Trowulan

This small rather isolated town in Eastern Java was once the site of the powerful Majapahit Kingdom, Java's most significant Hindu emprire which flourished between the late 13th and 15th Centuries. Sir Thomas Raffles re-discovered the ruins in the 19th century and described the site as ‘the pride of Java'.

The success of the empire came from an enterprising spirit to trade spices and rice that grew abundantly in the fertile soils of East Java with merchants from Malaya. Today the largest reminder of this once great era is a large bathing pool and several small Hindu temples made of red brick surrounded by exceptionally well tended gardens with colourful flowers. The town also has a museum with displays of pottery and other artefacts to tell the story of the Majapahit empire.