Madura, the Island of the Proud
The Madurese are said to be the most loyal of friends but the fiercest of enemies. E tembang pote matah, angok pote tolang ( It is better to die than to be humiliated) is a common Madura sentiment that typifies their nature: aproud and purposeful people, often known as fierce fighters and very hard workers.
A combination of geographic location and climate has created an island that is so arid that very little can grow in here. This has traditionally lead to Madurese men to the sea as fishermen or merchants. Nowadays many Madurese ventures to Java, Kalimantan or Sulawesi to seek better fortunes. I actually grew up with a Madurese who worked with my family in the ’90s. Since I used to ask him what his home was like, this short day trip is a little special. While small and dry, this small provides a bountiful beauty, amongst men and nature.
How to Spend One Day in Madura:
The Madurese Limestone Mines
The Bangkalan regency is a site of limestone mining. Bukit Jaddih has become an insta-sensation amongst locals with its white quarries and a turquoise pool of water (only after monsoon rains). Visit it early in the morning or after 3 pm since the heat is unbearable from 11am — 1 pm.
Due to the heat, time constraint, and TripAdvisor reviews stating that the water was no longer turquoise, we decided to visit Bukit Arosbaya instead. It is distinctly different to Bukit Jaddih because: firstly, it is a red limestone hill instead of white; secondly; it is mined using traditional manual method on a small scale so you won’t see big mining equipment on site. The result is a surreal yet beautiful site that makes you believe that you are in the middle of some Indiana Jones’ earth canyons and caves.
For other under-the-radar sights in Madura, click here. Since most of the sights listed on the link are locally managed, you may be asked to pay retribution to the village (I gave 10,000 IDR), an entrance fee (10,000 IDR) and/or parking (3,000 IDR for motobike or 10,000–20,000 IDR for car).
Bebek Sinjay / Sinjay Duck
While the owners have set up branches in Surabaya, I was told by local Surabayans that the original location of Bebek Sinjay is a must visit in Madura. This duck joint is so popular amongst locals that one can expect a long queue everyday at lunch hour, so come around noon to avoid missing out on this sumptuous treat.
There are only 2 menus: seasoned fried duck or chicken. For 25,000 IDR, you are served a portion of duck/chicken with your preffered drinks (iced tea, orange juice, or mineral water). You order at the counter, receive a numbered ticket and wait to pick up your food at another counter.
While the duck meat is tender and the skin is crispy, the flavors are strong and robust. The meal is accompanied with Madurese pickled mango called sambal pencit and lalapan (an assortiment of fresh cucumber, cabbage, and basil). I know you get a drink with your meal set but I’d rather finish my meal off with a whole coconut.
Batik Madura
While the men venture to the sea, Madurese women have learned to draw batik with bold colours and expressive outlines. Batik Madura is one of the most popular batiks that comes from outside of Java. With a time consuming ( traditional hand drawn batik Madura could take up to four months) and unique process ( wax is mixed with honey to neutralise the aroma of the wax) as well as a creative design (the batik is drawn by hand, instead of stencils or patterns typically found in Javanese batik), it often fetches a high price from batik fans.
The design often feature expressive motifs such as ayam bekisar (an exotic hybrid between Green Jungle Fowl male and domestic breed hens) or the wild Madura cock, as well as bold tones of reds, blacks, blues and greens.
There are a couple of batik producing areas in Madura, such as Tanjung Bumi, Sampang, Pamekasan dan Sumenep. Each area has their own style but a favorite is Batik Tulis Pamekasan (hand-drawn batik, not stamped or printed from Pamekasan) because of its rich motifs, odourless nature and durability (provided that you take good care of it). You could purchase this batik in Kios Batik Pasar 17 Agustus Pamekasan, also known as Pasar Beker by local Madurese. Other well-know batik centres are Paseseh Village in Bangkalan Regency and Butik Athaya Batik Tulis Madura.
Karapan Sapi Bullrace
The only image I had growing up of Madura was of karapan sapi which was memorialized on the reverse of the old 100 Rupiah gold coin. This is a traditional bull racing festival,in whichlocal bulls are yoked to wooden skids and raced for 130 meters. The festival is held from the end of August to early September so if you’re around East Java around this time of the year, make a trip to cross the Suramadu Bridge (Indonesia’s longest sea bridge) and check out this annual spectacle.
Despite of being one of the poorest regions in the East Java province, the island offers so much for those who seek to know Madura a little better. The island’s south coast is lined with shallow beaches and cultivated lowland while its north coast alternates between rocky cliffs and great rolling sand-dune beaches. Along these coasts, you will find beaches that offer astonishing sceneries. At the extreme east are a tidal marsh and vast tracts of salt-fields around Kalianget. The interior is interspersed with limestone slopes and is either rocky or sandy. Amidst this unique terrain are a number of natural caves as well as refreshing most waterfalls. Alas, there is lack proper governmental support despite its potential for tourism, which means there is a lot of empty lands and little infrastructure, so make sure to organise your own transportation from Surabaya to get around the island.
Granted, I will be coming back to Madura for more. In the meantime, I dream of telling the Madurese I grew up with, that I have finally made it to his home.
