Surabaya, a port city located on the west of Java island is Indonesia’s second largest city. With a rich history as a major hub for commerce, it was a strategic city of interest for many countries prior to Indonesia’s independence. It was even the epicenter of independence, a history which is emphasized at various sites throughout the day as I made my way northeastward, first to the Kapal Selam submarine museum, then the tourist center hidden around Perpustakaan Umum library, down Jalan (street) Gubernur Suryo to Pasar Genteng, then trekked to Tugu Pahlawan, a park with museum dedicated to the Surbabaya uprising, but instead of going to the Museum, I first made my way to the House of Sampoerna which offered free daily city tours in order to draw people into their tobacco museum. The tour spaces were issued first thing in the morning, so I didn’t get a ticket. I explored the museum then took a separate route back to Tugu Pahlawan where I ran into the Sampoerna tour’s bus with an empty seat. The guide let me join the Tugu Pahlawan tour, but afterwards I headed to Pasar Turi then tried to catch a local train back, but they didn’t stop at Gubeng station so I walked the whole way, stopping along Tunjungan Plaza for a break.

Tip:
Long distances are not too difficult to walk in a city, especially using major streets. The average walking pace is 3 miles per hour, or 5 km per hour. You can check your map in advance to find a route with multiple landmarks and sights along the way which significantly reduces the sense of a long walk and turns it into a productive day full of sights.

Published by BE

I write about my travel and money experiences. View all posts by BE