Surabaya - the city

Surabaya is a business oriented, industrial city - the second largest in Indonesia. It serves as a transportation hub for rail, boat and air travel throughout Indonesia. Situated on the northeast tip of the island of Java, it is ideally located not only for visits to Bali and the surrounding countryside but for travel to the rest of Indonesia as well. The majority of people on Java are Islamic and all the major religions are tolerated.

Surabaya is a modern urban centre with a wide range of products and entertainment being available. As a result, the people of Surabaya may not be as traditional as those in rural areas. Surabaya enjoys several large, western style shopping malls, supermarkets, cinemas and discotheques, although it is advisable to bring a supply of books and music if these are important to you, the selection here being somewhat limited.

The pace of life is less frantic than in Jakarta, and Surabaya is generally cheaper. The city has broad, busy streets, red-tiled house with neat little gardens, technical universities and religious schools, and for hundreds of years it has been one of Indonesia's most important ports. It is also an active city for theatre and East Javanese dance forms. The Lonely Planet guide says Surabaya is "the most Indonesian of the Indonesian cities".

We currently have three schools in Surabaya. Two of them are within walking distance of each other and the third is a little further away on the west side of town. Conditions at the three schools are very similar. Teachers may be assigned to teach at any of the three schools but never more than one at a time. Preferences are accommodated when possible. 

Public transportation is extremely cheap and taxis are well within the range of a teacher's salary for frequent use. The climate is tropical with a generally predictable rainy and dry season.

Sidoarjo - the city

Sidoarjo is situated on the north-east tip of the island of Java in Indonesia. It is a business-oriented, industrial town neighbouring Surabaya, the second- largest city in Indonesia. It has a typical Javanese feel to it with a large, traditional city-centre market where almost everything you need is available. The city also has a number of modern supermarkets, restaurants, and housing estates. Sidoarjo has a definite small-town feel to it, with a fairly tight-knit community. This means that there isn't really any nightlife in Sidoarjo itself. However Surabaya, just half an hour away by taxi, has more than adequate! 

The school itself is very well located. As well as having a well-stocked supermarket right next door, there are three restaurants exactly opposite the : school. One of these restaurants specializes in noodles, another in fried chicken and fried fish with rice, and the third is a McDonald's. The school is also on the edge of a large, modern, clean housing estate with 24-hour security, where there are a number of houses for rent. The maximum price of renting a two-bed-roomed house for year on this estate is around Rp.5,000,000. This means that the school is within walking distance of the majority of teachers' houses.

Sidoarjo is also ideally located for those who really want to get out and explore East Java, with its volcanoes, and traditional towns. Sidoarjo's proximity to the airport in Surabaya also means that trips to Bali and travel to the rest of Asia are also possible. Public transportation around the town itself and also within Indonesia is extremely cheap and taxis are within the range of a teacher's salary for frequent use.