50 51

heritage » altitude

Gateway to Surabaya’s past and future — Heroes Monument

It’s one of Indonesia’s busiest ports, East Java’s capital and Indonesia’s second biggest

city, yet Surabaya invariably ends up as a short-stay stop for business travellers or a transit hub for onward destinations such as Mount Bromo and historic Malang. But dismiss any preconceptions and linger long enough and it’s hard not to succumb to Surabaya’s subtle charms.

Although this business-fuelled, booming city is experiencing rapid change, Surabaya has earned a reputation as one of Indonesia’s cleanest, greenest cities; well-maintained infrastructure includes the nation’s longest bridge, Suramadu, connecting Madura Island, super-efficient highways feeding a surprisingly modern international airport and tree-shaded broad avenues. For Indonesians, this former ancient Majapahit Kingdom gateway is best known as “City of Heroes”, held in reverence as the birthplace of Indonesia’s nationalist movement for independence. sura

baya

heritage » altitude

charm offensiveBeyond first impressions and outdated guidebooks, there’s surprisingly plenty to see and do in this under-the-radar Indonesian city Words: samantha CoomberPhotograPhy: brian otto

52 53

heritage » altitude

Surabaya’s heroic struggle

for independence is best symbolised by the

45m-high, iconic Heroes Monument (Tugu Pahlawan), a constant stark reminder of Surabayan heroes slain during the 1945 revolution. Within the same open square, November Ten Museum depicts the momentous events around that significant date in 1945 – now commemorated here annually with special ceremonies.

The walker-friendly Old Surabaya north of the city centre, reveals more history. Here you’ll find a rather unexpected, centuries-old Arab Quarter, home of immigrant descendants, with a labyrinth of laneways and a covered market evoking Middle Eastern sights, sounds and flavours. Market stalls sell luscious dates, spices, Arabian perfumes, delicacies and pilgrimage attire. Centrestage is the city’s most sacred, oldest and most crowded mosque, Sunan Ampel Mosque, built in 1421 to honour Sunan Ampel, one of several Islamic saints, who spread Islam across Java and is now buried in the mosque compound.

Old Surabaya’s eastern quarter is dominated by Indonesia’s largest Chinatown; it’s well past its thriving commerce days, but worth exploration by becak (driver-propelled tricycle).

take me there

Shop

See

Tunjungan Plaza, Jl. Basuki Rahmat, Central Surabaya,

tel: +62 (31) 531 1088, tunjunganplaza.com

Central Markets: Pasar Genteng, Jl. Genteng

Pasar Blauran, corner of Jl. Blauran and Jl. Kranggan

Heroes Monument, Jl. Pahlawan, Central Surabaya

Sunan Ampel Mosque, Jl. KH Mas Mansyur, North Surabaya

Surabaya’s signature delicacies are best sampled at traditional markets

Start from around Rajawali and Kembang Jepun streets and Red Bridge (Jembatan Merah), scene of a bloody battle and original harbour area. Narrow streets reveal dilapidated shophouses, warehouses and local markets. Chinese residents still worship at striking 13th-century Hong Tiek Hian Temple, allegedly built by Kublai Khan’s Tartar troops.

Further north towards the coastline, Kalimas Harbour unravels a living history of Surabaya’s maritime heritage and fabled 15th-century trading port. Tall-

From top: x; local eats; Kalimas Harbour; Inset top & bottom: Sunan Ampel Mosque; strong sentiments

Surabaya isn’t an obvious tourist destination but that’s precisely its trump card. Scratch the surface and you’ll discover interesting, sometimes downright quirky, sights and experiences. And it’s hardly overrun with visitors. Expect friendly Surabayans happy to welcome you to their misunderstood city.

Formerly part of the Dutch East Indies, the city is peppered with commemorative monuments, statues and war cemeteries, which ironically rub shoulders with colonnaded municipal buildings, a legacy of Dutch colonialism the locals fought so hard to end.

Some beautifully restored colonial-era buildings are worth visiting in their own right.

Okay, so it’s a hotel, but as a revolutionary hotspot with a symbolic flag-ripping incident in 1945, Hotel Majapahit is a beloved barometer of Surabayan history. Inaugurated in 1910 by the Sarkies (the family who built Singapore’s Raffles Hotel), evocative Majapahit is one of South-East Asia’s classic colonial hotels and a five-star National Heritage Landmark, and worth at least just sticking your nose in the lovely lobby.

At the city’s heart, literally,

54

altitude » heritage

JeTSTAR hAS gReAT low fAReS To SURABAYA. ViSiT JeTSTAR.com To Book

masted trading schooners from the archipelago still dock here, alongside antiquated warehouses edging Mas River.

If you’ve overdosed on history, this “City of Malls” keeps shopaholics happy with its unexpected tally of shopping malls and plazas. Glamour-puss Tunjungan Plaza is East Indonesia’s largest retail-leisure complex, a whopping 125,000 sq m of four interconnected blocks (and two more in progress). In contrast, multi-storey covered local markets, such as Pasar Genteng, offer a more traditional Surabayan flavour, with cramped aisles plying anything from fresh spices to gold trinkets.

take me there

Sleep

Hotel Majapahit SurabayaWith crystal chandeliers and art deco fixtures, this legendary gem transports

you back to Dutch colonial times. Book the Majapahit Suites or opulent Presidential Suite. Jl. Tunjungan 65, tel: +62 (31) 545

4333, hotel-majapahit.com

Sheraton Surabaya TThe 348 newly refurbished guestrooms include Club Suites serviced by a 25th-floor Club Lounge and 24/7 butlers. Jl. Embong Malang 25-31, tel: +62 (31) 546

8000, sheraton.com/surabaya

Hotel Ibis Surabaya Rajawali Great value Ibis in northern Old Surabaya

is a short stroll from Chinatown. Book the top 9th floor for Madura Straits and

Suramadu Bridge panoramic views. Jl. Rajawali 9-11, tel: +62 (31) 353 9994,

ibishotel.com

Majapahit Surabaya and Sarkies, renowned for its authentic Chinese cuisine and exquisite 1930s-period décor. While here, don’t miss refined afternoon tea rituals at elegant Café 19.

Surabaya’s signature delicacies rucuk cingur (vegetable and fruit salad with cow’s nose) and rawon (black beef soup) are best sampled at traditional markets, such as Pasar Blauran. If that’s not to your taste, Surabaya’s malls provide squeaky-clean air-conditioned food courts. Or head to century-old Hotel

From top: x; the modern Suramadu

bridge; Inset: Hong Tiek Hian Temple

It isn’t an obvious tourist destination — that’s its trump card