A metropolis of several million people, a strait criss-crossed by ferries, the smells of street food and cloves: Surabaya does nothing by halves. Indonesia's second-largest city and the capital of East Java, it welcomes ships at the port of Tanjung Perak, facing the Madura Strait. The place breathes hard work: tugboats, freighters and wooden pinisi pass one another from morning to night. From there, shuttles and taxis take about thirty minutes to reach dense central neighbourhoods, where Indonesian history is written on every street corner.

The City of Heroes

For Indonesians, Surabaya holds a title no other city claims: the City of Heroes. In November 1945, its residents rose up against the return of colonial forces, and the battle that followed became the symbol of the newborn independence. The Heroes Monument, a slender obelisk set in a downtown park, honours this memory; its underground museum displays documents and accounts of those decisive days. The surrounding park offers some welcome shade before you set off again. The visit helps you understand the special pride that drives this metropolis.

House of Sampoerna, memory of the kretek

In the old quarter, an elegant colonnaded colonial building houses the House of Sampoerna, devoted to the history of the kretek, the clove cigarette whose scent wafts across all of Indonesia. You discover the saga of a Chinese immigrant family that became an empire, collections of antique objects and, during production hours, hundreds of women workers hand-rolling with astonishing dexterity. Free of charge, it ranks among the most memorable visits in Java, whether you smoke or not.

From the submarine to the Arab quarter

Along the Kalimas River, urban curiosities line up. The Monkasel monument displays a real Soviet-built submarine of the Indonesian navy, set right in the city centre, which you can explore from bow to engine room. Farther north, the Arab quarter packs its market lanes around the Ampel Mosque, founded in the fifteenth century by one of the saints who spread Islam in Java. Perfumes, dates, fabrics and religious chants create a dense atmosphere, a world away from today's air-conditioned shopping malls.

Port call highlights

A metropolis that lives intensely

Surabaya isn't visited like a museum: you move through it like a current. Becaks, colourful cycle rickshaws, weave between cars; negotiate the fare before getting in, with a smile, as it's part of the game; warungs serve rawon, a beef soup as black as night, and rujak cingur, a spicy salad born here. The large shopping centres offer a cool break when the humidity becomes too heavy. Everywhere, residents greet foreign passers-by with smiling curiosity, as travellers are fewer here than in Bali or Jakarta.

Back toward the strait

On the way back, the road bridge spanning the strait to the island of Madura stretches its silhouette above the busy waters. From the ship's upper deck, the metropolis spreads out in the evening light, bristling with minarets and towers. You leave with powerful images: an obelisk rising toward the sky, expert hands rolling cloves, a submarine stranded in the middle of the avenues. Night falls quickly at these latitudes. Java has just opened its door a crack, and it has many more stories to tell.