Making the most of Probolinggo
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Probolinggo is a city on the north coast of East Java, Indonesia, a 1.5 km walk south of the port. Its harbor, on the Java Sea, is used heavily by brightly colored fishing vessels. There are no taxis here, but plenty of Becak/Pedicap to reach the city center. Its only Rp. 50.000 / US$ 5.
Berthing facilities have been constructed inluding a finger jetty of about 1km length and a pier of 173m long.
Larger ships use tenders here.
Probolinggo is one of area of East Java, which consists of Javanese, Maduranese, Pendalungan (descents of Java and Maduranese) and Tenggerese who still keep a strong hold of their tradition and custom for so many centuries.
It is famous for its excellent mangoes, and the area grows rice, corn, sugar, rubber and coffee.
Probolinggo City, East Java, Indonesia has some nice tourist spots, such as Red Church, Museum of Probolinggo, Gotong Royong Traditional Market, Tri Dharma Temple, Batik Center, Java Ceramic, Fish Traditional Market, Dr. Sutomo street as shopping center. To reach those places, you can use Becak/Pedicap.
There are some unique attractions such as Angklung instrument performance by local elementary students, called Mater Dei Elementary School. It's absolutely attractive performance.
Getting around
When in port, engage a jeep or private minibus to take you 45 km and 90 minutes’ drive to Mt. Bromo in the Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park, perhaps the most famous volcano in Indonesia. Though the best time to view Bromo is at sunrise, the landscape is so dramatic it is a ‘must-see’. While in the park visit the Madakaripura Waterfall.
Walk around Probolinggo town and observe the lifestyles of a few of the 136 million people living on the island of Java, the most populous large island in the world.
Nearby places
Jabung Temple lies 26 km east of Probolinggo. This is an interesting red brick Buddhist funerary shrine completed in 1354.
Food and shopping
Probolinggo is also well known as a center of handicraft industry in various way and colors. All those products are hand made by the Probolinggo’s craftsman. The products contain bamboo handicrafts, ceramics, garments, home decoration, bags, etc.
Money
ATMs are common in any major cities in Indonesia.
Be careful when using credit cards, as cloning and fraud are a major problem in Indonesia. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, but American Express can be problematic. At smaller operations, surcharges of 2-5% over cash are common.
Staying connected
The sole official language is Indonesian, known as Bahasa Indonesia.
Internet: Prices vary considerably, and as usual you tend to get what you pay for, but you'll usually be looking at around Rp 5,000 per hour. In large cities, there are free hotspots in certain shopping malls, McDonald restaurants and Starbucks cafes. Some hotels provide free hotspots in the lobby.
mobile phones emergency number: 112