Trowulan Archeological Site
Trowulan Archeological Site
4.5
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4.5
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RJCBuckley
Jakarta, Jakarta Raya, Indonesia4 contributions
Jan 2013 • Solo
As the old capital of the (largely) Hindu Majapahit regime, synonymous with the Indonesian hero Gajah Mada whose name adorns streets in about every town you ever pass through in any part of the country, and with a dozen or so archeological spots and a decent museum, Trowulan makes a fantastic educational / gentle strolling day trip from Surabaya - with the right transport. I hired a driver (600,000 Rupiah for 12 hours, including petrol but not including parking charges) from Surabaya and enjoying Trowulan in full took around half of that time - the drive was around an hour and a half each way, so I imagine it would be a struggle to attempt this on public transport as a day trip. The convenience of hiring a driver really kicks in when you're there, though, as the distances between sites is simply too great to cover on foot as a day trip.
The scattering of red brick - still produced locally - edifices with intriguing inscriptions and reliefs alluding to Hindu texts, across the gorgeous, rough, deep-green farming landscape of east Java is Trowulan's main draw. Given the size and scale of the sites in question, it seems simply incredible that what is on display has been heavily restored, having previously simply vanished from collective memory, only to be rediscovered in the 19th century by colonialists. Some of the most fascinating sites are the gateways of Bajang Ratu and Wringin Lawang, and the bathing pool of Candi Tikus. The grounds of the Troloyo cemetery hosted traditional performances, drawing a huge and overwhelmingly local crowd, as well as being a convenient place to snack in between sites. I visited the Trowulan Museum at the end of the day, and in retrospect should have made a beeline there first, since I would have benefitted from the context to appreciate each site for its historical significance.
What really makes Trowulan stand out, though, is the quality of the sites. Every one of Trowulan's key destinations is in immaculate condition, with supportive duty staff who know what they're talking about (and are happy to share with you). Most have well-maintained gardens enjoyed by locals simply as a hang-out, which really brings them to life - in so many places, historical and archeological artefacts are disconnected from people's lives, but in Trowulan you felt that people appreciated and enjoyed their special surroundings. Furthermore, the duty staff keep each site clean, so none are overrun by rubbish as is sadly all too common in other Javanese sites, despite the number of people there at any one time. This was incredibly pleasing, as it's not unusal for sites of very major historical significance in Indonesia to be disappointingly neglected (for instance, the shabby museums and crumbling Dutch architecture in Kota Tua, Jakarta). Even more incredibly, you don't have to pay an entrance fee for most - just sign in the guestbook.
It's clear that the East Javanese authorities take Trowulan seriously for its historical merit and give it the TLC that it deserves :) Almost for that reason alone, it's definitely worth dedicating a full day to.
The scattering of red brick - still produced locally - edifices with intriguing inscriptions and reliefs alluding to Hindu texts, across the gorgeous, rough, deep-green farming landscape of east Java is Trowulan's main draw. Given the size and scale of the sites in question, it seems simply incredible that what is on display has been heavily restored, having previously simply vanished from collective memory, only to be rediscovered in the 19th century by colonialists. Some of the most fascinating sites are the gateways of Bajang Ratu and Wringin Lawang, and the bathing pool of Candi Tikus. The grounds of the Troloyo cemetery hosted traditional performances, drawing a huge and overwhelmingly local crowd, as well as being a convenient place to snack in between sites. I visited the Trowulan Museum at the end of the day, and in retrospect should have made a beeline there first, since I would have benefitted from the context to appreciate each site for its historical significance.
What really makes Trowulan stand out, though, is the quality of the sites. Every one of Trowulan's key destinations is in immaculate condition, with supportive duty staff who know what they're talking about (and are happy to share with you). Most have well-maintained gardens enjoyed by locals simply as a hang-out, which really brings them to life - in so many places, historical and archeological artefacts are disconnected from people's lives, but in Trowulan you felt that people appreciated and enjoyed their special surroundings. Furthermore, the duty staff keep each site clean, so none are overrun by rubbish as is sadly all too common in other Javanese sites, despite the number of people there at any one time. This was incredibly pleasing, as it's not unusal for sites of very major historical significance in Indonesia to be disappointingly neglected (for instance, the shabby museums and crumbling Dutch architecture in Kota Tua, Jakarta). Even more incredibly, you don't have to pay an entrance fee for most - just sign in the guestbook.
It's clear that the East Javanese authorities take Trowulan seriously for its historical merit and give it the TLC that it deserves :) Almost for that reason alone, it's definitely worth dedicating a full day to.
Written January 12, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rina s
Jakarta, Indonesia7 contributions
Jul 2012 • Friends
This site is located in Mojokerto, and the best starting point you can start from would be Surabaya. Hire a driver to get to this place, the asking price should be somewhere between 400000 - 500000 rupiahs, depending on car and your bargaining skill.
You should visit this place if you like history and archeology. But be forewarned, this site has multiple points of interest that are separate with quite a distance. You need a car, and you will also need a driver that knows where he is going.
The sites to visit to have a good time: Candi Tikus -Bajang Ratu - Kedaton - Trowulan Museum - Segaran Pool - Minak Jingga Temple - Candi Brahu. This should be a complete trip for everyone.
You should visit this place if you like history and archeology. But be forewarned, this site has multiple points of interest that are separate with quite a distance. You need a car, and you will also need a driver that knows where he is going.
The sites to visit to have a good time: Candi Tikus -Bajang Ratu - Kedaton - Trowulan Museum - Segaran Pool - Minak Jingga Temple - Candi Brahu. This should be a complete trip for everyone.
Written June 4, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grace O
Indonesia140 contributions
Dec 2015 • Family
Trowulan is said to be the former capital city of one of the most majestic kingdom in Indonesia, the Majapahit Empire. However the remnants of the kingdom itself are very scarce. What little the people found were immediately preserved. You can start your journey from the Majapahit Museum. There you can see the whole history of the empire from its founding to its ruin, how the people lived, their arts, occupations, commoners' daily lives and royals alike.
Then you can visit all of the temples and historical sites nearby. The places are not too far from one another, and a visit does not take up much time. The gardens and its surrounding are nicely kept and clean. It was overall a very pleasant journey.
Truly a hidden gem!
Then you can visit all of the temples and historical sites nearby. The places are not too far from one another, and a visit does not take up much time. The gardens and its surrounding are nicely kept and clean. It was overall a very pleasant journey.
Truly a hidden gem!
Written January 27, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bycycling
Mojokerto, Indonesia3 contributions
Oct 2012 • Family
I like this place is for education, and traveling for family, many kingdom heritage objects of majapahit
Written September 9, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rani J
Jakarta5 contributions
Mar 2012 • Friends
In Mojokerto district, East Java, Indonesia lies Trowulan archeological sites, the supposedly capital city of the largest ancient empire in Indonesia, Majapahit. The site itself covers approximately 100 square kilometers. The red brick constructions, streets, city plan, cooling system, canals, and trinkets found in the sites showed us the superior art and technology of the time. Witnessing the majestic city really gave me goosebumps. For historical tour Trowulan site is simply a must!
Written December 17, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
yantiiwal
Jayapura, Indonesia46 contributions
Nov 2018 • Solo
after visiting Lake Sarangan and Cemoro Sewu. the third day I left magetan towards mojokerto. use the economy train. Ticket prices from Madiun to Mojokerto 85 thousand rupiah. I use the train at 10 am and I arrived at mojokerto at 12:30 minutes. the difference between executive and economic trains stops at every small station. arrived at mojokerto station, many of which offer vehicle services. but I chose to walk out the station turn left approximately 100 meters in front of the mojokerto police station next to the superindo many small food stalls. I ordered coffee and waited for the car order through the grab application that drove me to Trowulan. actually a lot of tourist attractions in Mojokerto can be visited in Pacet and Trawas. but I only focus on trowulan. considering I didn't stay overnight. the taci I ordered arrived at Trowulan for 90 thousand rupiah. while on the way to visit the bajang ratu temple, the driver offered to visit the 5 sites I added 100 thousand and he would drive back to the station. wowww, it's cheap. I also visited several sites and was amazed by the Majapahit house building that was built by residents. after that I returned to the station and bought a ticket for the economy train to Surabaya at 4pm. Ticket prices are only 10 thousand rupiah. ended at the old gubeng Surabaya station.
Written November 29, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ling1818
Surabaya, Indonesia8 contributions
Jun 2018
On 9th June 2018, my friends and I visited the historical sites of ancient Majapahit Empire which was established 725 years ago. Trowulan Archeological Site is one of my favorite places. We get to visit the museum and the archeological site. The entrance fee for foreigner is relatively high!! But it is still worth the visit. There are many ancient cultural relics, statues and sculptures. We just feel sad that many of them are just placed on the ground in the open area.
Written June 20, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EndieShazlie
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia26 contributions
Feb 2017 • Solo
The most convenient and cheapest way to get to the site is by Uber. Costs about Rp190,000 from Surabaya city centre. I hung out about 1 hour at the museum, paid the entrance fee of Rp5,000 and then spent about an hour more at Candi Bajang Ratu and Candi Tikus. Overall costs me just Rp500,000 to and fro with Uber without any hassle. Beats riding a bus or taking a taxi.
Written February 19, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AlixRachman
Jakarta, Indonesia10 contributions
Mar 2016 • Family
The temples is take cared well. The peoples are kind. Sometimes there were a guide's in some temples. They know many things in that temple.
You should come here if you like visiting temples.
Not very far from Surabaya and there is a new highway that finish this mid 2016.
You should come here if you like visiting temples.
Not very far from Surabaya and there is a new highway that finish this mid 2016.
Written April 2, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jonathankikino
59 contributions
Feb 2014 • Friends
This Historical site was a former capital city of Majapahit Kingdom. If you like history this must be on you list. This Place is good for education, and traveling. We can see a museum of Trowulan which is contain the history of Majapahit.
Written October 7, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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