Bull Racing (Kerapan Sapi). This is the most famous attraction in Madura. Every August and September towns and villages across Madura hold races and the winners compete for the Presidential Trophy in the grand finals in Pamekasan in late September. Races take place over a 100 metre course and are over in about 10 seconds. The jockey is usually a young boy who shows great control of the large bulls whilst balanced almost impossibly on a simple wooden sled. This is a major event in Madura and it is taken very seriously indeed with all sorts of intrigue surrounding the raising of champion bulls, use of mysterious herbal tonics and the harnessing of dark magic to cripple opponents. A very exotic and colourful affair. �
Kangean Islands. The Kangeans are an archipelago of about 30 islands 120 km to east-north-east of Madura. These are relatively little known but with far better boat transport options than used to be the case, the islands are accessible for the adventurous traveller. The largest island is Kangean itself at about 490 sqkm. Others are as small as 1,800 sqm. The key attraction here is marine life and there is good snorkelling close to shore off many of the islands. As a general rule, the western coast lines here tend to be white sand while the eastern coasts are often covered with mangrove forest. Some Bali-based dive operators offer formal dive excursions to this archipelago, and there are irregular boats servicing the Kangeans from Sangsit nr Singaraja in North Bali. The only formal accommodation option in the island group is a fairly terrible government rest house (pasanggrahan) in Arjasa on main Kangean. As an alternative, you should also be able to find lodging with a family by approaching a local head of village (kepala desa). Both public ferries (ASDP) and private boats service Batu Guluk ,which is about 12 km from Arjasa the capital of main Kangean. These leave from Kalianget just 6 km south-east of Sumenep, and the crossing takes anything from 6 to 10 hours. �
The north coast road of Madura is very much worth driving and is quite unlike anywhere else in the region. It almost recalls dry Adriatic islands with shallow, crystal clear waters contrasting with the arid white stoned terrain. You can drive this road in either direction between Bangkalan and Sumenep. Fishing villages are scattered all along the north coast and you will see lots of attractive little outrigger boats called perahu. There are ancient royal tombs just to the north of both cities. The Ratu Ibu Tomb is just off the north coast road at the village of Arosbaya, 16 km north of Bangkalan. At the opposite end of the island the Asta Tinggi Tombs are 4 km north of Sumenep on the road to the villages of Manding and Dasok.
The hills of Madura and marvel at the skill of local farmers who find a living here. Traditional crops you will see are corn, tobacco and cloves. A good area to head for is the central road which links Pagantenan (about 15 km north of Pamekasan) and Gulukguluk (the centre of tobacco growing).
Sumenep Palace (Keraton Sumenep), Sumenep. 7AM to 2PM daily except sundays.. This is the modern day office of the Bupati (administrative head of the regency) of Sumenep and also houses the Royal Carriage House Museum. The palace was built in 1762. Very notable are the huge original teak pillars. Lots to see here including palanquins, weapons, Chinese porcelain, wooden handicrafts and beautifully carved furniture. The single best place to get a real handle on Madurese cultural history.Rp 6,000. �
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Madura
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Madura - updated May 2024
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Madura Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
