• Snorkel off the north coast or in gloruious isolation on the Kangean Islands.

• Bull Racing (Kerapan Sapi). This is the most famous attraction in Madura. Every August and September towns and villages across Madura hold races and the winners compete for the Presidential Trophy in the grand finals in Pamekasan in late September. Races take place over a 100 metre course and are over in about 10 seconds. The jockey is usually a young boy who shows great control of the large bulls whilst balanced almost impossibly on a simple wooden sled. This is a major event in Madura and it is taken very seriously indeed with all sorts of intrigue surrounding the raising of champion bulls, use of mysterious herbal tonics and the harnessing of dark magic to cripple opponents. A very exotic and colourful affair.  edit

• Kangean Islands. The Kangeans are an archipelago of about 30 islands 120 km to east-north-east of Madura. These are relatively little known but with far better boat transport options than used to be the case, the islands are accessible for the adventurous traveller. The largest island is Kangean itself at about 490 sqkm. Others are as small as 1,800 sqm. The key attraction here is marine life and there is good snorkelling close to shore off many of the islands. As a general rule, the western coast lines here tend to be white sand while the eastern coasts are often covered with mangrove forest. Some Bali-based dive operators offer formal dive excursions to this archipelago, and there are irregular boats servicing the Kangeans from Sangsit nr Singaraja in North Bali. The only formal accommodation option in the island group is a fairly terrible government rest house (pasanggrahan) in Arjasa on main Kangean. As an alternative, you should also be able to find lodging with a family by approaching a local head of village (kepala desa). Both public ferries (ASDP) and private boats service Batu Guluk ,which is about 12 km from Arjasa the capital of main Kangean. These leave from Kalianget just 6 km south-east of Sumenep, and the crossing takes anything from 6 to 10 hours.  edit

• The north coast road of Madura is very much worth driving and is quite unlike anywhere else in the region. It almost recalls dry Adriatic islands with shallow, crystal clear waters contrasting with the arid white stoned terrain. You can drive this road in either direction between Bangkalan and Sumenep. Fishing villages are scattered all along the north coast and you will see lots of attractive little outrigger boats called perahu. There are ancient royal tombs just to the north of both cities. The Ratu Ibu Tomb is just off the north coast road at the village of Arosbaya, 16 km north of Bangkalan. At the opposite end of the island the Asta Tinggi Tombs are 4 km north of Sumenep on the road to the villages of Manding and Dasok.

• The hills of Madura and marvel at the skill of local farmers who find a living here. Traditional crops you will see are corn, tobacco and cloves. A good area to head for is the central road which links Pagantenan (about 15 km north of Pamekasan) and Gulukguluk (the centre of tobacco growing).

• Sumenep Palace (Keraton Sumenep), Sumenep. 7AM to 2PM daily except sundays.. This is the modern day office of the Bupati (administrative head of the regency) of Sumenep and also houses the Royal Carriage House Museum. The palace was built in 1762. Very notable are the huge original teak pillars. Lots to see here including palanquins, weapons, Chinese porcelain, wooden handicrafts and beautifully carved furniture. The single best place to get a real handle on Madurese cultural history. Rp 6,000.  edit

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 ferry

The classic way to get to Madura involves taking a public ferry from Tanjung Perak, north Surabaya, to Kamal which is 10km south of Bangkalan. These run every 30 minutes 24 hours a 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.

Shuttle buses (locally called colts) ply the main south coast and north coast routes from the port at Kamal and the bridge exit point. They run all day from dawn until about 10PM.

• Madura is famous for its batik of deep blue, red and gold. You will find outlets in Sumenep (especially) and Bangkalan.

• Jamu Madura. Traditional herbal aphrodisiacs for men and women. Many streetside outlets, you cannot miss them.

Simple warungs and street-side vendors are the go in Madura. Whether you are looking for a seated restaurant or happy with street stalls, the key is to follow the local crowds.

Specialities include:

• Soto Madura (a spicy beef soup with rice).
• Satay Madura (spicy goat satay). You will hear tales of dog being substituted for goat.....

Sumenep probably has the best selection of warungs and simple restaurants on the island.

Water and plenty of it. This is a harsh, hot and dry climate.

The Madurese are devout muslims and whilst alcohol is not illegal, it is best avoided out of respect.