Hot Spot

WEARABLE ART The old sultanate of Cirebon, a port west of central Java, promotes itself as Indonesia's seafood capital; another moniker for the city is Kota Udan, or Prawn City. Yet this coastal town with the distinctive art deco train station should think biggerand brighter. This is the place to buy batik, the art form you can bring back home on your back. Batik is available all over Indonesia, but purists say the best comes from Cirebon.

The finest batiks are produced in a smattering of shops in the village of Trusmi, five kilometers from Cirebon. Showrooms such...