Surabaya

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People driving in a rishka through Surabaya

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Overview

Surabaya is like a bottle of wine: it gets better the more you get to know it. Give it time and you'll discover that Surabaya has many quixotic corners of interest. Its historic Arab Quarter is a fascinating labyrinth of lanes, and the city has one of Indonesia’s biggest Chinatowns and some interesting, though disintegrating, Dutch colonial buildings.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

House of Sampoerna

Surabaya

Undoubtedly the city’s best-presented attraction, the House of Sampoerna is home to one of Indonesia’s most famous kretek cigarette manufacturers (now…

Mesjid Ampel

Surabaya

The Mesjid Ampel is the most sacred mosque in Surabaya. While non-Muslims aren't allowed to enter the mosque itself, the souk-style streets surrounding it…

Masjid al Akbar

Surabaya

Perhaps the most impressive modern mosque in Indonesia. You'll probably get a glimpse of Masjid al Akbar's magnificent array of bulbous watery-turquoise…

Jembatan Merah

Surabaya

Originally the old city was divided along ethnic lines, with Europeans on the west side of the Kali Mas river and Chinese, Arabs and Javanese on the east…

Monumen Kapal Selam

Surabaya

Surabaya’s foremost stretch of renovated waterside real estate centres on the iron hulk that is Pasopati, a massive Russian submarine commissioned into…

Kong Co Kong Tik Cun Ong Temple

Surabaya

The highly evocative Kong Co Kong Tik Cun Ong delivers a blast of unfiltered culture. The primarily Buddhist complex (with dashes of Confucian and Taoist…

Governor's Residence

Surabaya

A holdover from the early 20th century, the former governor's residence, with its front porch colonnade and touches of gold paint, fronts an expanse of…

Pasar Pabean

Surabaya

Pasar Pabean is a sprawling, darkly lit market, which links the Chinese and Arab Quarters, where you can buy everything from Madurese chickens to Chinese…

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