Malang
A highland city in East Java, 90 km south of Surabaya and about 450 m above sea level — which is why it is cold at night and why the apples grow.
The facts
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Province | East Java (Jawa Timur) |
| Elevation | about 450 m above sea level |
| Typical night temperature | 18–22 °C |
| Nearest volcano | Mount Bromo, to the east |
| Best known for | apples, students, colonial streets |
A short history
Malang grew around the Brantas river, became a Dutch hill station in the nineteenth century because the climate suited people who disliked the coast, and is now a university city: a large share of the people you pass on Jalan Ijen are students.
The colonial grid is still visible. Jalan Ijen is a boulevard of 1930s houses with a row of palms down the middle, and the market square, the church and the railway station sit where the Dutch planners put them.
Getting there
Two hours by train from Surabaya Gubeng to Malang Kotabaru, or three hours by road. The train is better: it climbs, and you can watch the rice terraces change into pine.