Top Things to do in Bangkalan
Top 8 Things to do in Bangkalan, Indonesia
Discover the best top things to do in Bangkalan, Indonesia including Bukit Kapur Jaddih, Bukit Kapur Aermata Bangkalan, Gua Pote Bukit Jaddih, Arosbaya Limestone Hill, Aer Mata Cemetery, Mercu Suar Bangkalan, Siring Kemuning Beach, Api Alam Madura.
Restaurants in Bangkalan
1. Bukit Kapur Jaddih
Overall Ratings
4 based on 66 reviews
Reviewed By Kelvin P - Surabaya, Indonesia
This location is located just 1 hour drive from Surabaya. Access to this place is very bad. The road is narrow and deserted. There were some criminal cases in this location that target motorcyclists (begal motor), but for those of you who drive a car do not have to worry. If the weather is hot, then you will feel the extraordinary heat when you are here. Use sunblock and face mask.
Entrance ticket for car is Rp. 10,000, and you need to pay again to get into the main places like Bukit Kapur and the lake. Usually, they will take a double profit by raising the ticket price, so be careful.
I don't think there's anything interesting about this place. If the Madurese government wanted to fix this place into a good and safe tourist spot, surely this place would be very popular because in fact this place is a hidden tourist attraction. The direction to this place is also very lacking, so I just rely on GPS only.
Once was enough. I won't come back if there's no improvement from the local government.
For western tourists, you can rent a car or motorbike to get to this place, or can also take a tour that provided by some trusted tour agencies in Surabaya.
2. Bukit Kapur Aermata Bangkalan
Overall Ratings
4 based on 24 reviews
Reviewed By Koko S - Jakarta Selatan
This place is not petra of Jordan..or like any canyon carving in America..but it is really one of amazing attraction in Bangkalan - Madura.
The limestone hills in an abandoned quary of bricks in the past. But somehow now it is like a work of art. We can take pictures with an amazing background of scenery. A lot of couples are doing their pre-wedding photography.
3. Gua Pote Bukit Jaddih
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 32 reviews
Reviewed By Tony G - Libreville, Estuaire, Gabon
A must for any one with kids. Very enjoyable time. Easy access. It's 1 dollar Australian to enter. Very clean pool. Helpful staff. Really easy parking. Slides and sloping pool for all ages. Plenty of shade. Changing rooms. Lots of staff selling local foods. Well priced. The water was clean and constantly being cleaned by life guards. Great family attraction.
4. Arosbaya Limestone Hill
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6 reviews
Reviewed By Jim S - Los Angeles, California
Nice limestone formations hidden in a secluded area. It is in an out of the way place. Maybe hard to locate. Road to the location from the entrance is very narrow and thru an alley between houses. Not recommended for large vehicles. You can park the car on the street and walk to the place (Less than 1 mile?). It has a lot of shady place and an easy walk. Best time to visit is when the sun it out and high. Place is not too warm. Can be slippery when wet.
5. Aer Mata Cemetery
Overall Ratings
4 based on 13 reviews
Reviewed By Raymond W - Chengdu, China
Madura was often ruled by two different sultans, one of whom was based at Sumenep at the eastern tip of the island and the other who ruled from Bangkalan at the western end. The Sumenep sultanate has left far more evidence of itself, including a large palace, a wonderful royal mosque and a massive hilltop cemetery. The main historical sight associated with the Bangkalan royal family is Aer Mata Cemetery. An easy motorbike trip from town, a visit here rewards you will some nice rural scenery and some beautifully decorated royal graves, at least one of which draws local pilgrims. Just be warned: a trip here in the dry season is liable to be a very thirsty experience. Bring a bottle of water.
6. Mercu Suar Bangkalan
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 16 reviews
Reviewed By theo1006 - Mijas, Spain
The cast-iron light-house at Bangkalan has stood there for 135 years and is still fully functional. The public is allowed to climb the 250 steps (take or give a few) to take in the fantastic view. Admission is only IDR 2000 and opening hours are 7am to 5pm.
The light-house was erected in 1879 by order of king William III of the Netherlands. It was shipped in parts from the foundry in the Netherlands and assembled on the spot.
The lighthouse well deserves to be more widely known. When we asked around in town how to go to the Mercu Suar (Indonesian for Light-House), we were misdirected to Kamal harbour. There a guard jumped on his motorbike and led us all the way - 14 km - to the light-house, rejecting any tip for his service. Not many visitors there, a skinny old man took in the entrance fee. A few goat roamed the site and a couple was having there “pre-wedding” photo's made on the lighthouse.
Directions: From Kamal Harbour straight north for 8.5 km; then at Socah market another 5.5 km north-west by a poorly paved road. From the main road in Bangkalan town take the well-paved road west just south of the stadium.
7. Siring Kemuning Beach
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 14 reviews
Reviewed By astriblakeney - Mandurah, Australia
We have an annual ritual with nephews & nieces after Lebaran that is coming to Siring Kemuning! Have a dip in the beach, an awesome lunch such as Rujak Petis, instant noodles, Soto, Sate, etc or you can bring your own lunch for a picnic. Depends on the season or month, sometimes it looks clean, messy, beautiful, peaceful, or can be very very windy! There is no lifeguard so you are kinda at your own risk.
8. Api Alam Madura
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 12 reviews
Reviewed By theo1006 - Mijas, Spain
Evidently there is more than one “eternal fire” site on Madura. The one reviewed by Lewipurn0368 is located near Pamekasan in the regency of the same name.
When driving from Bangkalan to Sampang we spotted a small sign “Api Alam” (Natural Fire), and following this up arrived in Genteng village. Here we found the fire just in front of the house of the village head, Haji Ali Wafa, who owns the land with the fire.
For this site at least the designation Natural Fire is more honest than Eternal Fire: although natural gas may have been seeping to the surface as long as people can remember, the fire is easily extinguished by a gust of wind. So the village head has installed a few pipes to collect the gas, and his son lighted the fire for us. Then we could blow out the fire and light it again ourselves. When the fire is extinguished, one can easily smell the gas.
The son spoke English well and explained that the government had wanted to buy the land to develop the site for tourism purposes. But his father does not want to sell.
Location of this site: Genteng village, Konang district, Bangkalan regency; from Blega town turn north for 10 km by a well-sealed road through Konang village.
For those interested, there are also eternal fires on Java, the biggest one being "Kayangan Api" in Bojonegoro regency. That one is really eternal, even heavy rain cannot extinguish it.
