---
title: "Now Easier to Reach: The Hidden Gems Around Kediri's New Dhoho International Airport"
type: "TravelGuide"
lang: "en"
canonical: "https://www.geokepo.id/en/panduan/hidden-gems-near-dhoho-airport-kediri-guide"
html_url: "https://www.geokepo.id/en/panduan/hidden-gems-near-dhoho-airport-kediri-guide"
category: "Hidden Gems & Off-the-Beaten-Path"
guide_type: "destination"
summary: "Dhoho International Airport puts Kediri, Tulungagung, and Blitar within reach. Here are the East Java hidden gems worth the detour."
covers: ["https://www.geokepo.id/en/lokasi/kediri", "https://www.geokepo.id/en/lokasi/kota-kediri", "https://www.geokepo.id/en/lokasi/tulungagung", "https://www.geokepo.id/en/lokasi/blitar"]
published: "2026-09-03T00:26:22.288787+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-03T00:26:22.288787+00:00"
author: "GeoKepo Editorial Team"
publisher: "GeoKepo"
license: "Editorial content © GeoKepo. Cite the canonical URL."
---
# Now Easier to Reach: The Hidden Gems Around Kediri's New Dhoho International Airport

# Now Easier to Reach: The Hidden Gems Around Kediri's New Dhoho International Airport

For most of East Java's travel history, Kediri, Tulungagung, and Blitar shared the same problem: genuinely interesting places, three to four hours by road from Surabaya's Juanda Airport, which meant they mostly got skipped in favor of destinations closer to a runway. Dhoho International Airport, built to serve Kediri and opened to commercial traffic in recent years, changes that math. A region that used to require a full extra travel day to reach now sits a short hop from the airport gate, and the area around it is stacked with waterfalls, volcanic landscapes, and Majapahit-era temples that rarely make it onto a first-time Java itinerary.

This isn't one single attraction — it's a cluster of destinations across Kediri, Tulungagung, and Blitar regencies that were always worth visiting and were mostly held back by how annoying they were to reach. That barrier just got a lot lower.

## Why This Matters Now

Before Dhoho Airport, reaching this part of East Java meant flying into Surabaya's Juanda Airport and then committing to a three-to-four-hour road transfer south — a deal-breaker for travelers with limited time who'd rather spend that half-day actually seeing something. With direct or near-direct air access into Kediri itself, that calculus flips: you can be at a waterfall or a Majapahit-era temple within an hour or two of landing, rather than losing most of a day to transit. For a country where "hidden gem" often just means "hard to reach," removing hours of transfer time is the single biggest thing that can change whether a destination gets discovered.

## Kediri City and Nearby Nature

**Simpang Lima Gumul** is Kediri's most recognizable landmark, a roundabout monument deliberately built to echo the Arc de Triomphe, and it's as good a starting orientation point as any — lit up at night, it's a genuine local gathering spot rather than a tourist-only photo stop.

**Bukit Dhoho Indah**, a hillside viewpoint near the airport itself, gives a wide panorama over the Kediri plain and Mount Kelud in the distance — a fitting first or last stop given its name and proximity to the new terminal.

**Dolo Waterfall**, on the slopes of Mount Wilis, and **Irenggolo Waterfall** nearby are both classic Kediri nature stops: a moderate walk through forest to a genuine cascade, cool enough at altitude to be a relief from the lowland heat, and still light enough on visitor numbers that you won't be queueing for a photo spot.

**Selomangleng Cave**, carved into a hillside with historical and spiritual significance to local Javanese tradition, rounds out Kediri's cultural side — a quieter counterpart to the region's waterfalls and volcanic scenery.

**Mount Kelud**, technically shared with Kediri and neighboring regencies, is worth a special mention: since its major eruptions, the volcano's crater area has reshaped into a strange, striking post-eruption landscape that's become its own kind of attraction rather than a hazard to avoid — check current access conditions locally, since volcanic areas can close on short notice.

## Tulungagung's Coastline and Highlands

Tulungagung's southern coast is where this region genuinely surprises people who assume East Java's beaches can't compete with Bali or the Gili Islands.

**Popoh Beach** is the area's most established coastal spot, with calmer water than the open-ocean beaches further along and enough basic infrastructure (parking, simple warungs) to make it an easy first stop.

**Coro Beach**, by contrast, earns its "hidden paradise" description honestly — turquoise water and white sand reached via a rougher access road that keeps crowds thin, the kind of beach that photographs like a much more remote island but sits within a couple hours of the airport.

**Sine Beach** rounds out the coastal trio with its own distinct character among Tulungagung's south-coast options, each with different wave conditions and crowd levels worth checking before you commit to one.

Inland, **Mount Budheg** offers a genuinely challenging hike — steep enough to be a real trekking objective rather than a casual walk — rewarding the effort with panoramic views over Tulungagung's patchwork of farmland. **Laweyan Waterfall**, tucked into surrounding jungle, is the kind of stop most visitors find by asking locals rather than reading about online, cascading over rock in a setting that feels genuinely undiscovered.

**Candi Dadi**, a temple dating to the Majapahit era, adds a historical layer to the region — smaller and less visited than Java's headline temple complexes, but carrying real archaeological weight for anyone interested in the empire that once dominated this part of the island.

## Blitar: Sukarno's Hometown and Beyond

Blitar carries a different kind of significance: it's the hometown and burial place of Indonesia's founding president, Sukarno, and his mausoleum and the accompanying museum draw domestic visitors on a scale that international travelers rarely tap into. Beyond that landmark, Blitar shares the same volcanic-and-coastal geography as its neighbors — beaches along the southern coast and highland scenery inland — making it a natural third stop in a loop that also covers Kediri and Tulungagung, rather than a standalone destination requiring its own dedicated trip.

## A Realistic 3-Day Route From the Airport

**Day 1 — Arrive and orient:** Land at Dhoho, check into Kediri city, visit Simpang Lima Gumul in the evening when it's lit up, and catch sunset from Bukit Dhoho Indah if timing allows.

**Day 2 — Waterfalls and volcanic landscape:** Morning trip to Dolo or Irenggolo Waterfall, afternoon detour toward Mount Kelud's crater area (conditions permitting), overnight back in Kediri or push on toward Tulungagung.

**Day 3 — Coast and culture:** Head south into Tulungagung for Coro or Popoh Beach in the morning, swing past Candi Dadi on the way back, and either fly out of Dhoho or continue on to Blitar if your schedule allows a fourth day for Sukarno's mausoleum.

This is deliberately loose — the region rewards flexibility more than a tight schedule, since road conditions and weather (particularly around the volcanic area) can shift plans on short notice.

## What to Eat and Where to Stay

Kediri is famous within Indonesia for **tahu takwa**, a firm, distinctively yellow tofu that's become the city's signature food souvenir — look for it sold in stalls near Simpang Lima Gumul and at small factories around the city that let you watch it being pressed. **Nasi pecel** and **sate ayam** show up on nearly every local menu, and Kediri's coffee culture, fed by highland plantations on Mount Wilis, is worth seeking out over a generic hotel breakfast.

Accommodation in Kediri city itself covers the mid-range hotel basics well enough for a short stay, but don't expect boutique resorts — this is a working regional city, not a tourist town. In Tulungagung and Blitar, options thin out further outside the city centers, so most visitors base themselves in Kediri and day-trip out, only overnighting closer to the coast or to Blitar's mausoleum if their itinerary genuinely requires it.

## Practical Notes

- **Airport access is still developing.** Dhoho is new, and flight frequency is more limited than at established hubs like Juanda — confirm current routes and schedules before building a trip around it, and have a Surabaya-transfer backup plan in mind.
- **Rent a car or hire a driver.** Public transport between these attractions is sparse; a private vehicle or driver is close to essential for covering Kediri, Tulungagung, and Blitar efficiently.
- **Check volcanic activity status for Mount Kelud** before planning a visit — access can be restricted with little notice depending on current monitoring status.
- **Coastal roads to beaches like Coro can be rough.** A vehicle with decent ground clearance makes the access roads considerably less stressful.
- **This is not an English-heavy tourist circuit.** Basic Indonesian phrases or a local guide go a long way, since infrastructure here has been built for domestic visitors far more than international ones.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Is Dhoho Airport a good base for exploring this whole region?** Yes — its location puts Kediri, Tulungagung, and Blitar all within a few hours' drive, which wasn't practical when Juanda was the nearest realistic airport.

**How does this compare to more famous East Java destinations like Bromo or Ijen?** It's a different kind of trip — quieter, less structured around a single iconic sunrise view, and built more around exploring multiple smaller sites than chasing one headline attraction.

**Are the beaches here comparable to Bali's?** Not in terms of infrastructure or nightlife, but Coro and Sine Beach genuinely compete on natural beauty — the tradeoff is fewer facilities and rougher access roads.

**Do I need several days, or can I do a day trip from Surabaya?** A day trip is possible for a single stop like Simpang Lima Gumul, but the region's real appeal — waterfalls, beaches, and Kelud together — needs at least two to three days to do properly.

**What's the best time of year to visit?** The dry season, roughly April through October, is the safer bet for both the waterfall trails and the coastal roads to beaches like Coro, which can turn to mud after heavy rain. It's also the window when Mount Kelud's crater area is most likely to be open to visitors.

## Worth the Detour?

The honest pitch for this region isn't a single unmissable landmark — it's volume and variety within a newly compact travel radius: waterfalls, a genuinely dramatic volcanic crater, uncrowded south-coast beaches, a Majapahit-era temple, and a president's hometown, all now reachable without burning half a day on transfers from Surabaya. That combination has existed for years; what's new in 2026 is the airport that finally makes it easy to reach, and a window before wider awareness catches up to the access.