iSurprise House of Sampoerna

The home of kretek

House of Sampoerna is a not-to-be-missed attraction in Surabaya. Comprising a museum, art gallery, shop and café, this is the home of kretek, the famous clove cigarettes. The museum tells the story of the founding family and the production facility, where hundreds of workers would roll kreteks by hand at a speed of 325 sticks per hour.

The Liem's

Liem Seeng Teel started selling kreteks from a small warung and grew the business into a multimillion-dollar international tobacco emporium, now owned by Philip Morris. The museum is located in a colonial building from 1862, which used to be a boy orphanage before Liem - an orphan himself - bought it to start his factory. Friendly English-speaking guides are on offer, or choose to explore by yourself. The museum also has a souvenir shop with a wide selection of batik, books, handicrafts and t-shirts. Don’t miss the bathrooms on the ground floor!

Buy the book

The Sampoerna Legacy tells the tales of the rising business empire through the eyes of the family members. This rare piece of historical documentation of Chinese/Indonesian industrial heritage, edited by Michelle Sampoerna, reads like a beautifully illustrated MBA textbook. Michelle is as generous with details of family gatherings as well as elements that were key to the success of the company, like the significance of symbolism in package design.