Semarang

Semarang is the capital of Central Java province in Indonesia. It is a bustling, growing mid-sized city with a population of almost 1.7 million in 2020. It is more an administrative and business town than a tourist destination. It nevertheless has its own charm, with contrasting modern mid-rises, a significant set of Dutch colonial architecture, Chinatown, and "kampung" all jutting against each other.

Understand
The city's name is said to derive from the Javanese words "asem" and "arang", which could be translated as "scarce tamarind."

Orientation
Semarang lies on the province's northern coast.

Semarang's topography is marked by a narrow coastal plain, rising sharply inland. The city sprawls up from the coast, and the higher areas see some of the highest rate of residential development, due to the slightly cooler climate. The sea is slowly reclaiming the coastal lowlands during the monthly rob or high tides, causing flooding up to more than a kilometer from the coast.

Climate
The coastal location can make the climate uncomfortably hot and humid. It is not unusual for temperatures to be above.

In contrast to many Indonesian cities, Semarang still has a fair amount of greenery. Locals will tell you that areas that used to be (by their standards) "cool" are no longer. The climate is hot and humid, except on the slope - where it is slightly more pleasant - towards Ungaran, so wear light-coloured cotton clothes, such as T-shirts and knee-length trousers for comfort.

Visitor information
In 2007 the government started to promote Semarang as a tourist destination, starting with the Semarang Pesona Asia (Semarang, Asia's Enchantment) branding.

By plane


For international arrivals, if you need a Visa on Arrival, proceed to the left side of the immigration queue, otherwise, go straight to the immigration counter.

Buses from the airport
Line 5 (Koridor V) of the TransSemarang Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system passes through the airport between 05:30 and 18:30 with a headway every 10 minutes. TransSemarang BRT Airport bus runs between 18:00 and 24:00. For the city centre (e.g. Simpang Lima or the City Hall Balai Kota), take the bus towards Tawang railway station and transfer to Line 1 (Koridor I) in Karangayu. Tickets cost Rp4,000 which includes transfers to any of the other lines. Keep your ticket for checking.

Taxis from the airport
There is a taxi counter outside arrivals, to the left. Cross over the drop-off lane. Prices are fixed per zone and roughly double the price of normal city taxis because the airport cooperative has a monopoly. A cheaper option is to turn right out of arrivals and walk to where incoming taxis drop off travellers at the departure area, and take one that has just dropped its passengers off. A city taxi to Simpang Lima or the city centre area should cost about Rp70,000.

By train


There are two main railway stations, both on the north coast mainline connecting Jakarta with Surabaya:



Semarang is well-connected to Jakarta, Bandung and Surabaya by train. The economy and executive class train Joglosemarkerto travels in a loop across Central Java, through Yogyakarta, Solo, Semarang, Pekalongan, Tegal, Purwokerto, and back to Yogyakarta, as well as in the reverse direction. Multiple executive-class trains connect Semarang to Jakarta (6 hours) and Surabaya (4 hours) several times a day, with overnight journeys also possible. The Harina service connects Semarang to Bandung and Surabaya once a day with executive and economy class coaches.

By car
Semarang can be reached by car from both Jakarta and Surabaya in around 4-5 hours and from Solo in less than 2 hours using the Trans-Java toll road.

From Cilacap in the very southwest of Central Java will take seven to eight hours, via Banyumas, Wonosobo and Temanggung. At Temanggung you can choose to keep going on the main roads through Secang and Ambarawa, or to cut up over the side of Mount Ungaran to Sumowono and Bandungan and take advantage of their all-day fruit and vegetable market.

By bus
The biggest and most modern bus terminal in Semarang is: Many bus companies offer daily service from Jakarta, from Pulo Gebang Bus Terminal and Kampung Rambutan Bus Terminal in East Jakarta, Kalideres Bus Terminal and Grogol Bus Terminal in West Jakarta, or from Pasar Jumat Bus Terminal (the successor of Lebak Bulus Bus Terminal) in South Jakarta. The overnight bus with A/C is also available with good service. You can choose bus operators such as Garuda Mas, Kramat Djati, Laju Prima, Nusantara, Raya, Rosalia Indah, and Safari Dharma Raya, which are all well-reputed. Sometimes the bus route is Jakarta to Solo via Semarang. In this case, you can ask the bus driver's assistant (the on-board ticket-checker) to wake you up in Semarang.

There is an executive-class tourist bus Joglosemar, which connects Jogjakarta, Solo, and Semarang (hence the name). It picks up tourists from specific hotels and provides snacks and water for their trip. Pricier than other executive buses, it is more comfortable and provides friendly service. They depart almost hourly.

Other companies providing shuttle vans in and out of Semarang include DayTrans (from Jogjakarta, Jepara), Solo and Cilacap), Central Java Travel, Bejeu (from Jepara), Bintang Raya, Matraman Travel, Mitra Travel and Putra Mandiri.

If you want to reserve a bus and travel online, there are some booking portals called Easybook, redBus, or Traveloka. This serves bus and travel tickets from cities like Bandung, Jakarta, Surabaya and Yogyakarta.

By boat
Semarang's Tanjung Emas Port (reachable by TransSemarang Koridor III) is located in the northern part, in an area that unfortunately is often flooded during high tide.

It is regularly served by ships mostly to/from destinations in Kalimantan. The state-owned PELNI has ships going to Banjarmasin (using KM. Egon), Pontianak (using KM. Lawit), and Kumai (using KM. Leuser and KM. Egon). Another operator with ships also going to Kalimantan is Dharma Lautan Utama (DLU), which serves Pontianak, Ketapang, Kumai, and Sampit. There are no regular ships going directly into Semarang from other major cities in Java, except for occasional ships from Jakarta during the mudik period close to Lebaran offered an alternative for people going back to their hometowns.

Cruise ships occasionally spend a day in port. It has few facilities for passengers, but an informal market of street vendors often assembles outside the secure area. Most passengers take a one-day tour to Borobudur or a city tour of Semarang.

By minibus/bus
There are big and medium-sized buses operated by city government-owned company called TransSemarang buses with designated stops on raised platforms (locally known as shelter). Despite being called a BRT system, the buses do not travel in designated lanes. There are eight routes:


 * Koridor Trans Semarang 1.svg: Penggaron (Bus Terminal)-Mangkang (Bus Terminal)
 * Koridor 1M: Mangkang (Bus Terminal)-Simpang Lima (night service, 18:00-23:00)
 * Koridor Trans Semarang 2.svg: Sisemut (Bus Terminal)-Terboyo (Bus Terminal)
 * Koridor Trans Semarang 3A.svg: Pelabuhan (Port)-Elisabeth (via Peterongan)
 * Koridor Trans Semarang 3B.svg: Pelabuhan (Port)-Elisabeth (via Simpang Lima)
 * Koridor Trans Semarang 4.svg: Cangkiran-Stasiun Tawang (Tawang Station)
 * Koridor Trans Semarang 5.svg: Meteseh-Ahmad Yani Airport-PRPP
 * Koridor Trans Semarang 6.svg: Diponegoro University (UNDIP) to Semarang State University (UNNES)
 * Koridor Trans Semarang 7.svg: Terboyo (Bus Terminal)-Balai Kota (City Hall)
 * Koridor Trans Semarang 8.svg: Cangkiran-Gunung Pati-Simpang Lima
 * Koridor Trans Semarang B.svg: Ahmad Yani Airport-Simpang Lima (night service, 18:00-24:00)

Most interchanging of buses is done at the Balai Kota (City Hall) or SMAN 5 shelter on Jl Pemuda.

The ticket costs Rp3,500 for adults who use electronic money, Rp4,000 for adults who pay in cash and flat Rp2,000 for students. The ticket is valid for as long as you are travelling, but you cannot break your journey. If you get off one bus and get straight on another, the ticket is valid. Keep your ticket when transferring from one corridor to another so that you won't have to buy a new ticket. Some of the less-frequented shelters do not have officials selling tickets, so you have to buy on board. Every bus also has a conductor. This is by far the most visitor-friendly method of going around by public transport.

Central Java provincial government also runs a bus rapid transit route, TransJateng, from Tawang railway station to the Bawen bus terminal, away on the southern outskirts of the city. Passing through Semarang Old Town, the main post office, town hall, Tugu Muda, Kariadi hospital. It also passes the Watu Gong Buddhist temple and the Sido Muncul jamu factory. A ticket costs Rp3,500. If you break your journey, you will need to buy another ticket when you get back on. The first bus leaves at 05:00 until 21:00. They run every 15-20 minutes and should do the whole journey in about 90 minutes.

There are plenty of minibuses (locally called angkot or daihatsu) serving other routes. The route is written on the windscreen, and sometimes on the back and side of the vehicle. The route is normally written in the form of 'origin-destination' and sometimes with 'via' information if there is more than one minibus route with the same origin-destination but with a different path in between. For example, the route written as Johar-Sampangan, means it starts in Johar and ends in Sampangan, and vice-versa. Minibus fares are around Rp2,000-3,000. There are two kinds of minibuses, the orange-coloured ones travel longer routes, and the yellow ones travel shorter routes (e.g. from a housing complex to the nearest market or terminal). Ask the conductor or driver before you board about the route and whether it goes where you want to go. This is where you need some rudimentary Indonesian as the person you ask is unlikely to speak English.

By taxi
Taxis are safe and comfortable, and reasonably priced (starting price Rp4,000).

Make sure you understand the route or ask a friend. Make sure the driver uses the meter ("argo"). If he refuses to use the meter, use another taxi. List of taxi companies:


 * Ordering a Blue Bird in Semarang is now possible through a smartphone app. They also link up with the Go-Jek ride service to offer Go-Bluebird.
 * Ordering a Blue Bird in Semarang is now possible through a smartphone app. They also link up with the Go-Jek ride service to offer Go-Bluebird.



Online ride-hailing apps
Using your smartphone, you can now easily hail a GoJek or Grab in Semarang. It is worth investing in a local SIM card with data so you can use the apps. In Semarang, Grab offers Grab Car and Grab Bike, and GoJek offers its full range, including Go-Bluebird, its tie-in with Bluebird Taxis: book a Bluebird using the GoJek app. Because the maps used in the app are not always reliable, drivers tend to call you shortly after they accept the job, to get more precise information. It is helpful to have enough Indonesian language skills to tell them exactly where you are waiting, to be able to describe a useful landmark, and what colour clothes you are wearing.

On foot
At first glance, central Semarang seems to have wide pavements. On closer inspection, they turn out to be paved with ceramic wall tiles that are lethally slippery when wet. Trees grow out of them, bus shelters take up nearly the whole width, traders start to encroach. Coupled with the hot and humid climate, walking suddenly seems a lot less attractive. What's more, trying to cross the road is borderline suicidal. Many of the main roads in the central area are one way, which turns them into race tracks. Pedestrian crossings, even with traffic lights, are disregarded. There are footbridges in places, but construction is low quality so watch your step on the stairs, and some have railings missing.

The Old Town is the only part of town that can be truly explored on foot. Behind Gereja Blenduk you will find a fascinating warren of streets between colonial offices and warehouses.

You can walk around the open green space of Simpang Lima, but crossing the road to get there is risky.

See




Before you get into the hilly area named Bukit Sari, you will see on your left, the park where you can stop by, drink tea and see Semarang from the hill. It's a really beautiful view in the daytime and a very special romantic view during the nighttime.



Around the Old Town




Monuments




Do




Reflexology
After some hard travelling, a long flight, climbing a volcano or just a long walk around town, an easy way to unwind is one of 'reflexology' places offering an hour or two in an easy chair, with vaguely Oriental ambient music tinkling away, while someone squeezes your feet (despite being called reflexology, it is rarely that, but very pleasant nonetheless). All for a very reasonable price.



Work
Finding part-time work as a traveller in Indonesia is never easy and will be of questionable legality due to the strict labour laws. You may be in contravention of the terms of your visa.

Having said that, there is always demand for native English speakers to share their skills in some formal or informal capacity. Formal requirements for foreign nationals teaching English in Indonesia are very stringent.

As a manufacturing centre, especially for the export-oriented furniture industries in Semarang and Jepara, you may hear of opportunities for those with the required technical or sales background, with native English language ability.

Be aware that your part-time work may take the place of a full-time job for a competent and experienced Indonesian.

Oleh-oleh
One of the favourites is milkfish, bandeng, pressure-cooked to soften the bones. It goes by the name bandeng presto or bandeng duri lunak. Also popular are lumpia Semarang (a spring roll with bamboo-shoot filling), wingko babat (small grilled patties of glutinous rice and shredded coconut), ganjel rel (a cake named after the railway sleeper that it resembles in shape and texture) and pia Kemuning (various kind of filling pastry, but the traditional ones are filled with palm sugar, not halal snack because of there is a label containing pork on the package). There is a well-known strip of toko oleh-oleh stores on Jl Pandanaran.



Arts and crafts
There are numerous places around town to buy jewelry, paintings, handicrafts, art, and other items that could make great souvenirs, and these places can be found all over town. You can buy batik, antiques, and traditional items in Pasar Johar (Johar Market). There is plenty of choices. It is also accessible by Angkot (mini-bus).

Batik
You can also buy high-quality batik at department stores, or at batik specialists like Batik Keris and Danar Hadi, both in the Simpang Lima square area. Semarang also has its own style of batik called Batik Semarangan, which can be found in various stores around town, one of them in kampung batik near old town.



Traditional fresh markets
Besides the famous Pasar Johar, there are other traditional markets across the city. You may buy fresh vegetables, fruits, and meats, also numerous traditional snacks or kue known as jajan pasar. Go early in the morning to see the most activity. They tend to have quietened down by late morning. There are plenty to choose from.

Changing money
As Semarang is not a tourist city, you won't find a large concentration of money changers. Those listed below are generally reliable, and you can even call ahead to 'lock' a rate first before coming in personally in the next half an hour or so. Banks are open between 08:30-15:00.

Eat
Semarang's choice of foods is large as other cities, you can find Japanese, Italian, Thai, Korean, Indian, and more.

Semarang cuisine
Semarang has many special foods that cannot be found in other cities, including:
 * Babat gongso, beef tripe in a sweet and spicy sauce.
 * Badak sambel, a veggies fritter in a spicy peanut sauce.
 * Empal kelem, beef in thick spiced gravy.
 * Kue jongkong singkong, a cake made from grated cassava.
 * Mie kopyok, noodle in a garlic soup.
 * Petis bumbon, boiled eggs cooked in fish paste sauce called petis banyar.
 * Petis kangkung, boiled water spinach mixed with shrimp paste sauce and lime juice.
 * Tahu gimbal, tofu dish with cabbage and gimbal (shrimp fritter) in a peanut sauce.
 * Tahu petis, tofu stuffed with black shrimp paste sauce.
 * Terang bulan Semarang, different from common martabak manis, it is softer and sprinkled with strawberry jam, white powder sugar, and sweetened chocolate condensed milk.

Budget
There are food stalls all over Semarang. Some kaki lima stalls are popular and cheap, as they are not permanent, and do not have phone numbers and exact addresses. However, they usually open in the same spot and time every day.

The cheapest of the cheap is nasi kucing (literally, cat rice) which is very small portions (just enough for a cat to eat, presumably) of rice served with a modest amount of side dishes and vegetables. Another cheap dish, bakso (meatball soup) with offal and cartilage also become a favorite lunch in Semarang such as Bakso Doa Ibu, Bakso Pak Geger, and Bakso Pak Ripto. Soto Semarang is a type of chicken soto with clear soup and various side dishes for budget breakfast, some of the oldest including Soto Bangkong, Soto Bokoran, Soto Pak Man, and Soto Pak Ra'an. Porridge is one of the budget breakfast menus in the morning in the city of Semarang, the salty one is called bubur terik (porridge with tofu and boiled egg in yellow coconut milk soup) and the sweet one is bubur ketan kinco (porridge with glutinous rice, grated coconut, and liquid brown sugar).

Drink
In Semarang, it is not easy to find bars. However, lately a few stylish venues have sprung up, mainly catering to the trendy young population. There are a few bars and cafes around Simpang Lima (right downtown). After sunset, please avoid small tents selling homemade tea (teh poci) as lots of hookers looking for targets, especially rich-looking travelers.

Coffee shops


Wedang or wedhang means hot, soothing drink. You can get them in Simpang Lima, hotels or restaurants in Semarang. One of the most popular variety is STMJ (Susu Telor Madu Jahe, a concoction of milk, egg, honey, and ginger drink).

Budget
Go to Jalan Kauman (Near Johar Market - TransSemarang Koridor II or buses to/from Terboyo Terminal) and you'll find a lot of cheap accommodation. They are most likely to be a basic fan room with outside bathroom for the cheapest price level, some naming themselves as losmen (inns) and others as hotel. Several places offering basic fan room are located near the mosque at the northern end (Masjid Kauman) with rooms going for as cheap as Rp 50,000. Many budget places will not have a western-style shower.

Another group of budget accommodation, slightly more upmarket but still affordable hotels, can be found along Jl. Imam Bonjol. With Rp 250,000 or even less you can possibly have an air-conditioned room in these hotels, such as Hotel Bali and Rahayu. TransSemarang Koridor III and buses to/from Terboyo Terminal (except DAMRI) pass by Jl. Imam Bonjol.

Both areas are not too far from both train stations (Poncol and Tawang), as well as the seaport (Tanjung Mas).



Stay safe
Semarang is moderately safe. People are nice to strangers, helpful and friendly.

Never touch anyone's head (especially teenagers and older men) as it is considered as "insult" and might invite troubles. In the crowded buses, trains or small cars used as public transportation, "unintended touch" is tolerated. Never look at someone (especially young men) straight in the eyes more than 3 times as it might be considered as "challenging them to fight" (this applies especially in bigger towns/cities). Villagers are more friendly to strangers.

Semarang is neither a small city nor huge city if compared to Jakarta. Everyone is urged to observe universal safety rules such as "only walk in the light-bright areas"; do not attempt to deal with hookers or trans-sexual hookers which are usually done under secluded and dark areas; lady travelers are urged not to travel alone after 23:00 especially in an unknown dark neighborhood, sometimes even in residential areas. Only withdraw a moderate amount of money in an open air ATM.

When riding the public transportation it is not encouraged to wear jewellery, or gaudy and branded or designer watches. Petty thieves are common, but they do not strike when it isn't obvious. During the night if you must use public transportation, look for those units which have more than a few people riding and do avoid the empty ones. You might want to choose a seat close to the driver.

Stay healthy
Hospitals with 24-hour emergency rooms:



By phone
The dialing code for Semarang is 024.

By net
Some hotel lobbies and cafés offer free WiFi. Ask your server for the password wifi (PAHS-wuhrd WIGH-fee).

Cope


Police stations:

East
Overland, all points to Surabaya, taking in: By air, to Surabaya and Bali
 * The important religious sites in Demak and Kudus
 * The batik centre of Bakaran near Pati to see the unusual black, cream, and indigo batik
 * Rembang for its salt fields and kawista syrup also the Chinese architecture and heritage of Lasem, with its famous batik style
 * Cepu district in Blora for its former glories of the teak industry, and its outrageous heritage forest railway
 * The continuously erupting mud volcano in Grobogan
 * The remnants of the Majapahit empire in Trowulan near Mojokerto

Southeast
The main destination in that direction is Solo, a two- to three-hour drive. On the way you will pass through:
 * Salatiga &mdash; Relaxed university hill town located at the foot of Mount Merbabu, and jumping off point to explore Lake Rawa Pening and go up to the mountain village of Kopeng
 * Boyolali &mdash; Famous for its dairy industry, and the delicious clear soup Soto Seger Mbok Giyem. Also, the jumping-off point to visit the copper-beating village of Cepogo and to investigate the pass between the volcanoes of Merapi and Merbabu
 * Once in Solo, keep going further south and east, either up the slope of Mount Lawu to the magical high temples of Sukuh and Cetho, and then over into East Java, or towards the fantastic surfing beach of Watu Karung near Pacitan

South

 * Slightly south of Semarang are some smaller hill towns easily reached in a day trip: Ungaran, Bandungan and Ambarawa
 * Keep going further south to Magelang and Yogyakarta. It takes 3-4 hours to drive from Semarang to Yogyakarta

Southwest

 * Go to the Dieng Plateau through the small towns of Temanggung and Wonosobo to see ancient Hindu temples/candi in a former ancient city which lies on the misty plateau
 * Keep going in that direction and you will eventually get to the resort town of Pangandaran in West Java

West
All points to Jakarta, including:
 * Kendal &mdash; A small town where a famous waterfall Curug Sewu reside
 * Pekalongan &mdash; Famed for its batik and an easy day trip on the train
 * Cirebon &mdash; As known as the city of shrimp has a sultanate palace
 * Bandung &mdash; A vibrant city with Sundanese cuisine

Northwest
Direct flights to Batam, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur

North
Flights and ferries across the Java Sea to various spots in Kalimantan make Semarang a good jumping-off spot to see the orangutans in Tanjung Puting National Park near Pangkalanbun

Northeast and out to sea

 * Jepara for its laid back, coastal town vibe, furniture industry, and jumping-off point to explore Mount Muria
 * Karimunjawa &mdash; A marine national park in the small islands north of Semarang