Hard to believe that it’s been a whole year since I left, but what a treat to be back in Surabaya again, excited to see more of Indonesia’s natural and cultural wonders. The customs and immigration procedure at Juanda International Airport couldn’t have been smoother. It’s worth noting that Jakarta gets vastly more international traffic than humble Surabaya, despite the fact that this city has all that’s required to fill most travelers’ needs: full customs, visa, immigration, and other departments. Anything you need to do, you can do it here just as easily (or in many ways, more easily!) than in busy Jakarta.
Unfortunately for yours truly, I arrived in Surabaya with a head cold that (combined with jet lag) knocked me out for a few days. Nothing one can do; sometimes it happens. But it meant taking it easy those first few days and doing more at the end of the trip than the beginning.
Despite being sick, I managed to enjoy some Surabaya food. One of the highlights of a trip to Indonesia is how diverse it is — you can literally get everything from fancy Italian to Chinese to pretty decent Japanese-style ramen.
I feel lucky to have had Surabaya city as my entry/exit to Java, as it’s far less hectic, crowded, and crazy than Jakarta. Everyone goes in and out through Jakarta, but hopefully Surabaya will be more on the map in the future. It’s a great place to start a trip through incredible Indonesia.