those who make it their home rather than to short-term visitors.

With the tropical climate, you need to wear casual clothes. T-shirts, shorts, sandals or shoes. Remember, don't wear eye catching accessories in public places. During the rainy season (November-April), be prepared for occasional flash floods and traffic jams, even though it's not as bad as Jakarta.

Tourism Information office: Jl. Wisata Menanggal, Tel.: (62)(31) 853 1815, (62)(31) 853 1820

Talk

The national language Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian) is the medium of government, commerce and education. Many locals also speak the regional language, Javanese (Sometimes with Suroboyoan dialect.) There is a surprising amount of English visible in Surabaya on advertising and signs, and English is the most widely understood foreign language.

To call elderly people, use 'Pak'(short for 'Bapak') for men and 'Bu' (short for 'Ibu') for women. To call young adult people, use 'Mas' for men and 'Mbak' for women. To call children, use 'Dik' (short for 'Adik') for both gender. 'Permisi' is excuse me, 'Terima Kasih'/'Makasih' is thank you, and 'Maaf' is sorry.

Get in

By plane

Surabaya's Juanda Airport (SUB) is one of the busiest in the country, with very frequent flights to Jakarta and other major Indonesian destinations, as well as some direct international flights to destinations including Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Taipei, and Bandar Seri Begawan. A new, fairly spiffy terminal opened in 2006, with all the facilities you'd expect (ATMs, car rental, etc), and international and domestic flights now depart from the same building.

Officially, you're supposed to buy fixed-fare taxi coupons from the "Prima Taxi" stand for the 18 km trip into town, around US$5-10 depending on your exact destination. In practice you may be able to get a driver dropping off passengers to pick you up. If you're going further away (eg. Mount Bromo), it'll be cheaper to a rent a car with a driver instead. There is a sketchy and infrequent Airport Bus service to the Bungurasih bus station on the southern outskirts of the city.

By train

Surabaya has two main stations, Surabaya Pasar Turi and Surabaya Gubeng. Seats in eksekutif (first class) and bisnis (second class) for any intercity journey can be reserved up to 30 days in advance at any major railway station in Java.

Trains using the northern main line from Gambir Station in Jakarta take at least nine hours to arrive at Pasar Turi, while trains using the southern main line take no less than 15. Air-conditioned trains are available on both routes, though. The Argo Bromo Anggrek, Sembrani and Gumarang trains use the northern line, while the Bima uses the south line. All these trains have air-conditioned eksekutif accommodations.

Trains from Bandung and Yogyakarta use the Gubeng station. The Argo Wilis travels at daytime, allowing passengers to enjoy the scenery in the western part of the route. The Sancaka travels to Yogyakarta via Solo twice a day and takes approximately 6 hours. Railway connections to Bali are made by the twice-a-day Mutiara Timur express to Banyuwangi, transferring to buses before the ferry crossing to Gilimanuk. Don't forget to buy salak bali.

Slow and packed local trains to Malang depart from Kota station (also known as Semut) and pass through Gubeng station on their way south.

By sea

* PT Angkutan Sungai Danau dan Penyeberangan/PT ASDP: daily ferry service from Ujung Kamal, Madura to Tanjung Perak, Surabaya.

* PT Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia/PT Pelni: passenger ships from Makassar to Tanjung Perak, Surabaya. Other routes are available. Website: PT Pelni.

By road

Surabaya has frequent bus connections to all parts of East Java, and to major cities in other parts of Java and beyond. The main bus terminal is at Bungurasih, about 10 km south of the city. There are frequent departures to Malang and to Probolinggo (for Mount Bromo), so just turn up. Long-haul bus journeys are best booked in advance.

Another option is to go by minibus (known in Indonesia as travel). A number of companies run door-to-door minibus services to major destinations in Java, including Malang and Yogyakarta. These services are both more convenient and more expensive than public buses. Seats can be booked in advance through company offices, and also through many hotels and travel agents.

Get around

Taxis, buses, and other have yellow vehicle number plates.

By taxi

Taxis are plentiful on the streets of Surabaya. Some taxis are not renowned for their reliability and honesty, so get the well known taxis eg. Blue Bird Group, Silver and Express and insist on the meter. Figure on Rp 20,000 for a cross-town trip and Rp 70,000 to the airport. Flag-fall is Rp 4,000, but drivers will expect a minimum fare of Rp 10,000 for short trips. For longer trips, pay the fare shown on the meter rounded up to the nearest multiple of Rp 1,000. Drivers will appreciate a tip of a few thousand rupiah, but this is optional. Be careful though, a lot of taxi drivers will take the long route to a destination regardless of the firm.

By train

Commuter city trains is extremely limited, serving some parts of Surabaya and Sidoarjo.

By bus

It is not recommended to travel in Surabaya by bus, since it's always so crowded and there are many pickpocket and beggars, and sometimes the street musician (Ind: 'Pengamen') asks for the money by using some kind of "pressives" (notice that I delete the "im-") methods. even there are two class of Surabaya's bus: a) standard bus (always very full); and b) Patas Bus (it was supposed to be first class bus, but it stil... bus..)

Other transportation

'Becak' is a traditional transportation in Surabaya, but you probably won't use it, since 'becak' aren't allowed in major streets. 'Bemo' or 'Angkot'(Angkutan Kota) or 'Mikrolet' is a public transportation that uses cars that are modified and painted. But it's hard to get around with this transportation, because their route is a bit confusing. And there are pickpockets too, sometimes you can found "street hypnotist"(Ind : Gendam), man (or maybe men and sometimes women), that use hypnotic method to rob your pocket. they can make you unconscious (and un-aware to yourself) so they can command you anything (from give your money until give your ATM pin number) Some victim report that they still feel confuse (un-aware), until 2-3 hours after 'gendam'-ed. but other people says that high self-confidence and self-conciousness can prevent this gendam. Gendam usually found in angkot which pass trough traditional market (Kupang, Keputran, Wonokromo, Gembong, etc.) 'Angguna' (short from : Angkutan Serba Guna; multi purpose transport), it's like a cab, but without Air Conditioner. it makes them cheaper than taxi (the most interest thing is, you must BARGAIN the price). you can found it in the whole part of town. the maximum passenger is 4 persons, with a space in the rear of the car, that used to put some goods and things, it have 3 doors (there is only one door at rear seat).

See

* Grahadi. The colonial-era residence of the Governor of East Java. You can watch Reog dance, a vigorous traditional dance at 'Balai Pemuda' (Youth Hall- one historical building in Surabaya) every Sunday at 11 am.

* Surabaya Zoo (Kebun Binatang/Bonbin), 3 km south of the city (near Joyoboyo bus terminal). One of the largest and best in South-East Asia. You also can see the Suroboyo monument near the zoo entrance.

* Masjid Cheng Ho, a mosque with beautiful Chinese architecture.

* House of Sampoerna [2]. Situated in "old Surabaya"‚ this stately Dutch colonial-style compound was built in 1862 and is now a preserved historical site. Cited as the top tourist destination in Surabaya, the complex offers a museum, an art gallery, a cafe as well as souvenir shops. Check out the timing for the museum's main attraction: hundreds of girls hand-rolling Indonesia's most prestigious cigarette, Dji Sam Soe, using traditional equipment. They do it at an unbelievable speed. A must see!

* Tugu Pahlawan A monument dedicated to the fallen heroes of Surabaya during the Independence war of 1945-49.

* Kya-Kya Kembang Jepun At night the Kembang Jepun area in Chinatown is transformed into a street bazaar of food stalls. An interesting show of Indo-Chinese culture and atmosphere.

* Monumen Jalasveva Jayamahe A monument in Surabaya's seafront dedicated to the service of The Indonesian Navy.

* Monumen Kapal Selam A submarine monument, called Pasopati, next to Delta Plaza.

* G-Walk located in west Surabaya (Citra-raya) they have a lot of food stall and bazaar at night you can find most of famous food in this town. it's very crowded at night and it's a place for a lot of young people to hang out.

* Pasar Ampel A large Arab market selling carpets and all other goodies. At the end of the main narrow lane is the mosque and grave of one of the nine Muslim saints of Java, Sunan Ampel.

* Masjid Al Akbar Surabaya A very huge mosque (some said it's the biggest mosque at SE-asia) the mosque has a tower which equipped by an elevator, so the visitors can see surabaya from top of the tower, 65 metres (195 ft) height.

* G Walk. G means GAPURA. Kind of food of Indonesia, Chinesee, European, American and snack ... hmmm yummyyyyy ..... and chip enought, G Walk will not broke your financial even you often visit and eat. Tapi yang duitnya pas2an seminggu sekali cukuplah ya. The location in the Citraland estate along RUKO... maybe about 300 mtrs lenght full of food, it will guarante you the view, nah view-nya ini yang membuat kita semakin tidak rugi ..... mau muda, mau tua, yang pacaran, nge-date, yang sama keluarga ... bayi juga boleh. Tinggal pilih tempat. Saran saja lho .....jangan salah pilih tempat, yang keluarga cari yang lampunya banyak dan menyala tentunya (ga ada larangan dan hukumnya sich) cuma kasihan sma yang muda-mudi mungkin terganggu ... maklumlah dan toleransilah sama yang lagi kasmaran. Muda-mudi atau yang mau indehoi bisa pilih yang lampunya sedikit dan pelit menyala. Boleh bermesraan tapi yo isin plek !!!!, bisik-bisik cinta bolehlah.

IT IS RECOMMENDED to visit. === suggs.bf@lycos.com ===

Do

* Swim and have fun with water in Ciputra Waterpark [3], a great place for swimming, it has wave pool, slides, and more. This waterpark is located in the CitraRaya complex. Usually crowded on Saturdays, Sundays and other holidays. The waterpark opens until 8 pm.

* Enjoy the local arts at Balai Pemuda, an art center in the heart of Surabaya, near the City Hall. You can watch the Reog Dance and other art performance. The big event is Festival Seni Surabaya (FSS), held every year on June. At Dutch Colonial era, this building was a club called Simpangsche Societeit.

* Get around the Old Town area (Around Kembang Jepun to the port) and enjoy the view of nice colonial buildings. By night, you can eat in the Kya-Kya Kembang Jepun.

* Surabaya has several golf courses. Try to golf in Bukit Darmo Golf [4]. This golf course is located in the elite housing area in West Surabaya. This course has 18 holes, designed by Jack Nicklaus II. Another alternative is Yani Golf. This course is built in hilly terrain. Otherwise, you can try Graha Famili golf course (18 holes), inside Graha Famili real estate site, near the Bukit Darmo Golf.

* Watch movie in 21 Group cinemas, a nice cinema. 21 Cinemas have air-conditioners, and nice seat (But check your seat condition, sometimes the seat isn't clean.)You can know a cinema is a group of 21 from the last name, like Empire 21 or Tunjungan 21. Beware of other cinemas , which usually dirty, unsafe, and without air-conditioner. Vida is also available as a supermarket/cinema. It is located across from the Shangri-La Hotel.

Buy, Shopping malls

Surabaya boasts some of South-East Asia's largest shopping malls. Try to shopping at 1st May to 30th June, when the Surabaya Big Sale is going on. There will be discount up to 50% in many Surabaya's stores.

* BG Junction The largest and newest on north of surabaya they have carefour and a lot of variety of jewellery store so if you want to buy jewellery you definitely have to go to this place.

* Plaza Surabaya (Delta Plaza), Jl Pemuda. One of the oldest shopping malls in town. Beside Delta Plaza is the Monkasel(Monumen Kapal Selam) or the Submarine Monument.

* Galaxy Mall. One of largest and newest mall in East Surabaya, with two interconnected buildings (Galaxy Mall 1 and 2). Many luxury things found here.

* Supermall Pakuwon Indah (SPI) and Pakuwon Trade Center (PTC). The largest,newest one in West Surabaya. SPI contains the exclusive part of the mall and PTC for the less exclusive part. PTC has an area that sells pets.

* Tunjungan Plaza (TP), Jl Basuki Rahmat. The largest in center Surabaya, with four interconnected buildings (TP 1 - TP 4) selling everything. Good selection of restaurants on the top floors and the basement. There are some department stores in TP such as SOGO (at TP 4), Matahari (at TP3), Rimo (at TP2). Enjoy yourself at Stingers, an game area near the food court or Timezone, a popular arcade.

* Maspion Square. A shopping mall situated in Southern Surabaya where Giant Hypermarket is the anchor tenant.

* World Trade Center (WTC), off Jl Pemuda. Despite its name, the building is actually more famous as the place to shop for cellphones. Beware of pickpockets. For locals, WTC is often referred as 'World Telephone Center'.

* HI-TECH Mall, Jl Kusuma Bangsa. The ultimate place to shop for computers, software, and computer peripherals .

* Plaza Marina, a shopping area for computers and softwares.

Markets

* Pasar Atum. A large, indoor Chinese market, selling foods, clothes, jewelery, catering to Chinese locals. This is a good place to buy some DVDs with reasonable price. You also can bargain the prices here.

* Pasar Genteng Around this market you'll find shops selling bandeng asap(smoked milk fish) and kerupuk(local chips).

* Pasar Ampel A large colourful Arab Market.

Eat

Surabaya is famous for the rujak cingur, local salad with sauce and cingur(Slice of cooked cow nose). Try also the sate kelopo, satay with coconut rasp, which you can find in Walikota Mustajab street. Surabaya is also home for many restaurants, from Indonesian restaurant to Western restaurant.

* Vis A Vis, JW Marriott Hotel Surabaya - The only French Restaurant in Surabaya

* Tang Palace, JW Marriott Hotel Surabaya - Chinese Restaurant

* Imari, JW Marriott Hotel Surabaya - the famous authentic Japanese Restaurant

* Pavillion", JW Marriott Hotel Surabaya - International Buffet

* Stuart Anderson's Black Angus, Raya Gubeng 40, Tel: 031-5021400. A famous franchise steak house from States.

* Peking Duck, Tunjungan Plaza 4. Crispy Peking duck.

* Sea Master, Mayjend Sungkono. Fresh seafood.

* Boncafe, Mayjend Sungkono. Popular steakhouse next to the Sea Master restaurant.

* Surabaya Suki, Jalan Raya Gubeng 34. Popular steam boat hang out. Also serves a variety of Chinese,Thai and Asian cuisines. Try "Thai Singkong" dessert. Also serve Hong Kong style Dim Sum in the afternoon.

* Depot You Yuen, Jl Undaan Kulon 87. Inexpensive, local vegetarian cuisine. Indonesian speakers only.

* Portofino, Shangri-la Hotel, Mayjend Sungkono. Great Italian Food, can be pricey.

* Food courts in all the main shopping malls offer a variety of Indonesian, Western Chinese and Japanese dishes at reasonable prices. The shopping malls also have good variety of small restaurants.

DISCLAIMER:

* Although restaurants residing inside hotels and high-end restaurants are generally more hygienic and tourist friendly than the local ones, their food usually lack local authenticity and taste.

* Another thing to note is, most of the foreign restaurants (steak house, Thai, Japanese restaurants, etc) are fusion-style restaurants. They serve fusion foreign-Indonesian foods, to cater more to the locals.

* The few authentic foreign food includes McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken - and they have their own Indonesian style selections, e.g. Chicken Soup & Perkedel from KFC, Fried Chicken & Rice combo from McDonald's, etc.

Indonesian foods

* Soto Ayam Ambengan, Jl. Ambengan. Serves soto, a yellow soup with chicken meat, noodle, and cabbage. The soup is yellow because of the turmeric and other spices.

* Puri Garden, Plaza Surabaya 1F. Tasty selection of Indonesian food with dishes for Rp 10,000-20,000. Try puri kuali asam, an Indonesian twist on the spicy Thai tom yam kung soup.

* Bakwan Dempo, Jalan Dempo, Most Authentic Bakwan! They also have fried/boild stuffed intestines, yum!

* Bakwan Gili, Ps Atum, Another good authentic Bakwan!

* Bakwan Kapasari, Mayjend Sungkono. Serving meatballs (called bakwan) with its soup, tofu (called tahu), siomay and more since 1930's.

* Nasi Uduk Kebon Kacang, Jl. HR Muhammad. Serving nasi uduk, Indonesian version of nasi lemak.

* Bakwan Dempo 19, Jl. HR Muhammad 46. Try Bakwan campur, meatballs(bakwan) with siomay, tahu.

* Ayam Bakar Primarasa, Jl.Kusuma Bangsa 3a, Jl.Raya Manyar Kertoajo 78, Jl.Raya Kupang Indah 1a. A famous restaurant in town,many actress come to eat. Serving indonesian food. Try gurame bakar,BBQ fish with nice soy sauce. gurame goreng,fresh fried fish looks like fly when its serve.

* Ikan Bakar Cianjur, Mayjend Sungkono. Try the ikan pesmol, fried fish with delicious local sauce.

* Ayam Goreng Pemuda, Jl. Pemuda 38. Tasty fried chicken.

* Don't forget to try Pecel, Rujak Cingur, Gado-gado, Semanggi, Bakso, Es Cendol, Es Campur, Es Kacang Ijo, etc

Fast foods

* A&W, TP3 food court.

* McDonald's, TP3 food court, Galaxy Mall, Surabaya Plaza, and almost any other mall/plaza

· KFC, Jl. Basuki Rachmat 16-18 (Gelael Supermarket) -> the original KFC, almost any mall/plaza have KFC

Ice cream and pastry

* Ibu Hasan, Jl. Manyar Rejo 8, Surabaya. Tel.: (62)(31) 594 8710. Jl. Kutai 25 A, Surabaya. Tel.: (62)(31) 709 9975. Website: Ibu Hasan. Local bakery chain.

* Baskin and Robbins, JL. Komp Ruko Mangga Dua Blok A.9 No. 10. Tel.: (62)(31) 843 2545. Galaxi, Jl. Dharmahusada Indah Timur No.37 Lt.2. Tel.: (62)(31) 593 7159. Plaza Tunjungan 4 - Jl. Embong Malang 7-21, Tel.: (62)(31) 535 5081. Pakuwon Supermall, Perumahan Pakuwon Indah, Tel.: (62)(31) 739 0331. Golden City Mall, Jl. H. Abdul Wahab Siamin 2- 8. Tel.: (62)(31) 565 3386. Website: Baskin and Robbins. Ice cream parlour.

* Es Krim Zangrandi, Jl Yos Sudarso.

* Turin Italian Es Krim, Jl Embong Kenongo.

* Es Teler 77, TP.

Drink

* Vertical 6 at JW Marriott Hotel Surabaya - Jl Embong Malang

* Desperados at the Shangri La Hotel.

* Tavern at the Hyatt Regency.

* Lido expat-oriented bar off Jl Mayjen Sungkono

* Colors popular and very, very loud nightclub

* Redboxx great nightclub at Supermall Pakuwon Indah

Sleep, Budget

* Puri Kencana, Jl Kalimantan. Worn rooms with air-con and cold water for $10-15 including decent Indonesian breakfast.

* Bamboe Den. The only backpacker place in Surabaya. Worn rooms and shared bathrooms (mandi), but very, very cheap compared to the alternatives. Aug 2006 Rp60.000 (about $8) per night.

Mid-range

* Ibis Rajawali [5]**

* Narita [6]English website. [7]Indonesian website**

* Sahid ** This landmark is convenient for Gubeng Railway Station, but maintenance of rooms can be spotty. Around US$30-35 including breakfast.

* Santika **

* Somerset Puri Darmo (Somerset Surabaya Hotel & Service Residence) [8] **

* Weta International ** Welcoming and modern hotel in a central location. Around US$30 including breakfast.

Splurge

* JW Marriott, [9]. *****

* Majapahit Hotel *****, 65 Jalan Tunjungan, tel. +62-31-5459002. Opulent colonial-era luxury, the only boutique hotel in Surabaya that will take you back in time. From $70; local travel agents can get better deals. Unlike other high-rise 5-star hotels, it will make your trip to Surabaya truly memorable. Service and staff is very accommodating - from birthdays to honeymoons, just tell them, they will plan everything for you. Absolutely good reputation. Definitely comparable to any high class hotels in Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

* Shangri-La Hotel Surabaya, tel. +62-31-5661550, [10]. ***** Close to golf courses in Darmo area. Pool with abundant plants and waterslide. From US$80.

* Hyatt Regency, [11] **** Conventional business hotel. Indonesian President stays here.

* Sheraton [12]. **** Conventional business hotel, connected to Tunjungan Plaza.

* Mercure Grand Mirama. **** Located in the center of Surabaya, group of Mercure hotels.

* Equator, [13].**** Nice bungalows, on cobblestone roads, some with attached garages.

* Hilton International ****

* Novotel,. [14]**** Nice resort hotel with outdoor hallways. Pool with abundant plants and waterslide. From $50.

* Garden Palace. *** Old and dirty, water from shower is yellow colour!

* Hotel Tunjungan, *** Located next to Tunjungan Plaza. Convenient to mall and mall's food court.

* Surabaya Plaza Hotel, [15].*** Conventional business hotel, close to Surabaya Plaza.

* Inna Simpang, [16].***

Cope, Emergencies

* Ambulance: 118.

* Police: 110.

Police stations:

* East Java Police HQ: Jl. Ahmad Yani, Tel.: (62)(31) 8280748.

* Surabaya Police HQ: Jl. Sikatan 1. Tel.: (62)(31) 3523927.

* East Surabaya, Jl. Sidodadi. Tel.: (62)(31)5341053, (62)(31) 3711052.

* North Surabaya, Jl. Raden Saleh. Tel.: (62)(31)5688099, (62)(31) 5341053.

* South Surabaya, Jl. Dukuh Kupang Barat 16. Tel.: (62)(31) 3711052, (62)(31) 5670641.

* Tanjung Perak, Jl. Kalianget 1. Tel.: (62)(31) 3293023, (62)(31) 3293023.

Stay safe

As with any big city, never let your guard down, because big cities such as Surabaya have a reputation among Indonesians for a high crime rate. That said, Surabaya has few real dangers for visitors apart from the perils of crossing the very busy roads (the secret is to raise an arm while crossing, and to progress with a predictable speed and bearing, allowing the traffic to flow around you). Don't walk on the streets, especially at night, if you can avoid it since you won't have anything to sightsee and the air pollution is fairly high. Be polite to the people, since Surabayans tend to swear easily. Do not easily trust people you have just met, even if they look friendly.

Stay healthy

Hospitals with 24 hours emergency rooms (ER):

* RSUD Dr. Soetomo, Jl. Prof. Moestopo 6-8. Tel.: (62)(31) 5340061.

* RSUD Haji, Jl. Manyar Kertoadi. Tel.: (62)(31) 5947760.

* RS Darmo, Jl. Raya Darmo. Tel.: (62)(31) 5676253.

* RS Mitra Keluarga, Jl. Satelit Indah II Darmo Satelit. Tel.: (62)(31) 7345333.

* RS William Booth, Jl. Diponegoro 34. Tel.: (62)(31) 5678917.

* RS Vincentius. A. Paulo, Jl. Diponegoro 51 Surabaya 60008, Indonesia - telp (031).5677562 hunting http://www.rkzsby.com/

* Rumah Sakit PHC Surabaya,Jl. Prapat Kurung Selatan No. 1 Tanjung Perak Surabaya 60165 Telp. (031) 3294801 - 3

Fax. (031) 3294804 UGD 24 Jam (031) 3294118. Email : marketing@rsps.co.id

* RS Adi Husada, Jl. Undaan Wetan No. 40 - 44 Surabaya - http://www.adihusada.com/