Things To Do In Surabaya Indonesia

Surabaya, Indonesia, is located in East Java – and it’s my last stop before the Pesta Blogger Conference this Saturday. I’ve had a great time here with members of the Tugupahlawan Blogging community here, and here are some of the things to do in Surabaya, apart from eating Cow’s Nose With Peanut Sauce and drinking Kopi Luwak Coffee:

Things To Do In Surabaya Indonesia – East Java Gem!

1. Eat, Eat and Eat!

As you may have discovered by now, Indonesians love to eat, and Surabaya is no exception.  Yes, there are some unusual dishes, but here are some great examples of tasty food on this side of Java.  I tried Rawon last night – a tasty beef soup with rice.

There are other tasty options as well:

BBQed prawns

Cumi-cumi – chili squid. One of my favourite dishes on this trip!

And you can wash this down with Es Blewah – a drink with syrup, water and shaved melon.

2. Drive Over the New Bridge and Visit the Island of Madura

During October, there are numerous bull races held across the island on the weekends.

Unfortunately, I’m not here on the weekend, so I won’t be able to see this Formula One version of bovine racing.

I only made it as far as a seafood restuarant, where you can sample the dishes above.

3. Visit the Sampoerna Kretek Factory

Kretek is a unique cigarette that is a blend of tobacco and cloves.  Even if you are a staunch anti-smoker, it’s worth a visit to see how the cigarettes are rolled by hand.

There are hundreds of people on the production floor who roll the tobacco/clove mixture.

However, when watching the workers, they look like someone has pressed the fast forward button on a DVD player! These people are capable of manually rolling up 7000 cigarettes per day!

There is also an almost overpowering smell of cloves throughout the factory which does a good job of cleaning up the sinuses.

4. Down a Zangrandi Ice Cream

This is a local favourite and has been around for ages.  It’s can be packed with youngsters wanting to cool down from the Surabaya heat.

5. Visit The Old City

There are tonnes of old buildings that were built around Dutch Colonial Times.

If you sneak down the alleyways, there are all sorts of bustling markets, ranging from fish to fresh fruit.

There is also the odd temple scattered in the old city.

Thanks to the Tugupahalwan Blogging Community of Surabaya for showing me around!

You might need this Surabaya Travel Map, and check out Surabaya, Indonesia: Guide to the International City.

Air Asia can fly you to Surabaya as well to experience what Indonesia’s second largest city has to offer.  Check out their website for a cheap flight here!