Country: Indonesia and City: Malang
Indonesia is not merely about Bali. There are a lot of beautiful and interesting places that can be visited during the time in Indonesia. One of the places that offers its natural beauty is East Java province. This province borders on the east with Bali Strait. Those who already spend their time in Bali are easy enough to continue their holiday in East Java and discover what they have to offer them.
Malang is mountainous regency that is rich with their culture. It is a nice place for rest and relaxation due to its fresh air. It is about 90 km on the south of Surabaya, the capital city of East Java. It is only about 2.5 hours to go to Malang by bus, car or train from Surabaya. This town can be reached by busses from other towns. There are some bus stations and train stations in this town, which serve the transportation from and to all cities in Indonesia. It is also famous as the center of education in East Java. There are a lot of students from all over Indonesia study in this town. Therefore, there are large number of private universities as well as state universities and academies in this town.
Having known as the center of education in East java, It is also known as the tourists destination. There are several tourists destinations and attractions prepared to welcome the tourists plus the smile of the friendly local people. There are various attraction that the tourists can experience while they visit this town. They may see the natural beauty of this mountainous town and breath its fresh air, visit several temples and some religious places like Gunung Kawi.
The most popular destination in this town is the village of Batu, about 17 km up to the northwest. It has known as the home of some comfortable hotels. Usually, local tourists who want to escape and refresh from their daily routinely will choose to stay in the area of Batu and the areas nearby such as Songgoriti and Selecta, which are the home of several hill resorts. The village of Batu is well known as the center of apple fruit. Almost all the local people grow apple instead of rice. The tourists can simply buy apple on the market or the seller along the road. Selecta is about 10 km near Batu village. It is usually chosen for family holiday. It is popular with its swimming pool and the beautiful view of colorful roses. The tourists are also able to bring this beautiful view to their home. They may go to the market nearby and buy some flowers. Usually the market is specialized in providing many kind of flowers and handicraft. The tourists may bargain hard here. In Songgoriti, the people may enjoy the spring water that contains sulphur, calcium, and salt that have
useful effect for some illness.
Since Malang has relationship history with Majapahit Kingdom, the tourists are still able to witness the sites related with it, such as the temple of Badut, about 5 km on the southeast of the town, Temple of Singosari and the temple of Jago. The religious site is on Kawi mountain, on the northwest of the town. It is well known as the place for pilgrims from all over Indonesia as well as pilgrims from Singapore and Hong Kong who want to ask for blessing by visiting the tomb of mbah Jugo.
The coast is on the south area. The famous Balekambang is a beautiful beach with its white sand and the temple located on the rock which is the religious place for Hindus. Another beach is located about 62 km from the town. Ngliyep beach is a wonderful rocky beach surrounded by its mysticism. There is annual ceremony held in this beach called Labuhan (sea offering). Sendang Biru beach is also often visited by tourists on holiday.
While visiting this town, the tourists may choose the best place for their stay. For the tourists who want to stay in mountain resort to choose a hotel on Batu, Selecta or Songgoriti area. For those who want to stay in downtown, there are also several choices of hotels at all rates. The location of those hotels make the guests are able to explore this town easily. The famous hotel in this town is Tugu Hotel Malang. It is located near Balai Kota. A beautiful area with a pond surrounded by colorful flowers and big shady trees.
Before leaving this town, spend the time visiting an area called Dinoyo, where some kinds of ceramic wares are made here. Get some souvenirs to make your trip to this town will be unforgettable.
