Disruption to flights to and from airports in East Java.
On 27 January 2011, a number of flights to and from Indonesian airports in East Java, Bali and Lombok were cancelled due to potential aircraft operational concerns arising from the volcanic ash plume from the eruption of Tenggar caldera in the Mount Bromo volcano complex 25 km 16 mi west of Malang entering into the flight corridors used by aircraft approaching and departing from airports in the near vicinity of the volcano. Operational caution has been recommended for flights into and leaving Juanda International Airport IATA:SUB in Surabaya.
On the 27 January and 28 January the Volcanic Ash Advisory issued from the VAAC Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre located in Darwin Australia reported a volcanic ash plume arising from the Tenggar caldera of Mount Bromo, extending to 5,500 m (18,000 ft and travelling 370 km 200 nautical mi to the east and at times to the south east.
Eruptive events giving rise to ash clouds have continued throughout February 2011.
It should be expected that any significant ongoing ash producing eruptions will continue to cause potential disruption to aviation operations in the region. You should monitor the media for information concerning flight disruptions if your are considering travel into or within East Java, Bali, Lombok and Sumbawa.
By road
The Suramadu Bridge Jembatan Suramadu was completed in June 2009 after a rather tortured history of stop-start construction, lack of funding and industrial accidents. At 5.5 km it is Indonesia's longest. It connects connects northern Surabaya in Java to Bangkalan in Madura. The one way toll is Rp 30,000 for a car or van and Rp 3,000 for a motorbike. It is perfectly possible for visitors to cross to Madura independently using a car or motorbike rented in Surabaya. You should though tell the hire company that you intend to drive the vehicle to Madura.
By ship
The classic way to get to Madura involves taking a public ferry from Tanjung Perak, north Surabaya, to Kamal which is 10 km south of Bangkalan. These run every 30 min 24 hr every day. The queues at weekends and during holiday periods can be unbelievably large remember that more than 10 million ethnic Madurese live elsewhere in Indonesia. Avoid public holidays and the Ramadan period altogether. Since the opening of the bridge, travellers are perhaps better off avoiding the ferry altogether.
For the adventurous, there is another ferry route into Madura from Jangkar in the Situbondo regency of north eastern Java. The crossing takes about 5 hours and the schedules are weather dependent and by no means certain. This ferry service arrives in Kalianget, about 10 km south east of Sumenep in eastern Madura and it makes sense if you are coming from the Baluran National Park area.
By bus
Buses from Bungarasih terminal in Surabaya run very regularly to Sumenap and other points on Madura in between over the Suramadu bridge.