We spent 3 days exploring Java's cultural epicentre that is Yogyakarta. It's a pleasant and attractive city to wander and there's plenty to see and do. Then, when you need a break, venture east, west or north and you'll find some of Asia's greatest monuments - well-preserved monoliths to kingdoms past...
Travel Diary Details - Yogyakarta Area
Yogyakarta Area
Yogyakarta airport is a pleasant surprise - clearly more tourist-oriented and plenty of well presented options for the traveller. Taxis are regulated and it cost us 8000rp from the airport to Jalan Malioboro; about a fifteen-minute drive.
Accommodation prices in Yogyakarta are almost as high as Bandung and mid-range establishments are reluctant to bargain, especially if you are staying less than a week. It's worth the search and (possible) extra cost to stay somewhere near Jalan Malioboro. We saw clean and comfortable accommodation in the train station area for around US$15 with breakfast and private facilities but were lucky that the Mutiara wasn't busy and negotiated a price of US$30 for one of their "budget rooms".
Jalan Malioboro is certainly where all the action happens; it's about one kilometre of stalls and markets that open early in the morning, trade all through the day and, at about 5pm, turn into a buzzing night market. Sensational.
TIPS:Look at the starting price, offer about one third and negotiate up to around half price. If it's art, craft and textiles you're looking for then you've come to the right place. The prices are more than competitive with Bali and much cheaper than other parts of Java we visited. Traders we met from America and Europe said it is the best place to buy leather. They were right - superior quality to what we saw in Bali at about two-thirds of the price!
There is a well organised Tourist Centre on Jalan Malioboro just up from the Mutiara. This is a good place to meet other tourists, change money, hitch rides and organise tickets for just about any tour, cultural performance or transport you could need. The staff are helpful and speak English well. The choices are many, the information is well presented, and it also seems that the centre prides itself in dealing only with reputable service providers. Tours are very well priced, here are a couple that we did:
* Dieng Plateau and Borobudur (full day, 12 hours) - US$10 including snacks and drinks.
* Prambanan, Yogya kraton (old walled city) and Kota Gede (half day, 5 hours) - US$6.
These tours are well organised and usually require a minimum of four persons but it's not a problem with so many tourists around. Transport is generally with minibuses and the guides we encountered were always friendly, knowledgeable and informative.
The kraton is about a twenty-minute walk down Malioboro through interesting old village streets and is certainly worth a look. See richly decorated reception buildings, wedding carriages and a vast array of memorabilia documenting the sultan's life.
One of our tours also took us to the batik and silver making factories and workshops in Kota Gede where we saw the manufacturing process, how much the genuine hand made articles cost, and what they look like. This prepares you for shopping in Yogya's den of conmen and ripoff merchants passing fake products at exorbitant prices. Also try and visit the Bringharjo Pasar just off Ahmed Jani - three floors of shops and stalls, but mainly textiles. Good prices and great variety, this crazy place is a heap of fun.
The Ramayana ballet is worth attending even if you're not a fan of traditional Asian stage performances. 20,000rp gets you a 90-minute show with a talented dance troupe and full gamelan orchestra. It's a casual, well-organised atmosphere and you can meet the performers and even dance with them on the stage if you enjoy looking like an idiot. There are often devotees around that can explain the story to you as it unfolds. Our friendly "interpreter" didn't even ask for any money. We bought him a drink and some food and he was ecstatic. We went to the Purawisata Theatre but there are several places performing traditional dance, gamelan and even wayang golek shows.
Catch a becak or even the horse-drawn dokar around the town - a leisurely way to travel and the locals have more time for a chat. You should allow around 2000rp for each kilometre travelled. Becak drivers really earn their money - about 120,000rp per month in Yogyakarta.
There are heaps of good, cheap places to eat along Malioboro, ranging from reasonably priced restaurants to good clean roadside foodstalls. One that clearly sticks out for value is the Cirebon; they serve the best gado gado, spring rolls and chinese noodles we found anywhere - stuff yourselves until you burst, including drinks, for less than 30,000Rp for two people.
A day tour of the Dieng plateau and Borobudur takes about ten to twelve hours despite what they tell you in the tourist literature. It is 120km and almost a three-hour drive to Dieng through outstanding countryside and views of Merapi and Sumbing fuming in the distance. The area between Magelang and Wonosobo is particularly beautiful.
The Dieng Plateau is peaceful with an almost medieval feel and there are an abundance of attractions. See coloured sulphurous lakes that really are coloured, ancient seventh century Hindu temples and dozens of volcanic fissures spewing gases over a huge area.
TIPS:Stay on the marked trails here. The whole valley is a sinking (stinking) caldera and it's very boggy - a bit like quicksand.
Beleive it or not (at 2000 metres) it can be cool up here too so come prepared.
You need to allow at least a few hours to have a decent look at the major attractions, or stay in one of the nearby villages for a couple of nights; Wonosobo was recommended to us by travellers we met (they stayed at a place called the Duta) as having all the facilities with good places to eat.
Borobudur is one of the world's greatest Buddhist temples and is awe-inspiring. Although choked with tourists, most of them are from Indonesia. The site is magnificent - a beautiful hill-top setting with a backdrop of mountains and volcanoes. You will need to allow a couple of hours for a good look. The entrance fee (10,000Rp) includes the use of still cameras and videos. And this is another place where you can't linger without someone asking for your picture. Take a decent guide book with you or hire a guide at the site for an explanation of the temple and its magnificent, well-preserved artwork.
A visit to the Prambanan Temples must also be on your list of things to do. Built around the same time as Borobudur to the west, this is the largest Hindu site in Java. The temples have been faithfully and expertly restored using rocks from neighbouring rivers and creeks. The restoration process was entirely funded by the government of the day unlike Borobudur, which was funded largely by UNESCO. Entry costs the same as Borobudur. There are plenty of people around that can explain the stories depicted by the amazing stonework and be sure to visit each of the statue sites in the main temples. Allow a couple of hours to visit this spectacular site.
A VISIT TO YOGYAKARTA AND ITS NEIGHBOURING ATTRACTIONS IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AND WORTHY OF A STOPOVER OF AT LEAST A FEW DAYS
THIS AREA IS PACKED WITH ATTRACTIONS; THE HIGHLIGHT OF A TRIP TO THE ISLAND