Jakarta (Antara) - There is no place better than Kenjeran beach for this year's Lebaran holidaymakers looking for the best family vacation in the East Java provincial city of Surabaya.
From endless land and water sports to the typical culinary delights for every palate, the all-inclusive family vacation in Kenjeran offers something for everyone.
When traveling to Surabaya, there is so much to do; but for those who are just looking to relax, there are just as many options that will help anyone unwind and enjoy.
For those who wish to relax, Kenjeran Beach Amusement Park, Ken Park, Suramadu bridge, and Suroboyo Park are perfect places to enjoy with family.
No wonder, thousands of visitors crowded the Kenjeran beach on Monday, the second day of the 2017 Eid al Fitr, better known as Idul Fitri or Lebaran festivity.
Most of the visitors on Monday were seen thronging the Kenjeran Beach Amusement Park, Ken Park, Suramadu bridge, and Suroboyo Park to unwind and have fun.
Ziana, a visitor from Tuban, admitted that he deliberately came to Kenjeran with his family for sightseeing, as well as for celebrating Lebaran festivity with his relatives and friends in Surabaya.
"We come to Kenjeran beach to have a closer look at the Suramadu Bridge, because we have only seen it so far on television," Ziana remarked with a chuckle.
The same remark was also made by Erik, another visitors, who was taking pictures with friends under the Suramadu Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge between Surabaya, on the island of Java, and the town of Bangkalan, on the island of Madura.
Opened in June 2009, the 5.4-kilometer bridge is the longest in Indonesia and the first one to cross the Madura Strait in East Java province.
Situated some 9 kilometers from the Surabaya city center to the north, Kenjeran beach is a perfect family gateway to enjoy a whole array of incredibly exciting and fun activities for kids of every age.
In addition to enjoying the typical culinary delights at Kenjeran, the visitors can enjoy horse riding, boating, and swimming with their kids.
Kenjeran is divided into two areas, namely Old Kanjeran Beach and New Kanjeran Beach.
At the Old Kenjeran Beach, the visitors and their children can enjoy the beautiful panorama of the beach, go surfing, or take a boat out to sea.
There, the local fishermen can rent out their boats for visitors to go fishing or just enjoy sailing.
The Old Kenjeran Beach is usually crowded on Lebaran holidays when visitors from Surabaya and elsewhere usually come to enjoy the beautiful panoramic view of the beach.
From the New Kenjeran Beach, the visitors can also witness the beauty of the famous Suramadu Bridge.
At the New Kenjeran Beach, there are facilities such as tennis court, horse racing court, and many more; but perhaps, the place is for only affluent visitors.
Swimming, fishing, and sailing can also be done at the New Kenjeran Beach, and the arrangement here is better than the old beach. Thus, visitors can also feel more at home when they are there.
In addition to Kenjeran beach, Surabaya Zoo is also considered to be a favorite place for sightseeing during Christmas and Lebaran holidays.
Surabaya Zoo, also known as Kebun Binatang Surabaya (KBS), was founded in 1916 and is the one of the largest zoos in South East Asia, covering 37 acres and housing over 350 species.
But the zoo has fallen into disrepute over the last few years with widespread allegations of mistreatment, corruption, and uncontrolled breeding.
The largest and complete zoo in Southeast Asia is divided to specific areas for birds, freshwater aquarium and brine, quarantine Toxidemi, night animal (nocturama), and various other mammals.
There is also a porpoise (pesut mahakam) and a mermaid in a special area.
Surabaya Zoo is part of education that is indirectly good for recognizing many kinds of animal.
As the second largest city in Indonesia, Surabaya has all the necessary infrastructure and facilities to make a mark as the newest addition of tourist attractions in the world.
Furthermore, it has several religious sites to promote Religious Tourism, such as the Buddha Statue in Sukolilo Street, the Sunan Ample Mosque, Al Akbar Mosque, Cheng Hoo Mosque, Boen Bio Pagoda, Hok An Kiong Pagoda, and the Church of Santa Maria.
The city consists of several historical museums and monuments such as the House of Sampoerna Museum, Health Museum, November 10 monument and museum, Submarine Museum, Jalesveva Jayamahe Monument, and the Loka Jala Crana Museum.
Surabaya offers much more for tourists such as the Surabaya Zoo, The Kenpark, Mangrove Ecotourism Wonorejo, Sanggar Agung Pagoda, Kenjeran Beach, and the Ciputra Water Park.
Surabaya is top in conference and MICE sector tourism segments, hosting several international conferences over the years. (*)
