Travel Guide Surabaya

Capital of East Java province, Surabaya (3.5 million inhabitants) is predominantly Javanese (60%), with the remainder being Madurese (30%) and Chinese (10%). Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest metropolis after Jakarta, and the country's leading port and naval base. Nevertheless, the city suffers from social contrasts that it is unable to stem. The extreme poverty of certain districts contrasts with the luxurious, modern development of the city center, which abounds in flashy shopping arcades and hotels for businessmen and women (such as Plaza Tunjungan). The town owes its name to a legend about a fight to the death between a shark (saura) and a crocodile (buaya). Despite its catchy name, Surabaya is not really a resort: it's a second Jakarta, with pollution, heat, noise and heavy traffic.And yet... the city reveals an Indonesian aura full of charms to be discovered. There are still a few postcard visions in the old town (the pretty Arab quarter) and around the quays. Surabaya is a major port where ships bound for all of eastern Indonesia await: Kalimantan, Sulawesi, the Moluccas, New Guinea and the Lesser Sunda Islands. This urban cosmopolitanism is very appealing. Places to visit include the Arab quarter (also known as Ampel) with its superb mosque, the vast Pasar Parbean market and the Chinese quarter, home to old temples such as Hong Tik Hian and Hok An Kiong, dating back to the 18th century.The port became the island's main port after the fall of the Majapahit Empire. Until the Japanese invasion, the Dutch chose this ideally-placed city as a crossroads for their trade. When the country was liberated in 1945, Surabaya earned the title of "City of Heroes" by resisting the Dutch invaders. Twenty years later, Surabaya was the scene of another butchery: engaged in a holy war, Muslims massacred thousands of Communists. The waters of the canals were said to run red with blood for several days.