The most “shiok” (enjoyable) part of the trip was being able to leave my kids to the care of my parents every night while me and my wife head over to the hotel pub or lounge for a drink. The pub experience at The Maj in Hotel Majapahit was one of the best. Unfortunately there was no live music on the night we were there (Sunday), but still, the atmosphere was great, and the price was a steal. A pitcher of Bintang draught beer was IDR 150k (S$15.80), while a plate of Nachos was only IDR 50k (S$5.30).
There isn’t quite enough to see or do in Surabaya, other than shopping and eating, so I had to make the hotel stay an activity in itself. Hotel Majapahit and Hotel Tugu Malang both turned out go be great.
The second level of the original front facade of Oranje Hotel from 1910 that became the present day Hotel Majapahit
One of the very well maintained and immaculately clean corridors of Hotel Majapahit
Nice pool at Hotel Tugu Malang
Complimentary Indonesian afternoon tea at Hotel Tugu Malang
The eerie looking photo at Hotel Tugu Malang
A pretty Dompet Anyam Besar (big Anyam purse) from Shanghai Noon boutique in Hotel Tugu Malang
Though not every one will be able to appreciate Indonesian food, you generally can’t go wrong with all things “Bakar” (grilled) and “Goreng” (fried).
An extremely cheap yet satisfying meal – grilled and fried duck, at Wellduck Bebek in Malang
Nobody does oxtail better than Indonesians. Pictured here is Buntut Goreng or Fried Oxtail.
Ikan Pari (Stingray) from Layar Seafood.
Gurame Goreng (Fried Gurame), shaped like a ball
Gudeg, an East Javanese delicacy that is chicken in coconut sauce. There is a layer of marinated unripe Jackfruit underneath the chicken that didn’t quite appeal to me, but otherwise, this was a nice dish
As this was a trip tailored for my old folks, I specifically brought my mum to visit a floral nursery where she could buy Orchids that she so love. There is an abundance of floral nurseries around Batu, but to find one that sells Orchids by searching on Google was extremely difficult. The only one I was absolutely sure of having Orchids, that was correctly marked on Google Maps (verified by checking with Google Street View) was Mitra Flora Nusantara. It did not disappoint.
Cactus that looks like shrub
Indonesia has beautiful landscapes, especially in Java and the neighbouring islands like Bali. Terraced rice paddy fields are very common, and there are many cliffs and valleys, which i think is likely attributed to Volcanic activity. I did not do much natural sightseeing on this trip, but here are some snapshots.
Coban Rondo waterfall
If you brought kids along, Batu Secret Zoo is worth spending at least half a day. The admission fee is only IDR 75k (S$7.80) and this covers the zoo, the amusement park within the zoo as well as an indoor natural history museum. I did not allocate sufficient time for the visit, plus there was a slight drizzle, so we spent just under 2 hours to cover the bigger-than-expected zoo.
An interesting looking animal in the zoo
Here’s a somewhat comical photo of a street scene in Surabaya. The sign on the wall reads “DILARANG JUALAN DI SINI” which translates “forbidden to sell here”.
