Madiun is a regency in East Java. Its capital city has the same name.
The regency is located 169 km west of Surabaya, or 114 km east of Solo (Surakarta) City and 38 km southeast of Ngawi. In its capital city, there is center of railway industry (INKA). Madiun is known to have Iswahyudi Airbase, which is one of the major Air Force bases, although located in Magetan. The capital city has the nickname City of Gadis (Girl), City of Brem, Student Town, City of railroad, Pecel City, City of Culture, City of Literature, and the City of Industry.
Get in
By plane
Solo's Adisumarmo International Airport (SOC IATA), 120 km west of town, is a small airport. There are 12 flights a day to Jakarta. As in 2016, there are flights to other Indonesian cities as well, such as Surabaya, Batam, Denpasar, Bandung, Balikpapan. There is international flight to Kuala Lumpur by Malaysia's low-cost airline, AirAsia, . If using taxi, you should buy a ticket in a ticket shelter. Just name your destination and pay the amount they ask, and you will be assigned to a registered taxi using a set fee charging system.
You can also fly to Yogyakarta's Adisucipto International Airport (JOG IATA). The distance between Yogyakarta and Madiun is about 165 km, is about 3 hours travel by road. Take Trans Jogja Bus to get out of the airport, then get off in the nearest bus stop. Take inter-city Bus to Madiun. The famous bus is Sumber Kencono, you can reach Madiun in 2 hours at night travel) This inter-city bus also stop in Solo, so you can using this bus from Solo. The bus also pass the main road not far from Solo's Adisumarmo International Airport
By bus
The bus terminal in capital city, 1 Terminal Purbaya, services more local destinations such as Surabaya, Ngawi, Solo, Yogyakarta, Ponorogo, and Semarang.
From Jakarta, some inter-city buses take a night trip, such as Lorena, Pahala Kencana, Rosalia Indah, STJ, etc. The travel (Jakarta - Madiun) will take around 16 hours trip, depart at 13:00 and you will arrive at 04:00 the next morning.
By train
Express trains from Jakarta take around 9 hours. Other trains take longer, sometimes much longer. Express trains serving Madiun include Bima, Bangunkarta, and Gajayana expresses (to/from Jakarta, all AC), Argo Wilis, Turangga, Malabar, and Mutiara Selatan (to/from Bandung), Argo Wilis, and Sancaka (to/from Surabaya), Malioboro Expres (from Malang) The main station is 2 Madiun Station, in Manguharjo Madiun.
Get around
By taxi
Taxi is the easiest way to go around. It is cheap, and you can even book it for the whole trip. You can negotiate for the price or you can ask to use meter. Ask in your hotel reception if they can arrange one for you. Or they may also have a car to rent (mostly including the driver).
By becak
Becak (traditional pedicabs) are an entertaining way of seeing the city, albeit quite slowly. Expect Becak drivers to quote prices inflated to at least 3 times for the average tourist.
See
- 1 Makam dan Masjid Kuno Taman (Taman Old Mosque and Grave), Jl. Kemiri No.46, Taman, Kec. Taman. The mosque was built by Kyai Ageng Misbach or Kyai Donopuro in 1754. It is surrounded by the grave of the regents of Madiun.
- 2 Museum Arum Dalu PT. INKA, Jl. Yos Sudarso No. 71, ☏ +62 822 444 08460. 10:00-21:00. A railway museum of state-owned PT. INKA, there is also a cafe.
- 3 Monumen Kresek (Monumen Keganasan PKI 1948), Wungu. 05:00-17:00. A memorial to the bloody events of 1948.
- 4 Banyulawe Waterfall (Air Terjun Banyulawe), Kare.
Do
Mountaineering
Climb to 1 Mount Wilis (Liman Peak) 2535 masl via Kare district.
Parks
- 2 Taman Trembesi Kota Madiun, Jl. Rimbakaya, Kartoharjo. 08:00-17:00. A rain-tree park. Tree-shaded, relaxed city park with paths, a children's play area & plenty of seating.
Rivertubing
- 3 Brumbun Tubing Adventure, Wungu, ☏ +62 813 351 03934. 08:00-16:00.
Buy
Food souvenirs
- Brem. traditional fermented snack.
Eat
- 1 Bluder Cokro, Jl. Hayam Wuruk No. 51-53, ☏ +62 351 4544540. Sells bluder, a kind of bread which is known for its soft texture and taste. It is offered in 14 variants, from raisins to cheese. Rp8,000-10,000 for one bluder.
- 2 Warung Nasi Pecel Yu Gembrot, Jl. Imam Bonjol No.33, Klegen, Kartoharjo, ☏ +62 851 007 05531. 07:00-21:00. Serves pecel (Javanese salad) also peyek cracker. It serves on folded banana leaves called pincuk. From Rp21,000.
- 3 Pentol Corah Bu Suti, Purba Jaya No.II, Rejomulyo, Kartoharjo, ☏ +62 822 348 25467. 08:00-21:00. Serves Madiun snack, pentol corah, made from tapioca and wheat flour stuffed in tofu skin and served with special spicy sambal. From Rp5,000.
Drink
Local drinks
Try local lemon squash by Mimosa factory and other local drinks.
- 1 Dawet Suronatan, Jl. Merbabu No.10, Pangongangan, ☏ +62 851 007 41646. 08:00-15:30. A Madiun iced dawet/cendol consists of pink dawet (rice flour jelly), ketan hitam (black glutinuous rice), tape singkong (fermented cassava), and bubur sum-sum (Indonesian rice pudding). Rp8,000.
Sleep
Campground
- 1 Campgrounds Kandangan, Kare, ☏ +62 812 324 8153. 24/7.
- 2 Gligi Forest Park, Kepel, Kare, ☏ +62 857 848 04395. Camping: Rp10,000-30,000/night.
Hotel
- 3 Amaris Hotel Madiun, Jl. Kalimantan No.30, Kartoharjo, ☏ +62 351 4472525. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. A 2-star hotel. Bright, no-nonsense rooms in a modern hotel offering complimentary breakfast, parking & Wi-Fi. From Rp400,500.
- 4 Aston Madiun Hotel, Jl. Mayjen Sungkono No.41, Nambangan Kidul, Manguharjo, ☏ +62 351 4472222. Check-in: 14:00. A 4-star hotel. Warmly decorated rooms in a laid-back conference hotel featuring a pool, a spa & a grand ballroom. Rp805,877.
Connect
The telephone area code for Madiun is 0351.
Go next
- Sarangan, an irrigation lake located in Magetan, a half hour trip from Madiun. The nearest popular weekend getaway for Madiun residents. Had it own natural scenery and breathtaking views with Mount Lawu as a background. You can find your self relaxing in the nearest resort. From Sarangan you can take a short cut to Tawangmangu.
- Tawangmangu, a hill station located on the slopes of Mount Lawu, a dormant volcano which straddles the border between Central Java and East Java. It is an hour drive from Madiun, and is a popular weekend getaway. Nearby are the ruins of the Sukuh Temple, a Hindu temple built at the end of the period of Hinduism in Java. The temple is famous for its unique shape that resembles Mayan pyramids. Tawangmangu is also famous for its natural scenery, with waterfalls (Grojogan Sewu and Jumog Waterfall) and breathtaking views. For those who are not faint-hearted, it is also possible to climb to the top of Mount Lawu (3,265 m) from Tawangmangu, which is a 7 hours hike to the peak.
- Ngawi, a city and the capital of Ngawi (regency), well-known for its Dutch fortress.
- Ponorogo, a city well-known for the Reog traditional dance. It is 32 km south of Madiun.
- Kediri, the third oldest city in Indonesia.