Must see attractions in East Java

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The Ijen plateau's most extraordinary sight is the magnificent turquoise sulphur lake of Kawah Ijen. A night hike to the crater in which the lake boils…

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One kilometre from the main Surabaya–Solo road, the impressive Trowulan Museum houses superb examples of Majapahit sculpture and pottery from East Java…

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

The best beach by far in the park is at Permisan Bay, an almost sausage-shaped bay with calm waters and a small island in the middle. It's a half-day hike…

Situated right in the village of Singosari, 12km north of Malang, this temple stands 500m off the main Malang–Surabaya road. One of the last monuments…

The Hindu temples at Panataran (locally called 'Penataran') are the largest intact Majapahit temples, and the finest examples of ancient East Javanese…

This small, squat Buddhist stupa lies in the terraced, cultivated foothills of Gunung Arjuna, about 5km northwest of Singosari. It was built to…

A droplet of creamy white sand, topped with a tuft of scrub, this tiny island set offshore from Java, nearly halfway to Bali, is surrounded by a ring of…

Along a small road near the market in Tumpang, 22km from Malang, Candi Jago was built between 1268 and 1280 and is thought to be a memorial to the fourth…

Down a spur that branches from the main road just after the Hindu temple, Sadengan grazing ground has the largest herd of banteng (wild cattle) in Java…

Occupied by the present bupati (regent) of Sumenep, the grand kraton and its Taman Sari date back to 1750. The bathing pools once used by the royal women…

Set in the village of Kidal, west of Tumpang, with houses rising all around, this graceful temple was built around 1260 as the burial shrine of King…

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…

The park’s major attraction is the protected turtle beach at Sukamade, one of Indonesia’s most important turtle-spawning grounds, where several species…

Malang’s most impressive museum isn’t actually a museum at all, but a hotel: the boutique, four-star Hotel Tugu Malang, a showcase for its owner, arguably…

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…

Rumoured to have been established in the 18th century by a group of runaway Scots (hence the name), the Glenmore Plantation, which is a few kilometres to…

A few kilometres north of Lawang on the road to Surabaya, the Kebun Raya Purwodadi are expansive dry-climate botanical gardens. The 85 hectares are…

Fringed by mangroves, the sandy cove of Bama is 4km north of Bekol. It’s a popular weekend retreat for local families, but usually peaceful at other times…

Malang has some wonderful colonial architecture. Just northwest of the centre, Jl Besar Ijen is Malang’s millionaires' row, a boulevard lined with elegant…