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Malang
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The second largest city in East Java,
MALANG
, 90km south of Surabaya, is busy city with a population in excess of 600,000. Situated at an altitude of 450m and circled by attractive volcanoes, it is cool, tree-lined and much more tourist-friendly in all respects than Surabaya. The city's
commercial centre
is the alun-alun to the south of Sungai Brantas, with the main shopping and market area along or near Jalan Agus Salim, which runs off the south side. Jalan Mojopahit runs across Sungai Brantas and links this commercial sector with the Tugu area to the north, in which most government offices are located.
The most attractive and evocative
colonial area
is Jalan Ijen, with renovated bungalows in wide, palm-lined boulevards. It's a rich and refined area, with fabulous iron railings that guard the privacy of the wealthy of the city. To get there, take bemo GL (which goes along Jalan Ijen), or MM (along Jalan Kawi nearby).
Museum Brawijaya
, Jl Ijen 25a (daily 8am-2pm; donation), is a military museum fronted by tanks and full of military memorabilia - a rather chilling celebration of Indonesian military might, including artefacts connected with the suppression of Irian Jaya. A fascinating
bird market
can be found in the Pasar Sengkol/Jalan Brawijaya area; head down towards the river from Jalan Mojopahit on the south side of the river. Birds change hands for Rp2-3 million for good singers, and up to Rp7 million for exceptional ones. The
flower market
is slightly further north of the bird market - it ranges down the riverbank of Sungai Brantas and you can walk to it from Jalan Brawijaya. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Indonesia,
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