Jember

This is East Java's third largest city after Surabaya and Malang. It has decent facilities for visitors and makes a good base for exploring the southern part of the East Java region. Reaching the remote Sukamade turtle conservation area is often tackled from here. Jember is a big commercial centre and is almost invariably congested and crowded. Tourism Information Offices Jember Tourism Office, Jl Gajah Mada No 325, Jember. Tel +62 331 425471. Meru Betiri National Park Office: Jl Sriwijaya 53, Jember 68121, East Java, Tel/Fax: +62 331 321530, E-mail: [email protected]. Excellent first stop for information about visiting the turtle conservation facility at Sukamade and other parts of the national park.

By plane By train Jember is on the main East Java line and there are many services linking it with other cities in the region and in Central Java. Longer distance rail access from Jakarta involves a change in Jogjakarta or Surabaya. Check the PT Kereta Api (Persero) website for detailed schedules. The name of the station is Stasiun Jember (Jember Station). It takes 4 hours to travel from Surabaya. By bus The main long distance bus terminal is called and is about 5 km west of the city centre. This is served by buses from Banyuwangi (about 2 hours), Surabaya (about 5 hours), Malang (about 5 hours), and many other smaller towns in East Java.

The main taxi company in Jember is called Argo and they have a telephone booking service: +62 331 424242. Local buses and bemos are everywhere. All of the local hotels will offer tours or help you with booking independent transport for seeing the key local sights (almost all of which are very rural and involve a lot of travelling).

Events

Once you visit Jember, something that you cannot miss is buying gifts. There are various gifts from Jember. One of them is a traditional food made from fermented tapioca called Tape. It has a sweet and sour flavor and often gives a warm feel to your body. The other thing is Suwar Suwir. It is basically also made from fermented tapioca, but slightly modified to other shapes and can be grouped as sweets. It has a sweet flavor as well. A lot of shops sell that food. One popular shop is "Primadona", next to Pasar Tanjung. Here, you can also find Brownies Tape. It is brownies cake as you usually know, with the flavor of tape. You can also go to Hardys supermarket, located in Jl. Raya Sultan Agung or Matahari Department store.

As always in Indonesian cities, there are an enormous number of street vendors and simple restaurants to choose from. Following the local crowds is always the best advice.

Try a local drink named wedang cor, a mixture of tape ketan (fermented sticky rice), water, condensed milk, and ginger.

Most of the hotels in Jember city are aimed at local business travellers. This tends to mean that they are efficient and clean but not the most interesting of places. The more rural options may appeal more to overseas visitors.

The telephone area code for Jember is 0331 and 0336.

Banyuwangi for ferries to Bali. Amazing volcanoes and scenery at the Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park via Probolinggo. Jogjakarta and the wonders of Borobudur and Prambanan. Go to Meru Betiri National Park to visit the Sukamade turtle conservation facility. Yang Highland Wildlife Sanctuary