Polluted, noisy and sprawling, SURABAYA is the second largest city in Indonesia, and the major port of East Java. With time and effort the city is comprehensible and even somewhat enjoyable, but for most tourists Surabaya is nothing more than a transport hub. If you do want to linger, the Chinese and Arab quarters to the north of the city centre and the zoo and museum to the south are the most interesting sights.

The City
Surabaya's Chinese quarter hums with activity, an abundance of traditional two-storey shophouses lining narrow streets, and minuscule red-and-gold altars glinting in shops and houses. The area centres on Jalan Slompretan, Jalan Bongkaran and...
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