Semarang with excellent communication system and fabulous infrastructure is well connected with the rest of the world through Ahmad Yani International Airport. The city also has good transport facilities to commute both within the city and also around it. You can use the readily available taxis, buses or simply rent a car to move around Semarang.
Situated at in central Java, Semarang has many exciting places to visit. You can go to various museums namely – MURI, Ronggowarsito, Mandala Bhakti, Nyonya Meneer etc. you can also see intricately carved out temples like the Sampokong temple or witness the beautiful Dutch architecture at the Tanjung Mas.
A must visit is the Simpang Lima, a field at the center of Semarang, this is also the hub of all the activities in Semarang. You can plan a family day at the various amusement parks in Semarang. Go to the Lele Park, Tinjomoyo Zoo, Puri Maerokoco and Kampoeng Laut, Marina Beach and various other destinations which are perfect for a family outing. Make sure you visit Tugu Muda, a symbol of the freedom struggle of Indonesia.
Semarang provides you with innumerable options for lodging, whining and dining. You can choose from the low range, mid range and high end accommodations. There are many neat and comfortable mid range and budgeted accommodations available at Semarang, a few are as follows: Ciputra Hotel in Simpang Lima, Novotel in Jalan Pemuda, Gajah Mada Hotel, Grasia Hoteletc. For all interested in luxurious living they canchoose from Patra Jasa, Grand Candi Hotel in Candi Area etc.
With all the amenities available, Semarang ensures its visitors have an enjoyable time there.History of Semarang
Semarang is the capital city of Java, Indonesia and the place is fascinating in terms of history and the interesting locales here. However the place is famous for the interesting history associated with the place. Semarang has quite an eventful past and the place has its history dates back to the ninth century and was known as Bergota. In the 15th century an Islamic Boarding school was established by an Arab and the school was called Kyai Pandan Arang and on 2nd May 1547 Sultan Hadiwijaya of Pajang declared Kyai Pandan Arang as the first bupati of Semarang and thus formally and officially Semarang came into existence on that day.
Sunan Amangkurat II decided to hand over the power to the Dutch East India Company (VOC) as a repayment of a debt. However the Semarang state came into existence in 1682 and was established by the Dutch Colonial power. On October 5th 1705 after many years of occupation Semarang was finally declared as the VOC city when Susuhunan Pakubuwono I had also decided to give the rights to the VOC in return of the Mataram’s debt. Semarang later became a very important colonial trading center with the numerous tobacco plantations in the region and roads and railroads.
In the beginning of the 1920s Semarang had become the nerve center of all leftist and nationalist movements. Semarang was also called the Red City simply because it was found in the Communist Party of Indonesia while the Japanese also had at one point of time occupied the city during the Pacific War of World War II and during that particular time the city of Semarang was ruled by the military government Shiko and there were also two governors and one of them was a local gentleman and the other one was Japanese and in 1945 Semarang was declared the capital city of Java after the Indonesians acquired independence.
Thus one can deduce that Semarang has had a very interesting past and people from all over the world flock here to see this place and also look at the amazing monuments and other attractions here which have gone on to become hugely popular with the tourists.Location of Semarang
Semarang is the capital of the central province of Java. It is located on the northern coast of the Island. The northern part of Semarang is mostly made of coastal plains while the southern part is located on higher grounds. The city derives its name from a Javanese word that means “Scarce Tamarind”. The city, due to its proximity to the sea, was a major port during the Dutch colonial area and retains its importance even today. The city is located close to both the sea and the mountain and its quite hot and humid throughout the year. It is comfortable to wear cotton clothes.
Total Area: Semarang is the fifth largest city in Indonesia and it covers an area of about 373.67 kilometer square. It has a population of almost 2 million people.
Latitudinal and longitudinal location: The latitudinal and the longitudinal extent of Semarang is 6?58?S and 110?25?E.
Other details: Semarang is a busy administrative area and most of the offices, business centers, and industrial estates are located in this city. The offices are located in the lowland areas while the hilly sides are crowded with beautiful houses and gardens. Multiculturalism is a characteristic feature of this place and you will find Chinese, Indians, Arabs and many other immigrant communities from all other parts of the world. Semarang is divided into 16 districts and 177 sub districts. The place is rich in its cultural heritage and there are plenty of historical sites, monuments and temples all around the city that attracts tourists from all parts of the world.
Semarang Accommodation
Semarang is the capital of Central Java and til recently was a commercial center. It is gradually becoming a popular tourist destination and to keep pace with its growth, a wide variety of hotels and resorts are coming up all over Semarang. Most of the hotels are conveniently located in Semarang’s five-intersection area called Simpang Lama. The others are also within easy distance of Semarang’s different tourist attractions.
Top Luxury Hotels in Semarang: If you are looking for a perfectly luxurious vacation in Semarang, don’t worry. There are many luxury hotels in Semarang that are just geared up to give you the holiday of a lifetime.
Hotel Ciputra Semarang, located in Jalan Simpang Lama, Novotel Semarang, Patra Cemarang Convention are all famous hotels in Semarang. Most of these have around 200 rooms, if not more. Some are styled like resorts. Coffee shop or café, Parking (free) Business services , 24-hour front desk, Express check-out and indoor swimming pools are are facilities offered at most of these hotels. Most of them also offer you their free car services.
If you are looking for a great holiday, Semarang has lots to offer in terms of cheaper accommodation options too.
Grand Candi Hotel, Graha Santika Hotel and a whole range of hotels in Semarang offer first class services at prices that are lower than those of the five star hotels. You can easily stay in them whether you are travelling for business or fun.
These hotels all have welll designed rooms with a modern look and most of them have AC.Other features offered by these hotels range from well equipped Business Centers, Satellite TV program, hair dryer facilities and lots more!
So when you are coming to Semarang don’t worry about where to put up, because new hotels besides the ones mentioned are constantly coming up in Semarang.
Tourist Attractions:
Semarang, situated in Central Java has many Tourist Attractions. You can go to the following places:
- Simpang Lima is a vast field in the center of the city and offers many enjoyment opportunities ranging from a stroll to shopping and dining around the area.
- Tugu Muda is a land mark in the history of Indonesia. It was Built to commemorate the five day battle between the Japanese soldiers and brave Indonesian freedom fighters.
- You can go to the Sampokong temple (Gedung Batu) and witness the beauty of its design. The Sampokong temple was built as a sign of respect to the Muslim Chinese commander named Cheng Ho of Ming Dinasty.
- Tanjung Mas is one of the major tourist attractions in Semarang. Initially a busy port in Semarang, from the 17th to 18th century at the time of Dutch occupancy, it is now transformed into a tourist spot with historical importance. It features Old Dutch Indie's buildings and you can also see the railway station and Mblenduk Churh, besides other.
- Enjoy at the many amusement Parks in Semarang. Take your family to the Istana Majapahit, Marina Beach, Tinjomoyo Zoo or Sodong and spend a day with your kids.
- Nyonya Meneer, is an interesting museum presenting – Jamu, the traditional Javanese drink.
- Ronggowarsito is art museum reflecting the Javanese culture.
- MURI- is Indonesian National Record Museum and is open from eight in the morning to four in the evening on weekdays.
- Mandala Bhakti is the Military museum in Semarang.
- You can also go to the places around Semarang. Start with the temples at the "Dieng Plateau" and go on to the Borobudur temple and Prambanan temple. Shop for exquisite antiques and Batik at Yogyakarta (two hours from Semarang) or go for sightseeing at Solo. This is just a glimpse of the tourist attractions at Semarang.
Weather
The weather in Semarang is tropical with a hot, dry season and a long rainy season. Being located on Java’s north coast, Semarang also has the influence of a coastal climate.
The average temperature in Semarang is around 30 degrees Celsius. With variations, this is the temperature during most parts of the year. During the months of May, June and July the temperature is around 28 degrees Celsius usually.
Semarang is also quite humid, with humidity levels ranging from 70 per cent at the lowest to 96 per cent at the highest.
Semarang is called ‘the hot city’ by the people of Java. However once the rainy season in Semarang starts, it makes the heat of summer a thing of the past. The tropical showers in Semarang alternate with cloudless, sunny days.The rains continue all the way from October to March so that the city looks lush and green again after heavy downpours..You’ll find the heaviest rainfall in this coastal province of Java in the months of January and February.
The best thing about traveling to Semarang in Java is that you never need to carry heavy clothing with you. Always travel light and bring your slightest, skimpiest, clothes with you as it’s always hot. Sunny Semarang is the perfect place to show off your perfect, well-toned abs or if, you are a lady, your shapely legs.
If you can’t take the heat, head for the cooler climes of the highlands of Semarang.The temperature in the highlands of Semarang ranges from 16 degrees Celsius to 26 degrees Celsius. At night, the temperature may suddenly plunge to 8 degrees Celsius.
So, if you’re planning to travel to the cooler climes into the mountains in the higher parts of Semarang, it would be a sensible idea if you carry warm, heavy clothes with you.
Sightseeing in Semarang
Though mainly a business center, Semarang has lot more than business offices in order to attract tourists. There are monuments, temples, beaches and other historical sites all around the city that are worthy of exploration. Check out some of the most popular tourist destinations in Semarang:
Simpang Lima, Semarang:
Simpang Lima is the most happening spot in Semarang as most of the shopping malls and cinema theatres are found around this square. The place is always thronged with people. You can simply pass your time window-shopping, as there are plenty of wonderful shops and boutiques all around the area.
Taman Tabanas Gombel, Semarang:
Stop by this place for some time to take a view of Semarang from the hilltop. You can take some refreshments once you reach here so let this be the halting place before you reach Bukit Sari. The place is really romantic in the nighttime.
Tugu Muda, Semarang:
Tuga Muda is one of the most prominent landmarks of Semarang. You will find this monument at the west of Simpang Lima. The monument was built to commemorate the fierce war between the Japanese soldiers and the Indonesian freedom fighters. It was the headquarter of the Japanese army during the Second World War. There are plenty of Old Dutch Buildings around Tuga Muda and you can as well have a look at some of them. The famous one among them is the Lawang Sewu or the "thousand windows".
Lawang Sewu, Semarang:
This Old Dutch house, which is also popularly known as the building with "thousand windows", was built by the Dutch colonial as its main office. It was also used as a hospital as well as the military base during the Indonesian war of independence. Locals believe the place to be haunted by ghosts and spirits and have left the building deserted.
Museums in Semarang
Semarang, the capital of Central Java, Indonesia is turning out to be a hot tourist attraction across the world. In Semarang you can find Australian, Europeans and other people across the globe who prefer to visit this place for its outstanding locations, monuments, museums and other places of interest. The Museums of Semarang offer us a perfect glimpse of the past with its outstanding collections from the past. If anyone wants to know about the history of Semarang, then Museums in Semarang are the favorable option for them.
One of the popular museums of Semarang is the Mandala Bhakti, Semarang. The infrastructure of the Mandala Bhakti, Semarang was once used as a law court especially for the citizens of Europe during the Dutch Period. From the year 1987 onwards, the building was used as the Mandala Bhakti Museum. Mandala Bhakti, Semarang has an amazing collection of fabulous military artifacts. The museum has numerous collections of photographs of the heroes of Indonesia. Moreover you can also view some traditional and modern weapons in this museum like the pointed bamboos which were used during war to modern guns, which were used to fight against the colonial rule.
Another popular museum of Semarang is the Nyonya Meneer Museum. This extremely popular museum herbal museum was established on 18th January in the year 1984. The Nyonya Meneer Museum, Semarang was mainly established to honor the works of late Mrs.Nyonya Meneer. This lady used different varieties of herbs to treat some diseases. The museum also throws light on the life and achievements of Nyonya Meneer. The visitors of the museum can view some of the excellent photographs of Nyonya Meneer. The other attraction of this museum includes personal collection of the famous Nyonya Meneer, tools which were used in making jamu. You can also get to see a fine selection of herbs in Nyonya Meneer, Semarang. This small museum is also frequently visited by students for educational purposes.Festivals in Semarang
Festivals in Semarang are famous all round the globe. The city of Semarang is the capital of Central Java. Situated on the north coast of Java Sea, Semarang is one of the most beautiful cities in Indonesia. Indonesia is a Muslim based country. So the Muslim related festivals are celebrated here with great pomp and show. Though Semarang does not have a long and extensive calendar of events, the festivals here are very vibrant and colorful and calls participation from local people. Festivals in Semarang attract many visitors to come here and be a part of the colorful festivals here. Muharam which is the Muslim New Year which is held in April is one of the greatest events not only in Semarang but throughout Indonesia. The Moslem's Hijriyah New Year is a national holiday all over Indonesia. Idul Ad'ha held also in April is another important festival throughout Indonesia. It is a national holiday. It is the Moslem Day of Sacrifice, marked with mass prayers at mosques and in town squares. Goats and cattle are slaughtered and the meat given to the poor and needy. The Ruwatan Traditional Ceremony is another important festival held in Semarang. It is quiet unique to Semarang. During this festival is basically a sacrificial ceremony of Javanese tradition to avoid disasters which are symbolized by Sang Batharakala (Bas Dewa) which takes revenge against unlucky children such as: one son or one daughter only in a couple, two daughters, two sons, etc. This festival is held in May charecterised by various process of purification of the unlucky children. This festival is held at Taman Budaya Raden Saleh, Jalan Sriwijaya 29 Semarang, and begins at 09.00 am. Dugderan Festival is celebrated with great pomp and show every year in December or January. It is unique to Semarang. Dugderan Festival is organized during the week before the commencement of Ramadan, the month during which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. The Muslims sound the big drum and have a fireworks display. These announce the official onset of the Ramadan, the fasting month.
How to Get in
Semarang is one of the popular tourist destinations in Indonesia and attracts travelers from all across the globe. How to get there to Semarang is not difficult to answer as there are several modes of transport making it all easy.
The quickest and comfortable way to get to Semarang is by air and flights connect all the important cities of the Indonesia and also important cities of the world. The Ahmad Yani International Airport is located to the city center. From here the travelers can get to all the important cities in Indonesia.
Getting to Semarang by train is possible from Jakarta, Bandung and Surabaya. Both early morning and late night trains are available. The journey between Jakarta and Semarang takes around six hours. The other option to get to Semarang is by road. There are many bus services between Semarang and Jakarta.
Semarang is a popular tourist attraction in Indonesia. The history of Semarang is very rich and dates back to ninth century. The city has spectacular views of the town and the sea. The attractions include the old monuments dating back from15th century that includes the colonial structures as well.What & Where to Eat in Semarang
Semarang is fast emerging as a major tourist destination of Indonesia. Tourists on a vacation need not worry about what/where to eat in Semarang. There are a large number of restaurants and cafes where you can find both local as well as international cuisines.
Speaking about what and where to eat in Semarang, you can find a large number of restaurants offering Thai, Indonesian, Western and other cuisines in the restaurants of this city. The food served in these restaurants is extremely delicious and are made with a large number of fresh vegetable, spices, herbs and different varieties of sauces.
If you want to try out Indonesian food, then you should try out dishes like Kalasan Fried Chicken, fried tofu and soybean cake. You can also go for the Chicken Soup Bangkong or Soto Bangkong, the satays, Bubur ayam or chicken porridge, and Jagung bakar or grilled corn. Some of the restaurants where you can get to eat the traditional Javanese dishes include Simpang Lima, Lumpia Gang Lombok and others. The food is cheap and is made from a variety of vegetables and other ingredients.
You can try out the western delicacies served in the Toko Oen. Here you can try out the steaks and the fried rice. For dessert do nit forget to try out the ice cream. It is simply delicious. As far as Thai food is concerned, you can definitely pay a visit to the Dokmai Thai Restaurant and Bar. Here you can go for the seafood delicacies or taste some of the beverages and drinks served in the bar. Here you can also go for the Indian food.
Another restaurant, which is worth visiting, is Kampoeng Laut. This restaurant is known for its fish preparations. With so many dining options available, what and where to eat in Semarang is not a problem. Besides these, you can also find a large number of small cafes and eating houses where you can get light snacks and coffee.Shopping in Semarang
Semarang is the capital of Central Java in Indonesia and one of few cities in Java where you can still feel the traditional way of life combined with all the conveniences of a modern city. This picturesque city derives its name from the Javanese words "asem" and "arang" which literary translate to "scarce tamarind." This town has both beach and hilly areas. The city is a wonderful example of the "melting pot" concept, with representatives from Javanese, Chinese, Indian and Arabian cultures. Semarang has a number of historical and cultural places for sightseeing. There are a number of shopping malls here. Shopping in Semarang is very interesting as you get variety of things in the malls here.
Shopping in Semarang is very interesting. There are several shopping malls scattered around the town, but shopping is not the best thing to do in this town. If you want to feel the local atmosphere, go to "Pasar Johar" which is the traditional market. You will get many traditional things here like artifacts made by the local artists. Besides art works you will also get fresh fruits and vegetables here. Taste the local made delicacies in this market. It is simply tasty. But you have to be careful of pickpockets though. Simpang Lima is the famous shopping center here. It is a square with many shops and cinemas around. In the evening a lot of people are here taking a walk or window-shopping. Early in the morning, people are jogging along the street. The Simpang Lima house each and everything you need. You will get daily wares, household articles, crockery, designer clothes, branded clothing, shoes, jewellary, artifacts and many other articles. Sri Ratu Mall is the oldest mall in Semarang. The other important malls in Semarang are the Matahari Plaza, the Citraland Mall, and the Java Mall. There are many restaurants in the adjoining areas where you can refresh yourself after shopping.
Shopping in Semarang is one of the major attractions for the tourists. So don't forget to buy something from here.Hotels In Semarang
Graha santika. Jl. Pandanaran 116-120 Semarang 50134
Ciputra.Simpang Lima, P.o. Box 1288, Semarang 50134, Central Java, Indonesia
Patra. Jl. Sisingamangaraja Candi Baru, , Semarang
Novotel. Jalan Pemuda 123, Semarang 50132, Indonesia
Grand Candi. Jl. Sisingamangaraja No 16 Semarang
Santika Semarang. 189 Jalan Jenderal A. Yani , Semarang Semarang
Inna Dibya Puri. jl. Pemuda No. 11, Semarang
