Malang is a large town in central East Java, lying at altitude to the south of the provincial capital of Surabaya. It’s a cool and friendly place with enough cultural and historical interest to hold attention for a few days.
Malang is surrounded by attractive volcanoes and its streets are tree-lined and clean for the most part. The nicest part of town is the Jalan Ijen colonial neighborhood with its large houses. Alun-alun is the center of town and has the best shopping.
Attractions worth checking out in Malang include the Museum Brawijaya, a military museum on Jalan Ijen, and the many markets. The bird market on Jalan Brawijay is particularly fun to wander around with all sorts of singing birds on sale. The flower market is nearby.
Malang has bags of well-priced hotels in and around town, as well as a huge number of cafés and restaurants. The nearby volcanoes provide extensive walking while beaches line the Indian Ocean coast to the south.
Getting There & Away
Malang is about 90kms south of Surabaya, which is around 2 hours, 30 minutes by bus along a major highway. Malang also has its own airport - Abdulrahman Saleh Military Airport - with direct flights from Jakarta in less than 2 hours. Flights also come in from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur while standard trains also make the short hop from Surabaya.
Things to Do
Malang Attractions
- Jalan Ijen
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This street is the most appealing in malang, with its colonial semi-mansions and the brawijaya museum.
Side trips from Malang
- Balekambang Beach
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A fine beach to the south of malang with three islets connected by small bridges.
- Coban Rondo Waterfall
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Located in pujon not far west of malang on the slopes of mount panderman, this waterfall is a nice escape from the town.
Events
- Malang Festival
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A fun five-day festival along jalan ijen attracting hundreds of thousands of revelers.