All about Malang

By Nicola Hall s17
University of New South Wales
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Read Nicola's Malang report

First of all, living in Malang was awesome!! I'm so glad I moved there from Jogja. For me, the move there was a bit hectic, cause I was settled in Jogja, I was familiar with the area, had great friends, great place to live and felt really settled…and then February came and it was pack up time…back to square one all over again. That made the first few weeks a bit frustrating…like I wanted to start my research, but that's hardly possible wen I didn't have a place to live, bike or anything. So if this is you, don't stress, it might take a while to settle in…but it will happen soon enough and you will realize Malang is an awesome place to live.

With your research...santai aja ya...just enjoy it...and pick something you are interested in...if not it'll b even harder to do...and don't stress if it takes a while to get started...you just have to be patient until you meet the right contacts and then it'll al flow from there. Introduce yourself to everyone, as early as possible, let them know you are there and will be there for a long time and to contact you if anything comes up...and ask for help, don't be scared to - the Indos will love to help you. The supervisors at UnMuh will help you too...they may not give great suggestions or anything...but if you need help they'll do all they can to give it to you....

I hope what I've said is helpful - Enjoy your time in Malang, it'll go so fast - so do everything!!!

Accommodation

I lived in Purwantoro with a family friend of Pak Habib. Was great! Had my own BIG room, with a SPRING mattress, own bathroom with western toilet, laundry done, food whenever I wanted it. The family was massive and there was always visitors - was fantastic! I previously lived in a kos in Jogja, so was good to have a bit of variety. If you've done the kos thing I'd strongly recommend living with a family in Malang - you get to see a whole other side of Indonesian life and become part of their family. In terms of organizing this speak to Pak Habib, he has heaps of mates, we went to see about 4 families at the time we were looking for accommodation.

Kos

We looked for a kos at the start of our accommodation hunt, but this proved to be pretty difficult. There's heaps of kos in the area across the road from UnMuh - although most of them had a jam malam of 9 and weren't too keen to give a key. We found one or two kos in Oro Oro Dowo, but again the same situation.

Kontrakan

I don't know much about how you'd go about getting a rumah kontrakan, but I've seen heaps of places with the sign on the front, so I'm sure Pak Habib could help you out.

In terms of where you live, it doesn't matter if you are not near uni, cause you only have to b there for two weeks of the whole time you stay there - and it is really jauh from the city centre. Oro Oro Dowo is a really nice, a central area, and where I lived in Purwantoro is really nice too.

Food

Malang is blessed with many awesome restaurants and heaps of western ones too.

• Padi, Amsterdam, Iki (Japanese) and Chopstik (Vietnamese) and a Taiwanese restaurant are all in the same stretch on Jl. Pahlawan Trip. (Naik ADL going towards UnMuh, get off opposite the big orange church on Jl. Ijen and walk up the road opposite the church). Padi has the best cannelloni in the world!
• Tugu - great pizza, ice cream
• Bunga Bali - Jl. Bromo
• Cui Mie - Jl. Kawi Atas
• Legong Bali - opposite Dieng Plaza
• Malibu Steak and Pizza - Jl. Kawi Atas, on the way to Dieng
• Fish place (don't know the name sorry) on Jl. Galunggang
• Istana Dieng - Japanese, Steak House, Café
• Sate - on the corner of the bundaran at the end of Jl. Ijen - Pak someone!
• UndCorner - Jl. Ijen
• For cheap food go to the stretch of warung opposite the train station - Jl. Trunojoyo
• Just up from Prima Net - on the way to Gramedia - there's a corner of awesome cheap warungs - and roti baker bandung Good pengamen there too!
• Toko Oen - across the road from Sarinah
• Rujak Manis - dekat the stadion - just off Jl. Semeru
• Pizza Hut - go there for the salad - Jl. Semeru
• Pulosari - thousands of cheap enak warungs, esp nasi goring ati - Jl. Kawi Atas
• Dapur 33 - up in Blimbing…try the zupa-zupa
• Wong Solo - on the road that runs b/w Jl. Semeru and Jl. Kawi - turn left off Jl. Semeru at the bundaran just b4 Pizza Hut

Shopping

• Plaza Araya - near terminal Arjosari - Hero, a few good clothes shops, Timezone, Excelso coffee shop
• Dieng Plaza - good shop for jeans, supermarket, dunkin donuts, wendy's
• Gramedia - opposite Sarinah
• Sarinah - Hero, Timezone
• Mitra I (near alun2)
• Mitra II - Gramedia.
• Joy - Jl. Pahlawan Trip (boutique shop - couple of nice things)
• Lee's Salon - baru, near the big orange church on Jl. Ijen.
• Factory Outlets - Darmo and one other one on the main road - near Mitra II

Things to do

• Movies
  • Mandala - next to Mitra I -awesome juice
  • Sarinah - pretty crap, always masalah with the movie, motorbike adds a common feature during most of the movies
  • Dieng Plaza
• Bowling
  • Istana Dieng - 15 000/game
• Swim
  • Istana Dieng - 20 000
• Nonton the Sepak Bola
  • A bit crazy but awesome atmosphere - just look for the iklans to tell u wen it's on.
• Tugu Hotel
  • If you want to stay there, or ur parents are coming - say u have a KITAS - u get a good discount.

Salons

• Jasmine Salon - Jl. Galunggang (0341) 578 327 - can get massage, scrub, mask, steam and bath for 80 000
• Johnny Andrean - Mitra II, Sarinah

Internet

• Prima Net - near alun2 - Jl. Jend. Basuki Rachmat
• Fres Net - Tidar
• Planet - near Mitra II (more expensive but faster)

Fotos

Digitial photos can b transferred to disc and printed at:

• Foto Pantai - Jl. Galunggung 58 (0341) 565 662
• Seni Jaya - Jl. Kawi Atas

Jilid

Angkasa - Jl. Bromo - can b done in one day

Editing

Dicky Computer - opposite Unibraw - don't know the address…but if you go down Jl. Sukarno-Hatta…cross the jembatan…turn right then it's on the opposite side of the road down a gang…really cheap there - they set all your skripsi out for you…worth doing if u can handle the pain of sitting there for a few hours while they go thru it all with you.

Angkot

• Really good system
• they go everywhere til bout 9pm - maybe a bit later, but not as often
• easy to use once you get the hang of where they go
• Uni - you need to get to Landungsari - so naik any with L in the jalur
• Alun2 - heaps of them go past it
• MM and AT go to Dieng and Jl. Kawi Atas…
• It's frustrating at first but its fine once you know what you are doing

Bank

BCA - can get out Rp. 2 500 000 - Jl. Semeru.

Motorbikes

You can't rent them - I bought mine - Pak Habib helped so ask him if you want to buy one…you should be able to find one at the price you are looking for…just need patience.

Churches

• International Service every Sunday at 4pm at Wesley International School
• Indo Church - GPS - on the road that goes to Arjosari Terminal - naik MM…

Gym

Diamond - Jl. Malenggang 22, (0341) 570 063

• 125 000 per month - bout 300 000 for 3 months
• every weight equipment imaginable
• 3 treadmills, 2 cross trainers, 4 bikes, about 5 steppers
• aerobics, 3 times a week at 8am
• hot shower sometimes
• lockers
• nice people
• squash and basketball court

There's a gym atIstana Dieng - just opened - all new - very upmarket - not sure about prices

Chatalina - just near the alun2…naik GA…really cheap, weights, aerobics…or more of a dance class really…good if u want something cheap, has aerobics in the arvo too.

Books

• Library at UnMuh lumayan - better than Jogja, but I guess it depends on your topic
• Toga Mas - opposite Dieng Plaza - cheap
• Gramedia - Sarinah and Mitra II
• Buku Kharisma - Plaza Araya

Taxi

Citra - (0341) 404040 or (0341) 490 555

Travel Agent

• Wisata Lintas Benua Tour & Travel - opposite Prima Net, Jl. Jend. Basuki Racmat 24
• Garuda office is in the lobby of Hotel Kartika Graha on Jl. Jend. Basuki Rachmat

Going to the airport in Surabaya

• Naik travel is the easiest - Rp. 30 000 - drops you there
• taxi - Rp. 150 000, 125 000 if you are lucky
• can catch bus from Arjosari (12 500 with aircon) take you to Terminal Purabaya di Surabaya - from there naik taxi to Juanda - so lebih murah if you naik travel aja

Going to Malang from the airport

• naik taxi - Rp. 132 000…pesan in the bagasi terminal…then line up outside -
• Or naik bis to Terminal Purabaya - there's a booth in the bagasi terminal but you can just go langsung to the bus - it waits out the front of the arrivals terminal
• From Terminal Purabaya naik bis to Malang - with AC 12 500 - don't worry - the Indos will direct you to the right bus
• From Arjosari you can naik angkot or taxi home

Jalan-jalan

• Batu - naik the purple angkot from Landungsari
  • Selecta
  • Air Terjun
  • Air Panas - not too exciting tho
• Surabaya - Tunjungan Plaza
• Kebun Teh - never went there myself but supposed to be nice
• Bromo - don't know if you want to go there now tho…hati hati ya
• Taman Safari - really good - can get photos with baby tigers, orangutans etc
• Pulau Sempu - a must - beautiful beach…
• Candi at Singosari - lumayan - nice walk thru the rice fields to get there tho