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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)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
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.