August | 2015 | The Romance Of The Grand Tour

Pnisis boats at the Kalimas port.

Surabaya is the dark horse on this Grand Tour. It’s not a city frequented by history and heritage buffs; and because it’s actually rather large, sprawling and run-down, it is not for the faint-hearted. But I heartily recommend it precisely because it is so off the beaten track – that you will often find yourself perhaps the only visitor wandering around in the Old Town, experiencing life in the city as the city-dwellers experience it.

Other than Penang, it is also the city that most resembles Singapore – with its old town divided into Arab and Chinese quarters, and with those thousands of traditional shophouses lining its streets.

Here are 5 essential things to do:

✑ A random wander through the Old Town of Surabaya, including the banks of the Mas River, Chinatown, Ampel (the Arab Quarter), the Jembatan Merah (Red Bridge) area and Willemskade. Willemskade contains the most impressive instances of Dutch-colonial architecture in the city.

✑The House of Sampoerna, to revel in the old-world atmosphere. Have lunch at the excellent adjoining restaurant.

✑ Take a taxi to the ancient port of Kalimas, and if possible, get one of the seahands to allow you onboard one of the pnisis. Just don’t accidentally get transported to Madura Island

✑ An evening stroll in the Tunjungan area, to admire the art deco architecture and discover the Dutch Indies-style colonial bungalows dotting the area. Stay, or stop off at the magnificent Hotel Majapahit – formally known as the Hotel Oranje. Just be forewarned, that the hotel is incredibly haunted!! (But I enjoyed it).

✑ Pay a visit to the Heroes Monument, if only to acknowledge the thousands of native Javanese who died for their nation’s independence.

Surabaya has a rather vibrant street art/graffiti scene. As you walk around the Old Town and Tunjungan, look out for the many vibrant works of art that line the sides of buildings.

The Nuutspaarbank building on Willemskade.

Interior of the House of Sampoerna.

The famous Jembatan Merah, or Red Bridge, is Surabaya’s most famous landmark.

Jalan Pahlawan.

Graffiti Art in Tunjungan

Courtyard garden in the magnificent Hotel Majapahit (formerly Hotel Oranje).

The former Stadhuys (City Hall) is today’s Fatahillah Museum.

Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia today, and was formerly known as Batavia, when it was capital of the Netherlands East Indies. Old Batavia still exists today and can be experienced as follows:

✑ A walk around the Old Town, Kota, and along the banks of the Kali Besar where the oldest Dutch-era merchant houses slumber in a kind of purgatory.

✑ Take in the monuments around Fatahillah Square. Visit the Jakarta History Museum (the ancien Stadhuys) for the building and the Wayang Museum for the tomb of Jan Pieterszoon Coen. Lunch at Café Batavia – an institution in its own right.

✑ Stop by the Mandiri Bank Museum, for an eerie experience of life stopped in media res; and the Bank of Indonesia Museum for the few precious photos of Indische families that it presents. In both cases, check out the stained glass.

✑ Pay a visit to the National Museum of Indonesia at Merdeka Square, for a mind-boggling display of ancient sculpture from Java’s Hindu and Buddhist era.

✑ Take a short detour to the residential district of Menteng, for a glimpse of wealth, privilege and beautiful Indische-style colonial villas. Lunch at the excellent Bungarampai, serving Dutch-Peranakan food.

Jakarta has an excellent and totally brand new Bus Rapid Transit system that plies the main streets of the city. It is the only way to beat the traffic, and it is highly recommended if you want to get anywhere. Prepare to brave the crowds.

[The Romance of the Grand Tour – 100 Years of Travel in Southeast Asia is available now at all major bookstores in Singapore, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Waterstones in London. Find it also on http://www.amazon.co.uk andhttp://www.bookdepository.com]