Lonely Planet Indonesia

by Lonely Planet

  You'll walk from the main village road – a checkerboard of tarps layered with drying corn – down a 400m dirt path, which parallels a canal, through the rice fields until you reach the ruins. Young men use the canal for bathing, so don’t be surprised to see a naked body or two en route to the stupa. In Javanese culture it’s polite to avert your eyes – the boys will duck down into the water in fits of giggles as you pass. Opposite the temple is a spring – the source of the gurgling canal – where locals go to cool off on sweltering weekends.

  Take an angkot (3000Rp) from Singosari pasar (market) on the highway to Desa Sumberawan, then walk 500m down the road to the canal and the dirt path.

  Candi JagoTEMPLE

  (Jajaghu; admission 25,000Rp; h7am-5pm)

  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 Singosari king, Vishnuvardhana. The temple has some interesting decorative carving from the Jataka and the Mahabharata, carved in the three-dimensional, wayang kulit–style typical of East Java.

  This primarily Buddhist temple also has Javanese-Hindu statues, including a headless, six-armed, death-dealing goddess, a massive fanged Garuda, and a lingam, the symbol of Shiva’s male potency. The best part is that you can scramble up the loosely restored temple to the top (watch your step) for exquisite views.

  To reach Candi Jago take a white angkot from Malang’s Arjosari bus terminal to Tumpang (4000Rp).

  Candi KidalHINDU TEMPLE

  (admission 5000Rp; h7am-4pm)

  Set in the village of Kidal, with houses rising all around – along with one conspicuously clucking chicken farm – this graceful temple was built around 1260 as the burial shrine of King Anusapati (the second Singosari king, who died in 1248). Now 12m high, it originally topped 17m and is an example of East Javanese architecture. Its slender form has pictures of the Garuda (mythical man-bird) on three sides, plus bold, glowering kala heads and medallions of the haruna.

  Two kala makara (dragons) guard the steps – one is male and the other female. It remains a pilgrimage site and you will see the remains of offerings left within the shrine.

  Hourly brown angkot (3000Rp) run from Tumpang market to Candi Kidal; the last one returns at 4pm.

  Purwodadi

  The Kebun Raya Purwodadi (admission 5000Rp, tours 15,000Rp; h8am-4pm) are expansive dry-climate botanical gardens. The 85 hectares are beautifully landscaped and contain more than 3000 species, including 80 kinds of palm, a huge fern collection, a Mexican section, myriad orchids and many varieties of bamboo. The garden office to the south of the entrance has a map and leaflets. Air Terjun Cobanbaung is a high waterfall next to the gardens.

  The gardens are easily reached; take any bus (10,000Rp) from Malang to Surabaya and ask to be dropped off at the entrance, which is 3km north of the town of Lawang.

  Gunung Arjuna-Lalijiwo Reserve

  This reserve includes the dormant volcano Gunung Arjuna (3339m), the semi-active Gunung Welirang (3156m) and the Lalijiwo Plateau on the northern slopes of Arjuna. Experienced and well-equipped hikers can walk from the resort town of Tretes to Selekta in two days, but you need a guide to go all the way. Alternatively, you can climb Welirang from Tretes or Lawang.

  A well-used hiking path, popular with students on weekends and holidays, and also with soul-searchers who come to meditate on the mountain, begins in Tretes near the Kakak Bodo Recreation Reserve. Get information from the PHKA post (%081 2178 8956; Jl Wilis 523) in the northern reaches of the town. Guides can be hired here for 300,000Rp to 400,000Rp per day; allow two days to climb one mountain and three days for both.

  It’s a hard, five-hour walk (17km) to the very basic huts used by the Gunung Welirang sulphur collectors. Hikers usually stay overnight here in order to reach the summit before the clouds roll in around mid-morning. Bring your own camping gear, food and drinking water (or hire it all at the PHKA post for around 200,000Rp per day), and be prepared for freezing conditions. From the huts it’s a 4km climb to the summit. Allow at least six hours in total for the ascent, and 4½ hours for the descent.

  The trail passes Lalijiwo Plateau, a superb alpine meadow, from where a trail leads to Gunung Arjuna, the more demanding peak. From Arjuna, a trail leads down the southern side to Junggo, near Selekta and Batu. It’s a five-hour descent from Arjuna this way; a guide is essential.

  8Getting There & Away

  To get to the start of the hike, take a bus to Pandaan (15,000Rp) from Malang or Surabaya and then a minibus to Tretes (10,000Rp).

  Gunung Penanggungan

  The remains of no fewer than 81 temples are scattered over the slopes of Gunung Penanggungan (1650m). This sacred Hindu mountain is said to be the peak of Mt Mahameru, which according to legend broke off and landed at its present site when Mt Mahameru was transported from India to Indonesia.

  Historically this was a very important pilgrimage site for Hindus, and a few Javanese mystics, meditators and Hindus still visit the mountain today. Pilgrims make their way to the top of the mountain and stop to bathe in the holy springs adorned with Hindu statuary. The two main bathing places are Candi Jolotundo and Candi Belahan, the best examples of remaining Hindu art. Both are difficult to reach.

  In a stunning setting on the evergreen western slopes of Penanggungan, the PPLH Environmental Education Centre (%032-1722 1045; dm/bungalows 25,000/275,000Rp) is a supremely relaxing and interesting place. It's mainly set up to teach groups about the merits of organic agriculture, composting and garbage management. Expert guides can be hired for hikes (about 200,000Rp per day) and they'll gladly explain about plants used for herbal medicines. There’s an organic restaurant and good, rustic accommodation is available in pretty bungalows with outdoor bathrooms, or in more basic dorms. School groups pass through from time to time, disturbing the tranquility somewhat, but most of the time it's very peaceful. To get there, take a Trawas-bound minibus (8000Rp) from Pandaan and an ojek (20,000Rp) from Trawas.

  Batu

  %0341 / Pop 88,000

  Batu, 15km northwest of Malang, is a large hill resort on the lower reaches of Gunung Arjuna, surrounded by volcanic peaks. It's a popular weekend destination for locals, but makes a relaxed base during the week if you want to avoid staying in Malang.

  There are several banks.

  1Sights & Activities

  SonggoritiHOT SPRINGS

  (admission 20,000Rp; h7.30am-5pm)

  Songgoriti, 3km west of Batu, has well-known hot springs and a small, ancient Hindu temple on the grounds of the Hotel Air Panas Songgoriti. Nearby, Pasar Wisata is a tourist market selling mostly apples, bonsai plants and volcanic stone mortars and pestles. The waterfall Air Terjun Cubanrondo (admission 10,000Rp; h7.30am-5pm) is 5km southwest of Songgoriti.

  Sumber BrantasHOT SPRINGS

  Higher up the mountain, the small village of Sumber Brantas, far above Selekta, is at the source of the Sungai Brantas (Brantas River). From here you can walk 2km to Air Panas Cangar (admission 10,000Rp; h7.30am-5pm), hot springs high in the mountains surrounded by forest and mist.

  SelektaSWIMMING

  (admission 15,000Rp; h7.30am-5pm)

  Selekta, a small resort 5km further up the mountain from Batu and 1km off the main road, is home to the Pemandian Selekta, a large swimming pool with a superb setting in landscaped gardens.

  4Sleeping & Eating

  Accommodation is available in Batu, Songgoriti and all along the road to Selekta. Songgoriti and Selekta are small, quiet resorts; Batu has the best facilities but is more built-up. Add around 25% to prices for weekend rates.

  Batu's Jl Panglima Sudirman is lined with restaurants and warungs.

  Kampung LumbungLODGE$$

  (%0341-540 6941; www.grahabunga.com; r/cottage from 500,000/1,300,000Rp; Ws)S

  A wonderful eco-hotel where the complex resembles a traditional village and all the buildings make good use of recycled wood and solar power. There's excellent local food in the restaurant, and th
e natural environment is sublime here; the climate is refreshing and the air is fresh. It's a kilometre south of central Batu.

  Hotel Kartika WijayaHISTORIC HOTEL$$

  (%0341-592600; www.kartikawijaya.com; Jl Panglima Sudirman 127; r incl breakfast from 550,000Rp; Ws)

  An imposing colonial residence in sweeping grounds dotted with palms, lawns and tennis courts. The carpeted rooms are spacious and comfortable, though not that grand.

  Pantara CafeINDONESIAN$

  (Jl Panglima Sudirman 123; dishes 12,000-37,000Rp)

  On the main drag in Batu, the Pantara serves up delicious Javanese food in atmospheric surrounds.

  8Getting There & Away

  From Malang’s Landungsari bus terminal take a Kediri bus or a mikrolet to Batu (5000Rp, 40 minutes). Mikrolet connect Batu's bus terminal with the centre via Panglima Sudirman.

  From the bus terminal, mikrolet run to Selekta (3000Rp, 20 minutes) and Sumber Brantas (6000Rp, 45 minutes). Mikrolet turn off to Sumber Brantas at Jurangkuwali village. For Air Panas Cangar, walk 2km straight ahead from Jurangkuwali.

  You'll find plenty of ojek around Batu to get you to all of these destinations.

  South-Coast Beaches

  The coast south of Malang has some good beaches, but facilities are limited. Sendangbiru is a picturesque fishing village separated by a narrow channel from Pulau Sempu. This island nature reserve has a couple of lakes, Telaga Lele and Telaga Sat, both ringed by jungle. Boats can be hired (around 200,000Rp return) to get you to Sempu. Take your own provisions.

  A few kilometres before Sendangbiru, a rough track to the left leads 3km to Tambakrejo, a small fishing village with a sweeping sandy bay, which (despite the surf) is generally safe for swimming.

  Balekambang is best known for its picturesque Hindu temple on the small island of Pulau Ismoyo, connected by a footbridge to the beach. Balekambang is one of the most popular beaches and is crowded on weekends. There are basic guesthouses in the village.

  8Getting There & Away

  Minibuses from Malang’s Gadang bus terminal travel to Sendangbiru (20,000Rp, two hours), past the turn-off to Tambakrejo. For Balekambang, buses run direct from Malang for 15,000Rp.

  Blitar

  %0342 / Pop 132,000

  A low-key provincial city, Blitar makes a good base for visiting the Panataran temple complex and the spectacular active volcano of Gunung Kelud. It’s also the home of Indonesia's first president, Sukarno; his memorial is worth checking out.

  1Sights

  Makam Bung KarnoMONUMENT

  (admission 10,000Rp, includes entry into the museum; h7am-5pm)

  At Sentul, 2km north of the town centre, former president Sukarno’s grave is marked by a massive black stone and an elaborate monument of columns and murals depicting his achievements. Sukarno (or Bung Karno) is widely regarded as the father of the Indonesian nation, although he was only reinstated as a national hero in 1978. Despite family requests that he be buried at his home in Bogor, Sukarno was buried in an unmarked grave next to his mother in Blitar.

  His father’s grave was also moved here from Jakarta. It was only in 1978 that the lavish million-dollar monument was built and the gravesite was opened to visitors. There’s also a small museum devoted to the man, which has hundreds of historic photographs of Sukarno with heads of state including John F Kennedy and Ho Chi Minh.

  The monument has an undeniable poignancy, and thousands of Indonesian pilgrims come here each year to pay their respects. Visitors peak around Independence Day when men and women, dressed in their best batik and jilbab, gather and chant in his honour. Sadly, as you leave, things descend abruptly into tacky consumerism as you’re directed through a seemingly never-ending maze of souvenir stalls.

  A becak from Blitar town centre is around 10,000Rp. Panataran-bound angkudes (yellow minibuses; 3000Rp) pass by; ask for the makam (grave).

  Museum SukarnoMUSEUM

  (Jl Sultan Agung 59; admission by donation; h7am-5pm)

  For a more personal look into the life of Sukarno, head for the Museum Sukarno, located in the house where he lived as a boy. Photos, revolutionary posters and memorabilia (including a Bung Karno clock) line the front room, and you can see the great man’s bedroom and check out his old Mercedes in the garage. The museum is about 1.5km from the centre of town.

  Pasar LegiMARKET

  Blitar’s large public market, Pasar Legi is next to the bus terminal and worth a wander.

  4Sleeping & Eating

  Puri PerdanaMOTEL$$

  (%0342-801884; Jl Anjasmoro 78; r from 250,000Rp; aW)

  Built like a motor inn, with rooms on two floors on either side of a landscaped driveway, digs are clean and tiled, low on frills but comfortable enough. Walk-in discounts can drop the price to 150,000Rp.

  oTugu Sri LestariHISTORIC HOTEL$$

  (%0342-801766; www.tuguhotels.com; Jl Merdeka 173; incl breakfast r 375,000-1,000,000Rp; aW)

  One of East Java's best hotels. The rooms in the principal building are incredibly atmospheric, with high ceilings and grand teak beds; those in the modern extension at the rear are neat and functional. Service is warm and professional, and staff are full of tips about the city and region.

  There's a real sense of history throughout the main structure, a Dutch colonial building from the 1850s. Be sure to ask staff to let you see the Sukarno room (he was a frequent visitor here) where you can sit at his old desk.

  Bu MamikINDONESIAN$

  (Jl Kalimantan 11; mains 7500-32,000Rp; h10am-11pm)

  Tasty ayam bakar (grilled chicken) is what brings droves of locals to this quaint, stilted indoor-outdoor restaurant with carved columns and twirling fans.

  Waroeng Tugu BlitarINDONESIAN$

  (www.tuguhotels.com/blitar; Jl Merdeka 173; mains 32,000-78,000Rp; h8am-10pm; v)

  After a hot day's sightseeing, drop by this fine hotel's 'waroeng' for local specialties, including udang swarloka (deep-fried shrimp balls), tahu kembang jenar (crispy tofu stuffed with mushrooms, bean sprouts and bamboo shoots) and nasi kare ayam ny oei (chicken cooked in yellow curry served with rice).

  It offers a range of full salads and Western mains too. Be sure to tour the hotel while you're here.

  8Information

  There are several banks in town including BCA Bank (Jl Merdeka; h8am-4pm Mon-Sat). Wi-fi is available in area hotels.

  8Getting There & Away

  Regular buses run from Blitar to Malang (20,000Rp, 2½ hours) and Surabaya (45,000Rp, 4½ to five hours), as well as Solo (100,000Rp, six hours). The bus terminal is 4km south of town along Jl Veteran (3000Rp by angkot from the centre). Angkudes run from the western end of Jl Merdeka to Panataran temple for 6000Rp, passing close to Makam Bung Karno; you’ll have to walk the last 300m or so.

  Blitar has a few useful train connections, with three daily services heading to both Solo (160,000Rp to 465,000Rp, 4½ hours) and Yogyakarta (160,000Rp to 465,000Rp, five to 5½ hours).

  Hiring a car and driver makes a lot of sense to see the sights; the Tugu hotel can organise this for 550,000Rp per day. Or hire an ojek for much less at around 100,000Rp.

  Panataran

  The Hindu temples (admission 3000Rp; h7am-5pm) at Panataran (locally called 'Penataran') are the largest intact Majapahit temples, and the finest examples of ancient East Javanese architecture and sculpture. Construction began in 1197, during the Singosari dynasty, with building work continuing for another 250 years. Most of the important surviving structures date from the great years of the Majapahit kingdom during the 14th century.

  Around the base of the first-level platform, the comic-strip carvings tell the story of a test between the fat, meat-eating Bubukshah and the thin, vegetarian Gagang Aking.

  Further on is the small Dated Temple, so called because of the date ‘1291’ (AD 1369) carved over the entrance. On the next level are colossal serpents snaking endlessly around the Naga Temple, which once housed valuable sacred objects.

  At the rear stands the triple-tiered Mother Temple,
its lowest panels depicting stories from the Ramayana. Behind is a small royal mandi (bathing tank) with a frieze depicting lizards, bulls and dragons around its walls.

  Three hundred metres beyond the turn-off to the temples, the Museum Panataran (admission by donation; h8am-2pm Tue-Thu, Sat & Sun, to 11am Fri) has an impressive collection of statuary from the complex, but labelling is poor.

  The complex is set in a neighbourhood perched over rice fields and alive with domestic tourists, joyful children and meandering, pecking chickens. It's a lovely scene later in the day.

  Panataran is 16km from Blitar (5000Rp by bus), and 3km north of the village of Nglegok.

  Gunung Kelud

  Around 30km directly north of Panataran, Gunung Kelud (1731m) is one of Java’s most active, accessible and rewarding volcanoes to visit, with a plunging crater, steaming vents and a small crater lake. Kelud is in a near-permanent state of growl – an eruption in 1919 killed 5000 people and one in 2007 sent smoke 2.5km into the air and created a 250m-high cone within the caldera.

  To get to the crater itself you have to walk through a 200m tunnel, built under the Japanese occupation. A torch (flashlight) isn't necessary but will reveal many bats. To get the best perspective of Kelud you need to hike a steep path up the side of the crater.