Words
- by Roberto Rocha
- published from Indonesia
- on 2010.07.29
Solo vs. Malang: a tussle of two cities
There’s some debate online on which East Java city time-crunched travelers should pick, Malang or Solo. For their benefit, here’s a side-by-side comparison.
| Criteria | Malang | Solo |
|---|---|---|
| City size | Pleasant small town (by Indonesian standards). Virtually no congested arteries. | Large city with the lion's share of smog. |
| Winner: Malang | ||
| Climate | Cool mountain weather with warm days and refreshing nights. | Sea-level humidity and warm nights. |
| Winner: Malang | ||
| Sightseeing | A glut of colonial Dutch buildings, since they liked the cooler climate. A bird market straddling a canal with hundreds of chirpers and stalls with vats of grubs to feed them. Also has other animals like dogs, rabbits, gerbils, lizards, monkeys and at least one bat. The flowery and palm-lined Ijen Blvd., probably the most pleasant and manicured street in all of Indonesia. Full of mansions that make you want to move there. An agreeable Chinese temple. | The 250-year old Kasunanan and Mangkunegaran palaces featuring classic Javanese architecture. The Radya Pustaka, Indonesia's oldest museum. The Kauman and Leweyan villages where clothing made by Javanese batik painting is made and sold. Very pleasant to stroll and get lost in their narrow alleyways. |
| Winner: Solo | ||
| Shopping | No markets that stand out. | The Triwindu antique market that has dozens of stalls selling (arguably) too many Javanese, Hindu and Buddhist knick-knacks. The Klewer market, where batik stalls are packed so tightly together, there's barely room for one person to walk between them. Awesome. Lots of batik boutiques everywhere. |
| Winner: Solo | ||
| Culture and leisure | The Senaputra recreational centre, where families enjoy picnics, a swimming pool, and live music. Every Sunday morning a girls' rehearsal of East Javanese dancing is open to the public. A few pleasant cafes and karaoke bars where young people hang out. A nice strip of night food stalls along Trunojcyo St., near the train station. | The Sriweadari park, a classic small-town fair with amusement park rides, games, and live music. The Wayang Orang Sriwedari, a theatre of nightly Javanese stage performances with live orchestras for very cheap. The ISI (Indonesian Art institute) and TBS (Surakarta art and culture centre) that feature shows and exhibits. Bale Agung, which offers workshops on Javanese leather puppet-making. The Galabo food strip, an almost endless necklace of food stalls with an intimidating variety of local dishes, including a cobra seller who kills, skins and cooks the poisonous snakes in front of you. Tons of wedangan, sidewalk food carts where friends meet for tea and evening snacks. |
| Winner: Solo | ||
| Degree of touristiness | Virtually no signs in English No major hotel chains. You can go days without seeing a Westerner. | Souvenir shops with cheesy, overpriced T-shirts. A few major hotels. |
| Winner: Malang | ||
| Nearby attractions | The Bromo and Semeru volcanoes. The Ijen Plateau, with scenic coffee plantations, trekking, and a crater with a warm-water lake. Several small ancient temples: Singosari, Kidal, Jago, Sumberawan. Beaches: Sukamade, where turtles lay eggs, Balakambang, and Sendang Biru, located at a fishermen's village. The town of Batu, which has the most lively town square life at night, with lots of good food stalls and monkeys that ride mini motorcycles. Also a gateway to: The Cangar hot springs at the top of a mountain. The Coban Rondo waterfall, which is nice, but not as nice as the colony of monkeys that eat apples and peanuts off your hand. Just don't get to close to the dominant males. | The Ceto and Sukuh temples atop Mt. Lawu. The motorcycle trip through mountain villages and plantations is worth the trip alone. The Selo Pass, a route of three villages at the base of Mt. Merapi. The Grojogan waterfall, which offers swimming, camping, picnic and hiking tails. |
| Winner: Malang | ||
Tale of the tape:
Malang wins 4-3 on the categories above, even though both towns appeal to different tastes. Malang is great for nature and contact with traditional Javanese living. Solo, on the other hand, is made for culture vultures who enjoy big-city trappings.
Some practical info
Malang
To get to Batu, take a bus from the Landungsari bus station.
To get to Coban Rondo, take a microbus form Batu to the entrance of the park. It’s a four-kilomtre walk to the waterfall or a cheap ojek (motorcycle taxi) ride. There’s a mini zoo halfway with deer, cassowaries, monkeys and elephants. A bit depressing.
To get to Cangar: take a bus from Batu to Selekta, then hire an ojek to take you up the mountain. It’s Rp. 15,000 (about $1.60) each way. The pools close at 4pm.
Solo
To get to the Ceto and Sukuh temples: take a bus from the terminal to Karangpadan village. You can hire an ojek to take you to one or both temples and back. He will likely charge Rp. 100,000 for both, but try to bargain it down to Rp. 80,000.
Comments
Queridos, assim fica fácil ir a Indonésia..rs! Muito legal o comparativo. Abs.
Custom Ad
Leave a comment