Cirebon travel guide

Cirebon is a port city on the northern coast of the Indonesian island of Java.

Its name is often said to be derived from the Sundanese words of ci (water or river) and rebon (shrimp). Indeed, the city's main industry is fishery, including shrimp. An alternative Javanese explanation is that the city's name is from caruban, meaning "mixture", a reference to Cirebon's complex mix of Javanese, Malay, Sundanese, Chinese and Arabic cultural elements. While Indonesians from outside of Cirebon pronounce the name CHEE-reh-bon, locals say Cheer-BON (with rolling R). The city weather is hot and humid. Wear cotton clothes.

Getting in

Cirebon is along the major west-east motorway connecting Jakarta and Central Java. If there are no traffic jams, Cirebon can be reached in about 2½ hours from Jakarta. However, traffic congestion is common and the trip usually takes up to 4 hours. During weekends and holidays, it may even take significantly longer. There are additional trunk roads to Cirebon from the northwest (Indramayu), southwest (Bandung and Sumedang) and south (Kuningan). The main station of the city is Cirebon railway station (also known as Kejaksan Station).

Getting around

There are several ways of getting around the town of Cirebon. The most convenient way is by rented car. However, it is advisable to rent a car with a driver if you are not used to driving in Indonesia. Another way to get around is by angkot (public minivan). There are various angkot routes throughout the city. Angkots follow a fixed route, but there is no fixed schedule and there are no fixed stops. To get on, simply raise your hand. To get off, simply shout "Kiri!" to the driver, so he will pull over on the left (Indonesian: kiri) side of the road.

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.