Cirebon

Cirebon is a city in the North Coast region of West Java, not far from the border with Central Java.

Understand
Its name is often said to be derived from the Sundanese words of ci (water or river) and rebon (shrimp). Indeed, the city's main industry is fishery, including shrimp. An alternative Javanese explanation is that the city's name is from caruban, meaning "mixture", a reference to Cirebon's complex mix of Javanese, Malay, Sundanese, Chinese and Arabic cultural elements. While Indonesians from outside of Cirebon pronounce the name CHEE-reh-bon, locals say Cheer-BON (with rolling R).

The city weather is hot and humid. Wear cotton clothes. You do not need long sleeves shirt, instead a T-shirt and knee-long trousers are comfortable. Some places like mosques and temples require polite dress such as long trousers/skirts. Hot pants/mini skirts may attract unwanted attention and might be considered impolite.

By car
Cirebon is along the major west-east motorway connecting Jakarta and Central Java. If there are no traffic jams, Cirebon can be reached in about 2½ hours from Jakarta. However, traffic congestion is common and the trip usually takes up to 4 hours. During weekends and holidays, it may even take significantly longer.

There are additional trunk roads to Cirebon from the northwest (Indramayu), southwest (Bandung and Sumedang) and south (Kuningan).

By train
The main station of the city is (also known as Kejaksan Station). There is on average about 1 train per hour to and from Jakarta (Gambir or Pasar Senen stations in Central Jakarta), both during daytime and at night. Almost all of these trains are business or executive class trains (one-way tickets about Rp150,000-250,000), but a few per day are economy class. Travel time between Jakarta and Cirebon is usually about 3 hours.

In the other direction, there are also on average hourly trains to the east. The final destinations of these trains differ, with several trains per day terminating at Surabaya, Kediri, or Malang in East Java, and several others going to cities in Central Java, such as Tegal, Semarang, Cilacap, or Yogyakarta. Finally, there are three (executive/business) trains per day from Cirebon to Bandung via Cikampek.

By bus
The main bus terminal of Cirebon is. The terminal is served by frequent buses to and from various bus terminals in Jakarta, the port of Merak, Tegal and Semarang, Tasikmalaya, Kuningan, and Bandung, among other cities. There are at least daily bus connections to all larger cities throughout Java, such as Surabaya and Yogyakarta, and also to Denpasar in Bali.

Get around
There are several ways of getting around the town of Cirebon. The most convenient way is by rented car. However, it is advisable to rent a car with a driver if you are not used to driving in Indonesia.

Another way to get around is by angkot (public minivan). There are various angkot routes throughout the city. Angkots follow a fixed route, but there is no fixed schedule and there are no fixed stops. To get on, simply raise your hand. To get off, simply shout "Kiri!" to the driver, so he will pull over on the left (Indonesian: kiri) side of the road. The price of an angkot ride within the city is usually about Rp3,000. It is best to ask a local which angkot route to take, and how to recognise the location you want to get off.

Other options to get around include hiring a becak (cycle rickshaw), ojek (motorcycle taxi) or a regular taxi. Not all taxi drivers are willing to use a taxi meter, so then the price depends on your negotiation skills. Two taxi companies in Cirebon that are known to usually use the official taxi meter are Central Taxi and Bhinneka Taxi. You can also get around by online ojek or taxi that is already available in the city. Install Gojek or Grab application on your phone, then you can order ojek or taxi from your phone almost anytime, to go anywhere in the city.

See

 * Animal statue at Keraton Kasepuhan of Cirebon; 2017.jpg

Buy
Cirebon is a centre of batik cloth industry. The special 'Batik Cirebon' style can be bought in many places around the city.

Local cuisines
Cirebon is known for a few local dishes, often with fish and seafood products, but also other dishes that show the city's mixture of Sundanese and Javanese influences. Below is a list of some popular local eateries that serve these local dishes.

Connect
The telephone area code of Cirebon is 0231.

Go next

 * Mount Ciremai National Park — the highest mountain of West Java province, just south of Cirebon.
 * Linggajati — point of entrance to Mount Ciremai, and also the location of the 1946 Linggajati Agreement (now a museum).
 * Indramayu — to the northwest, Indramayu has various beaches along the Java Sea coast, as well as a few offshore islands.
 * Kuningan — in the eastern part of West Java province, south of the city of Cirebon.