regency of Indonesia, on island of Java

Rembang is a town and regency on the northeast coast of Central Java, on the island of Java, Indonesia. It is well-known for its significant Chinese heritage.

Understand edit

Climate edit

The rainy season in the Rembang area lasts from November to April as a result of the westerly monsoon winds that are wet, humid, and carry a lot of water vapor. Meanwhile, the dry season in Rembang occurs in the period from May to October as a result of the easterly monsoon wind which is dry and carries very little water vapor. The air temperature in the Rembang area ranges from 23°–34 °C with a relative humidity level of 60% to 90%.

Get in edit

By bus edit

  • 1 Rembang Bus Terminal (Terminal Rembang). A small bus terminal but is located at the town center, next to the town square. There are buses to Jakarta. Buses from and to Semarang and Surabaya do not enter the terminal, so you should wait at the road in front of the terminal.

By car edit

Rembang is on the north coast road connecting Semarang and Surabaya which is part of the Great Post Road.

Get around edit

 
Map of Rembang

Going to some tourist attractions is more flexible to use a rented car or motorbike.

See edit

  • 1 Dampo Awang Beach (Pantai Dampo Awang, formerly Taman Rekreasi Pantai Kartini (Kartini Beach Recreation Park)). Here you can see the big Dampo Awang anchor. The story is when Sam Phoo Khong sailed in the Java Sea, his ship was hit by a big wave, heavily damaging the ship. The anchor chain is detached and stranded in Rembang.  
  • 2 Rembang Town Square (Alun-Alun Kota Rembang).
  • 3 Rembang Great Mosque (Masjid Agung Rembang). This mosque was built in 1814. There is a cemetery of the dukes of Rembang at the west side of the mosque.  
  • 4 R.A. Kartini Museum (Museum R.A. Kartini). R.A. Kartini was an Indonesian women's rights activist from Jepara and wife of the Regent of Rembang. The museum was the house of the Regent of Rembang. It contains Kartini's original writings and a painting of Kartini by his only son RM Susalit.  
  • 5 Grave of R.A. Kartini (Makam R.A. Kartini) (17.5 km south of Rembang, on the road to Blora).  
  • 6 Pasir Putih Wates Beach (Pantai Pasir Putih Wates). A white sand beach.
  • Traditional house of Rembang. It is called Joglo Rembang/Bocokan.
  • 7 Ancient Boat Punjulharjo (Situs Kapal Kuno Punjulharjo), Jetakbelah, Punjulharjo. 07:30-16:30. The Punjulharjo boat has a length of 17.9 meters with a remaining width of 4.6 meters. Estimated from the year 660-780 AD. It was discovered in July 2008 by local residents.

Lasem District edit

Lasem District is known as Tiongkok kecil (Little Chinatown) because it was the town where the Chinese people first landed on Java and there were a large number of Chinese settlements scattered in the district. Besides that, it is also known as kota santri (the town of Islamic students) because there are many Islamic boarding schools.

  • 8 Tiongkok Kecil Heritage Lasem. Traditional old Chinese complex.
  • 9 Lawang Ombo Rumah Candu, Jl. Sunan Bonang No.70, Pereng, Soditan, Lasem. An old house built in the 1860s was used as an opium warehouse during the Dutch colonial period.
  • 10 Tjo An Kiong Temple (Kelenteng Cu An Kiong).  
  • 11 Gie Yong Bio Temple (Kelenteng Gie Yong Bio).
  • 12 Caruban Beach (Pantai Caruban).
  • 13 Jami' Baiturrahman Lasem Mosque, Kauman, Mahbong, Karangturi. It was built in 1588.
  • 14 Po An Bio Temple (Kelenteng Po An Bio), Jl. Karangturi Gg. 7 No.15, Karangturi.
  • 15 Ratanavana Arama Temple (Vihara Ratanavana Arama), Dukuh Tluweng, RT.01/RW.01, Ngasingan, Sendangcoyo, +62 812 288 01548. There is a Gold-plated reclining Buddha statue in this Buddhist temple.

Do edit

  • Boating to the small island on the north of Rembang such as 1 Gede Island, 2 Karang Gosong Island, and 3 Siwalan Island.
  • Hiking on 4 Mount Lasem (806 masl).

Buy edit

 
Batik Lasem

Textile edit

  • Batik Lasem, well known for its typical bright red color, shown here, called abang getih pithik (chicken blood red).

Food souvenirs edit

  • Dumbeg, a snack made from rice flour, coconut milk, and brown sugar, wrapped with palm leaves from the siwalan (toddy palm) tree.
  • Kaoya dudul, a snack made from made from glutinous rice flour, green beans and palm sugar.

Eat edit

Rembang food edit

 
Sate serepeh served with nasi tahu, laid on a teak leaf plate

Rembang has numerous local dishes.

  • Lontong Tuyuhan, a Rembang specialty dish of rice cakes with chicken in reddish coconut milk soup.
  • Sayur merica, a Rembang of pepper fish soup.
  • Sate serepeh/srepeh, a typical Rembang spicy chicken satay.
  • Urap latoh, seagrapes with spiced grated coconut.

Budget edit

  • 1 Kawasan Kuliner Lontong Tuyuhan Pancur. Serves lontong Tuyuhan.
  • 2 Nasi Tahu Sate Serepeh Bu Slamet, Jl. KS Tubun, Rembangan, Tasikagung. 06:30-10:00. Serves nasi tahu and sate serepeh.
  • 3 Warung Apung Dasun, Lasem, +62 822 254 19973. T-Su 11:00-21:00. Serves chicken and freshwater fish dishes, also urap latoh. From Rp10,000.
  • 4 Warung Sayur Mrico Bu Warsih, Jl. Pemuda, Rambutmalang, Leteh. Daily 06:30-20:00. Serves sayur merica.

Drink edit

Try a sirup kawista drink made from syrup of the kawista fruit (Limonia acidissima), at least once anyway. This large, woody fruit thrives in the dry climate around the town. Tooth-achingly sweet, the syrup can be made palatable by cutting with soda, and maybe a squeeze of lime, to create a drink not dissimilar to Red Fanta.

Sleep edit

  • 1 favehotel Rembang, Jalan Jenderal Sudirman No.8, Kutoharjo, Pandean, Kec. Rembang, +62 295 693030, fax: +62 295 693303, . Located next to the town square from Rp310,000.
  • 2 Pollos Hotel & Gallery, Jl. Jend. Sudirman No. 158, Kabongan Lor, +62 295 3202888. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. A 3-star hotel with a swimming pool. Featuring views of the Java Sea, this informal hotel is 2 km from Dampo Awang Beach. From Rp519,558.
  • 3 Rumah Oei, Jl. Jatirogo No.10, Pandeyan, Karangturi, Lasem. Check-in: 14:00-22:00, check-out: 12:00. Traditional old Chinese architecture homestay. 5 bed in one room, Rp750,000.

Connect edit

The telephone area code for Rembang is 0295.

Go next edit

Routes through Rembang
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This city travel guide to Rembang is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.