Madura

It is perfect for travelers seeking beautiful sights away from the hustle bustle brought by the usual tourist crowd.

Madura Island though a very poor island has many interesting attractions for travelers. The island is one of Indonesia’s smaller islands and is located northeast of Java. The island is divided into four regencies, Bangkalang, Sampang, Pamekasan, and Sumenep.

Each regency has something to offer to tourists although right now it is the Sampang regency that is most focused on tourism.

See also

• Madura tourist attractions
• Getting to Madura

The most popular of the fishing villages found in Bangkalan are the communities of Pasongsongan and Pasean due to the very colorful sails of the boats that can be found in the estuaries near these towns. Another popular attraction about 16km north Bangkalan is the Aer Mata Ebu Royal Cemetery where the tombs of Ratu Ibu and the rest of the Cakraningrat families are located. The main draw there are the gravestones engraved with exotic calligraphy.

Sampang has a variety of tourist attractions including the white sandy beach of Camplong where cruise ships actually dock, the Madengan tomb, the ruins of Raden Segoro and Pababaran, the beautiful Toroan waterfall, and a recreation of the Klampis reservoir.

Pamekasan, though Madura’s capital, currently does not hold much for travelers. However, those who want to see the process of making batik should include Pamekasan in their itinerary.

Sumenep has the best beaches in the island including Slopeng beach and Lombang beach. Slopeng beach is located on the northern part of Sumenep while Lombang beach is in the east. Those who wish to see people literally sleeping on the sand should visit Legung Village in Lombang beach because it is here where you can see this unique custom. Aside from the beaches tourists are also drawn to Sumenep due to the various cultural attractions such as mask dances and bull races. The bull races are held from August to November.

The ferry travels from Ujung in south Java to Bangkalan, Madura.

The good news is that construction of a bridge linking Madura to Java is underway and is expected to be completed before 2008 ends.