Surabaya: The land of sharks, crocs beckons
Published on: Sunday, October 20, 2019
By: Christy Chok
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This daredevil writer tries her hand in paragliding.
It is located on the northern coast of East Java province.
After the Second World War from 1945 and 1950, the most intense battle in Surabaya was the attempt to get rid of the Dutch colonisers.
A 40-metre tall heroes memorial statue was erected on a hectare of land at Hero road. It became a landmark to remember the warriors of the anti-colonial war who sacrificed for the country.
“Sura” means shark and “baya” means crocodile. The sharks and crocodiles were said to live in this place but they often fight for good water.
Eventually, the locals named this place “Surabaya”. Today, the statue of a shark and a crocodile have also become a local landmark that keeps the legend alive.
At the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park – the whispering ‘Sea of Sand’.
Majapahit Hotel, the oldest in Surabaya, has over 100 years of history.
It was recognised as a cultural heritage by the Indonesian government in 2014.
Many nobles and celebrities have stayed in this hotel. The rooms are furnished with antiques and historic features but has modern facilities such as landscaped gardens, gym, pool and spa services.
Nearby is Cenderamata Keramik which is currently operated by Pak H.A. Syamsul Arifin, a third generation of the family. All the ceramic products are marketed around Indonesia.
Pak Syamsul said most of the clay in his factory is obtained from around Malang and the highest demand was for the ceramic-made handicrafts, as small gifts.
Tourists are briefed on making all kinds of exquisite ceramics including shaping, scraping, lettering, glazing, kilning and carving. Then, it’s time to carve one vase for themselves each to take home as memories.
For the adventure seekers, there’s the chance to paraglide from the top of Gunung Banyak Batu.
At the Batu Secret Zoo and Museum Satwa.
Other eating choices include Inggil restaurant, where a unique place with its colonial decorations of 50’s or 60’s, Lesehan Waroeng Bamboe where you can enjoy food with a stream of water under your seat.
I never thought of trying this extreme sport; I was scared but at the same time excited because it was my first experience. I was both worried and overwhelmed when jumping from the peak. I plunged before embarking on a pilot flight by a professional for about five minutes.
When I was in the air, I start to enjoy the beauty around the city of Batu … Oh, my gosh! Such an awesome natural resources created by our God. It was very beautiful!
Paragliding requires both physical and mental strength.
Other attractions include Batu Secret Zoo and Museum Satwa situated at Jatim Park Batu 2 (Taman Jawa Timur-JTP), one of the famous theme parks in Malang, East Java.
Visitors are allowed to experience feeding the animals like deer, antelopes, camels, donkeys and so on. It was really an unimaginable zoo experience.
Another extreme sport activity is rafting at Jeram Sungai Kaliwatu, Sungai Brantas in Kota Batu. It is a pleasant experience to raft through the rapids along the 7km river with the beautiful jungle scenery on both sides.
They are snakes and frogs throughout the journey. Team work is needed to raft along the extreme rapids till the finish line.
Residents of Surabaya are known for their courage and persistence in carrying on with their daily lives despite facing natural disasters.
Taken at Mount Bromo after sunrise.
Indonesia is one of the countries in Asia vulnerable to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunami and so on but all this do not break their spirit.
Mount Bromo is an active volcano and part of the Tengger massif, in East Java. At 2,329m, it is not the highest peak but is the most well-known. The area is one of the most visited tourist attractions in East Java.
“Bromo” was derived from the Javanese pronunciation of “Brahma”, which is the Hindu creator. It is one of the most visited tourist attractions in all of East Java and even Java itself. The volcano is part of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park.
It lies in the middle of a huge crater called the whispering “Sea of Sand”, which is a protected reserve. There are five volcanoes inside the crater including Mount Bromo (2,329m), Mount Batok (2,470m), Mount Kursi (2,581m), Mount Watangan (2,661m), and Mount Widodaren (2,650m).
On a typical tour, you will visit viewpoints on Mount Penanjakan that look back into the crater and towards Bromo, visit inside the crater at the “Sea of Sand” and have the option to summit Mount Bromo itself. Jeep 4x4 tours, bike riding and horseback riding to Mount Bromo are among the most popular activities in East Java.
While it is chilly in the morning, it becomes warmer.
The visiting groups arrive at the peak of Pananjakan Bromo at about 4am by Jeep 4x4 which could only carry four to five passengers and yet, 85 per cent of the space there was already filled with visitors.
The temperature is about seven degrees Celsius resulting in all visitors having to put on thick jackets and blankets while waiting for sunrise.
Aware that it is an active volcano which could erupt at anytime, we were privileged and at peace with the beauty of His creation. Visitors spend about three hours at the peak for sunrise and capture the moment on film.
When the sun has risen, everyone witnesses the beauty of the Bromo volcano. At the same time, may be lucky to see volcano ash.
Next, visitors are brought to the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park to see the whispering “Sea of Sand”. I felt like I was among the sand dunes in the desert.
In the afternoon, one can visit Kampung Warna-Warni (Colorful village) in Malang. It was 110 houses in a variety of patterns and colours such as wall paintings as well as decorations and ornament installations. It is a must-visit destination when visiting the city of Malang.
Then there’s the Museum Angkut (Transport museum) that has more than 300 traditional and modern modes of transports. Besides F1 racing and airbus simulation, they have different models of trolley-cars, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, boats, ships and airplanes.
It is a good place to take pictures with variety of themes, such as Chinatown, the United Kingdom, Paris Eiffel Tower, Las Vegas, Buckingham Palace and many more. Or you can join a dancing party in the “Heroes and Heroines” parade.
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