Jepara

Jepara is a coastal town in Central Java province, northeast of Semarang. It is well-known for its wood carvings and furniture industry. Jepara is one of the departure points for ferries going to Karimunjawa.

Understand

Tourist information centre
  • 🌍 Tourist Information Centre Jepara (TIC Jepara), Jl. A. R. Hakim No. 51, ☏ +62 291 4290389, . 07:00-14:30. This is Jepara's official tourism information centre, on behalf of District Department Of Tourism And Culture (Dinas Pariwisata dan Kebudayaan Jepara). Its website is very slow to load, but anyway it will load completely. (updated Sep 2020)

Get in

By bus

Small, mostly non air-conditioned, buses leave Semarang's Terboyo bus terminal daily 05:00–17:00 and cost Rp15,000–20,000. Expect to pay twice if you put your backpack on an empty seat (there are no luggage compartments on small buses).

There are more comfortable air-conditioned shuttle vans (known as travel) from Semarang, Yogyakarta, and Solo, mostly departing from the various agencies' offices. From Semarang the journey takes around 2 hours and costs around Rp25,000–35,000. These buses have departures later than the cheap intercity buses.

  • 🌍 Jepara Bus Station (Terminal Jepara), Jl MT Haryono. It is served by buses to various locations including Jakarta and Surabaya. But it seems uncomfortable for foreign tourists, as this station is less maintained. (updated May 2020)
  • 🌍 Bejeu Bus garage (Garasi bus Bejeu), Jl. RM. Sosro Diningrat No. 09 Ngabul Tahunan Jepara 59428, ☏ +62 291 594 440, +62 823 1401 5946. Bejeu is a bus company based in Jepara. It serves Jakarta, Bandung, Denpasar, Merak, Cimahi, Ciledug, Pati, Pekalongan, and others. The buses have air conditioning and WiFi. (updated May 2020)
  • 🌍 Daytrans bus shop (Trio Tour Travel Jepara - Daytrans Jepara), Jl. Letjen Suprapto No.55, Rw. I, Bulu, Kec. Jepara, Kabupaten Jepara, Jawa Tengah 59418 (On road to kartini pier, near homestay 89), ☏ +62 851-0132-6868. From Yogyakarta Rp 165.000 - Rp 190.000. (updated May 2024)
  • 🌍 Rimba raya bus shop (Kantor Rimba Raya SCJ), Jobokuto II, Jobokuto, Jepara, Jepara Regency, Central Java (Near Alun-Alun Jepara 1). Shop has aircon and minimal toilet. Many food stalls nearby. Solo Rp 120,000 (minibus 8 seats, AC, about 4 hours, 20min eat break if relevant), Semarang, Yogyakarta. (updated May 2024)

By taxi

From Semarang you can take a taxi and bargain a price of around Rp275,000. Even if they use the meter it should not be much more than that.

Get around

Taxis are a bit hard to find. Becak (rickshaw) is fairly easy. Motorbikes can be rented from some of the motorcycle dealers or at the Segoro Hotel.

If you know Indonesian, you can call Raja which is a taxi service using a normal SUV-type car. 085 225 111 234 or 081 705 62002.

If you don't speak or can't speak Indonesian, try going to Jepara Indah Hotel, or Kencana Hotel.

The Hotel Segoro at the north end of town (near the gas station) has a travel service and can also charter cars.

Ride-hailing services Gojek is available in Jepara.

See
  • 🌍 Troso village (on the west side of the road to Semarang, about 12 km (7.5 mi) south). Known for its loom weaving: jacquard and copies of East Nusa Tenggara styles. There are showrooms along the main street, some of which have workshops. There are also small workshops in some of the houses. Some batiking is also done. (updated Oct 2017)
  • 🌍 Bandengan Beach (Pantai Bandengan). A white sand beach. 
  • 🌍 Kartini Beach (Pantai Kartini). There are boats to Karimunjawa and Panjang Island. It also has the Kura-Kura Ocean Park, a turtle-shaped building that contains a large aquarium, fish spa, and educational attractions for children. Rp5,000–Rp 7,500 entry, Rp12,500–Rp17,500 for Kura-Kura Ocean Park. (updated May 2020)
  • 🌍 Panjang Island (Pulau Panjang). White sand beach and clear, shallow water. It is the location of the grave of Waliyullah Al Habib Abubakar bin Ahmad bin Syekh bin Yahya Ba'alawi, also known as Syekh Abubakar, who is said to be one of Prophet Muhammad's descendants. (updated May 2020)
  • 🌍 Museum RA Kartini (Kartini Museum), Jl Alun-Alun No.1, Panggang (Right by the Tourist Information Centre), ☏ +62 852 2584-1999. Daily 08:00–16:00. Jepara is the birthplace of national hero Raden Adjeng Kartini, a pioneer in the area of education for girls and women's rights. It tells the story of her life, and displays artefacts. (updated Nov 2017)
  • 🌍 Portuguese Fortress (Benteng Portugis), Banyumanis. A historic fort built by the Portuguese from 1613–1645, offering park surrounds and water vistas. (updated Sep 2022)
  • Pungkruk Beach (Pantai Pungkruk), Rw. 01, Mororejo, Kec. Mlonggo, Kabupaten Jepara, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia. This beach has a characteristic, namely the contours of a flat beach and interesting spots along the coastline. You can also relax and enjoy the panoramic sunset in peace from the available gazebo. On one side of the beach, you can visit the mangrove forest area which has a cooler and more beautiful climate. (updated Dec 2022)
  • Bubrah temple (Candi Bubrah), Dukuh Duplak, Desa Tempur, Kecamatan Keling, Kabupaten Jepara, Jawa Tengah. Even though it has the same name as one of the famous Klaten tourist attractions, Bubrah Jepara Temple has a different charm. Exactly as the name suggests, this temple has dissolved or collapsed shapelessly. Only a mountain of andesite remains on one side of the hill with several gaps. This shapeless part is the main attraction of Bubrah Temple. Rp 5000. (updated Dec 2022)

Do
  • 🌍 Mount Muria (Gunung Muria). Mount Muria is at the centre of the cape that juts out into the Java Sea, with Jepara on its western coast. Though not spectacularly high, the mountain is rugged and worth exploring on a motorbike or with a hired car. There are coffee-growing mountain villages and some ancient Hindu temples to be found. One place to start would be the village of 🌍 Tempur, on the northern slope of the mountain, up a narrow single-track road with views down into the valleys. Head north out of Jepara, following the main road in the direction of Pati. At roughly the most northernmost point, or just after, look out for signs. Almost opposite the turn for Tempur is a turn towards a Portuguese fort on the coast. The road in from the main road was upgraded in mid-2017 so it should stay in fair condition for a couple of wet seasons. (updated Oct 2017)

Buy
  • Arty's Design Collection, Jl Bawu Batealit RT 031 RW 006 (On the road south out of Jepara towards Semarang), ☏ +62 813 9095-1919, . Furniture and homewares. Retail and trade. Worldwide shipping. Some imported Turkish items. (updated Oct 2017)
  • Woven and batik textiles, Troso village (12 km south of Jepara on the west side of the road to Semarang). Various showrooms along the main street of the village. Some have looms and some households are weaving at home. (updated Oct 2017)
  • Furniture and wooden homewares. Many of Jepara's streets are lined with showrooms of furniture and wooden homewares, appealing to both domestic and international tastes. The showrooms serving the international export market will be mainly focussed on showcasing their products for wholesale buyers, but some of them do sell retail, so go ahead and ask. Most will be able to take orders, especially for larger quantities, and can arrange shipping. (updated Oct 2017)

Food souvenirs
  • Carang madu, a cracker sprinkled with liquid brown sugar.

Eat

Jepara cuisine
  • Blenyik/tempong, raw anchovies that are salted and formed into small fists and then dried.
  • Bongko mento, stir-fried shredded chicken breast mixed with ear mushrooms, glass noodles, and coconut milk, then wrapped in banana leaves.
  • Bontosan, the mashed grouper meat is mixed with rice flour and then wrapped in banana leaves, and then steamed.
  • Horok-horok, made from palm tree flour.
  • Moto belong, a snack made from plantain and sprinkled with grated coconut.
  • Pindang serani, fish soup.
  • Rondho royal, fermented cassava fritter.
  • Sayur betik, using unripe papaya and minced meat as the main ingredients.

Food stalls
  • 🌍 Yam Yam Resto, Jl Pantai Karang Kebagusan Km 5 (in the complex called Joglo Putu Inten), ☏ +62 291 598755. daily 08:00–23:30. Thai and Western. Oceanside, good for sunsets but no beach. Swimming pool. Serves beer. A little hidden away. If you enjoy it, there's a branch in Jogja. (updated Nov 2017)
  • 🌍 Cipto Roso, Jl Doktor Sutomo, ☏ +62 813 2513-8417. Famous for the Jepara specialty called pindang serani, a clear, fresh, spicy fish soup. (updated Oct 2017)

Drink

Local drink

Try local drinks such as adon-adon coro, made from pandan, ground pepper, cinnamon, cloves, galangal, which is doused with coconut milk, ginger, brown sugar, and water and es gempol, consists of rice flour dough doused with coconut milk and sugar, and often add ice.

  • 🌍 Es Gempol Pleret Panggang, Jl. Pemuda No.33b, Potroyudan, ☏ +62 823 259 82610. 10:00-16:00. Es gempol is a specialty cold beverage from Jepara. It is a rice flour dough with coconut milk soup, sugar, and ice. Rp 9,000-10,000. (updated May 2024)

Sleep
  • 🌍 The Gecho Inn Town, Jl A. R. Hakim No.43, Kauman, ☏ +62 291 595220, . Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Four rooms only. Behind the Gecho Inn, with Western and Indonesian food, and beer. Also has a branch out of town. (updated Nov 2017)
  • 🌍 Segoro Hotel, Jl Ringin Jaya No.2 (500m from the bus terminal and around 1.5 km (0.93 mi) from the ferry terminal.). Cheaper rooms have no shower in the bathroom, bucket only. Starts at Rp140,000 for double/twin room with a fan and Rp170.000 for a room with AC including simple breakfast buffet (prices as of 11/2016). 

Connect

The telephone area code for Jepara is +62 291. For the Karimunjawa archipelago it is +62 297.

Go next

Head out to the Karimunjawa islands on the fast or slow ferry services that service the port.

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