There are limitless
places to eat in Semarang. Mentioning the many restaurants by name would be
very extensive. However, these are several delicacies that Semarang has to
uniquely offer:
FOOD
Lunpia or also spelled lumpia is a delicacy you must try. The
vegetable or mixed fillings are tasty with the mouthwatering soup or paste. Wingko Babat is a sweet sticky rice cookie bar that
is actually originated in east java, but popular in Semarang. Bakpia is another delicacy that worth trying
although you might find it everywhere in Yogyakarta. If you do not plan to
visit Yogyakarta, grab a pack or two for your private time with tasty food.
Freshly prepared food is
absolutely something you want to sample as you spend some time in Semarang. The
city, especially around Simpang Lima, offers: Tahu
gimbal, tahu campur, mie djowo, lotek, petis, rujak, mendoan, tahu pong,
and sega kucing are the names you want to explore and
find out what they are and how they taste.
SHOP
Semarang’s main
shopping district is Jalan Pemuda, a wide tree lined boulevard once considered
to be the most preferred shopping strip in Java. Toko Oen is right in front ofSriratu
Shopping Mall. The cookies, cakes, coffee, ice cream, and
breads are freshly made from the kitchen and the taste remains the same such as
it was prepared decades ago with heritage recipes.
There is also Simpang
Lima shopping district, where a mall named Ciputra stands attractively. Around
it, food sellers and souvenir sellers fight for space to sell their products.
Close to Metro Hotel at
the edge of Kota Lama, people sell interesting products and souvenirs in a
larger size like the miniature trucks, clay pots, and also toys.
If you go much further
inland to the south, you may visit the Ambarawa Railway Museum. Although
recently renovated, the souvenir shop is an interesting place to buy a small
locomotive miniature as a memento. Several kilometers from there, a huge marsh
calledRawa
Pening Park, is a center of water hyacinth producer and
souvenirs made of it. Small packages of fried anchovy and shrimps are
sold in the front parking lot of the park.
ACTIVITY
Kota Lama or literally meaning ‘Old City’ has several other names, such as Oudstadt, and also ‘Little
Netherlands’. This part of the city resembles the architecture
of Holland. It has collections of old buildings that once were the residences
and offices of officials in the Dutch East India Company, also known as the
VOC.
Most renowned landmark
in Kota Lama is the koepelkerk, or also
known as theEmmanuel Church. Locally known as Gereja Bleduk, it is a
Protestant church with a beautiful Pantheon style façade. Stroll around some
more and you will be amazed by the whole complex. The postal office with its
orange color wall stands in front of a busy street where becaks, or trishaws,
pass by. The old deserted buildings are still there to survive the changing
times. The mayor of Semarang is now planning to preservethe district.
The old city is also
located very close to the Chinese settlements, the pecinan. Go there to
see several Chinese temples with its busy daily life around them. Take a stroll
in the city’s colorful Chinese district called Semawis and see the hustle and bustle of daily
life in this community. As you make your way through the maze of streets and
alleyways, sample some of the delicious Chinese cuisine on offer. Semarang
with its Semawis and other centers of cuisine is a place for food hunters.
Visit an old cake shop
and restaurant called Toko Oen not far from the Kota Lama onPemuda
Street. It lies in the busy area where Semarang’s mall,
Sriratu, is located. Toko Oen is still maintained as it was in 1936 when it
first opened. Not only is the building preserved, but its interior as
well as the food are maintained in the old Dutch colonial style that make this
small shop well worth a visit. Cruise ship passengers returning from a
Borobudur tour usually stop by the shop for a quick dinner.
While you are here, take
the opportunity to visit historical attractions such as the tomb of Ki Ageng Pandanaran,
the other name for Kyai Pandan Arang II. This tomb marks the grave of the first
official ruler of Semarang and many pilgrims flock here each year.
Bundaran Tugu Muda, or formerly known as the Wilhelminaplein, is a monument and
pond built in tribute to the heroic actions of Semarang freedom fighters
against the Japanese during the 5 day battle of 1945. Built in 1953, this
monument reflects the history of the town and of Indonesia, with reliefs
depicting the difficult period under the Japanese occupation as displayed at
the foot of the monument.
Across the monument, a
building built in 1904 and completed in 1907, stands gallantly. Recently
renovated and conserved as one of the heritage buildings in Semarang, the LawangSewu, or ‘thousand doors’, is the name given by the
locals. Formerly named the Nederlands-Indische Spoorweg Maatschappij (NIS), the
building is an office for Indonesian railways. A 30-minute tour is a historical
experience when accompanied by a knowledgeable tour guide.
The Gedung Batu temple is a sacred site for both
Java’s Muslim and Chinese descendents. This collection of ancient shrines was
built by Admiral
Cheng Ho, or also known as Zeng
He, an envoy of the Ming Emperor at the beginning of the 15th
century. Thousands of pilgrims visit here each year, particularly for
ceremonies and religious celebrations. South of Semarang, In the town of Ambarawa, today German engineers come to study
how old locomotive could work very smoothly. The local mechanics turn out to
have mastered the art of maintaining old locomotives. The Ambarawa Railway Museum is located in the old train station of Ambarawa, a small city not far
from Semarang. It has a large and interesting collection of locomotives
dating back to 1891. Visitors have the opportunity to go back in time with a
ride on an old steam engine fromAmbarawa to Bedono. There
are also a number of attractions located close to Semarang.
The Losari Coffee
Plantation is situated in the
highlands of Central Java and has cool and pleasant weather all year round.
This is the perfect place to relax and absorb the clean crisp mountain air with
a tea or freshly brewed cup of hot coffee while taking in the breathtaking
panoramic view.The magnificent Prambanan
temple was built
in the 9th century and is considered to be one of the greatest Hindu temples
ever built. It also goes by the name Loro
Joggrang which is
the name of a princess from a local Javanese legend. This temple was
rediscovered in 1772 and after much restoration work, it has been restored to
its former glory. Borobudur temple,
built in the 8th century, is the world’s largest Buddhist temple and one of the
greatest monuments on earth. It is an architectural marvel, still used
for Buddhist rituals and ceremonies today.
Surround yourself in the
beauty of Indonesia's incredible marine environment with a visit to the islands
of Karimunjawa, located
only three and a half hours by fast boat from Semarang. Here you will find
white sand and clear water where you can explore beautiful coral reefs and
ancient shipwrecks.
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