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Voykit pocket guide · Indonesia
Bawean
Pulau Bawean
Go for 2–3 nights if you want an island with no tourist strip: ferry from Gresik 4 h, Rp200,000–250,000, and rent a scooter on arrival.
Bawean is a hilly island 150 km north of Surabaya in the Java Sea, reached by a 4-hour express ferry from Gresik or a 9-hour vehicle ferry from Paciran. There is no resort strip: you sleep in Sangkapura or Tambak, rent a scooter or hire an ojek, and spend the days on waterfalls, hot springs, beaches and the island's endemic deer. Two or three nights covers it; the rainy season runs December to March.
- Country
- Indonesia
- Local name
- Pulau Bawean
- Best months
- Apr–Nov
- Avoid
- Dec–Mar (rainy season)
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- IDR
- Money
- Rupiah (Rp) in small notes for warungs, parking, offerings and drivers; large cards are common in tourist restaurants but not everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget Rp250,000–400,000 excl. bed · Mid Rp400,000–700,000 excl. bed · High Rp700,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telkomsel, XL and Indosat sell tourist SIMs at airports; foreign phones must be IMEI-registered if staying over 90 days — check.
- Emergency
- General emergency 112 · Police 110 · Ambulance 118 · Fire 113
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · European round pins.
- Tipping
- Warung: Nothing.; Restaurants: Often 10% service + tax on the bill; nothing more needed.; Drivers and guides: Rp50,000–100,000 a day.; Spa: Rp20,000–50,000.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; refill stations common in Bali.
- Toilets
- Western in hotels and cafés; squat toilets with a water scoop elsewhere; paper in the bin.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea at a warung | Rp5,000–15,000 |
| Nasi campur or grilled fish with rice | Rp20,000–50,000 |
| Wedang jaguar (ginger and palm-sugar drink) | Rp10,000–20,000 |
| Ojek ride across Sangkapura | Rp15,000–30,000 |
| Scooter rental, one day | Rp75,000–150,000 (check) |
| Guesthouse room | From Rp200,000 (check) |
| Boat charter to the islets, half day | Rp400,000–800,000 per boat (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BXW · Bawean Airport (Harun Thohir)
- Small field with Airfast Indonesia flights from Surabaya; schedules change often — check before booking.
Typical fares
- Express ferry Gresik → Bawean
- Rp200,000 executive / Rp250,000 VIP, about 4 h (check)
- Slow vehicle ferry Paciran → Bawean
- departs about 22:00, about 9 h (check)departs about 10:00 PM, about 9 h (check)
- Ojek across Sangkapura
- Rp15,000–30,000
- Scooter rental, one day
- Rp75,000–150,000 (check)
Get around
No public transport worth using. Rent a motorcycle or hire an ojek (motorcycle taxi) by the day; agree the price before you set off. Roads are narrow and hilly, and fuel is sold in roadside kiosks. Distances are short — Sangkapura to Tambak is roughly 30–40 minutes by scooter.
See and do
Known for
- Lake Kastoba
- Bawean deer (Axis kuhlii)
- Waterfalls and hot springs
- Quiet beaches and nearby islets
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Gili and Noko islets | Charter a fishing boat from Sangkapura or Tambak; snorkelling gear is not provided | Half day |
| Lake Kastoba | Scooter or ojek to the trailhead, then walk | 2–3 h |
| Deer Reserve (Penangkaran Rusa Bawean), Suwari | Scooter or ojek from Sangkapura | 1–2 h |
| Gresik or Surabaya | Express ferry from Bawean to Gresik, about 4 h | 5–6 h |
Sleep
- Sangkapura
- Main town and both ferry terminals; guesthouses, warungs, ATMs and the market are here. Best for a first visit.
- Tambak
- Northern coast, closer to Labuhan and Mayangkara beaches and the Kepuhlegundi hot spring; a homestay or two, fewer services.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Permisi / Maafper-MEE-see / ma-AF |
| Thank you | Terima kasihte-ree-ma KA-see |
| How much is it? | Berapa harganya?be-RA-pa HAR-ga-nya |
| Can I pay by card? | Bisa bayar pakai kartu?BEE-sa BA-yar PA-kai KAR-too |
| Where is the toilet? | Di mana toilet?dee MA-na TOY-let |
| I want to rent a motorbike | Saya mau sewa motorSA-ya mau SE-wa MO-tor |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Light handshake then hand to chest; smile; avoid: Firm grips
- Left hand: Give and receive with the right; avoid: Passing anything with the left
- Temples: Sarong and sash; step around offerings; avoid: Standing higher than priests
- Keeping calm: Patience; indirect requests; avoid: Anger in public
- Pointing: Thumb; avoid: Index finger
Scams and watch-outs
- The rainy season (Dec–Mar) can cancel ferries and flights; build a buffer day before an onward flight.
- Bring cash: BRI and Bank Jatim ATMs exist in Sangkapura but can be empty or offline.
- Ferry and flight schedules change with weather and seasons — confirm the day before you travel.
- Medical facilities are basic; serious cases are evacuated to Surabaya. Carry your own medication.
- Scooter riding here is not for beginners: steep grades, sand on bends, and few street lights.
Bawean is quiet and low-crime, and the real risks are practical: ferry cancellations in the rainy season, empty ATMs, basic medical care, and scooter riding on steep, unlit roads. Carry cash, wear a helmet, and do not ride at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bawean yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Lake Kastoba
- Bawean deer (Axis kuhlii)
- Waterfalls and hot springs
- Quiet beaches and nearby islets
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Express Bahari (ferry operator): www.expressbahari.com/
- Gresik Regency Government — ship schedule to Bawean: gresikkab.go.id/info-kota/jadwal-kapal-ke-bawean
- Wikivoyage: Bawean, revision 5011504 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5011504
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
BaweanPulau Bawean
Ke alamat ini, ya
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies on Bawean; the US consulate-general and most others are in Surabaya, embassies in Jakarta.
Phone area code 0325. Bring cash: ATMs in Sangkapura can be empty.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/bawean). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.