Museum Kapal SamurrarskaMUSEUM
( GOOGLE MAP ; inside Borobudur site; admission incl in Borobudur ticket)
This museum, dedicated to the importance of the ocean and sea trade in Indonesia, houses an 18m wooden outrigger, a replica of a boat depicted on one of Borobudur’s panels. This boat was sailed to Madagascar and on to Ghana in West Africa in 2003, to retrace 1000 ancient Javanese trading links and highlight the original spice trade with Africa.
Mendut Temple & MonasteryBUDDHIST TEMPLE, MONASTERY
( GOOGLE MAP ; admission 3500Rp (incl entry to Candi Pawon); h8am-4pm)
This exquisite temple, set within a cute neighbourhood around 3.5km east of Borobudur, may look insignificant compared with its mighty neighbour, but it houses the most outstanding statue in its original setting of any temple in Java. The magnificent 3m-high figure of Buddha is flanked by bodhisattvas: Lokesvara on the left and Vairapana on the right. The Buddha is also notable for his posture: he sits Western-style with both feet on the ground.
The statues are particularly evocative at night, when spotlit against the evening sky, and when you enter the soaring inner chamber it feels charged with an almost supernatural energy. Guards here will allow visitors to enter Mendut after dark if accompanied by a local guide (speak to Jaker).
Next to the temple is the Mendut Buddhist Monastery, leafy and prim, studded with palms and clumps of golden bamboo, shimmering with lotus palms and gleaming with Buddha nature. Guests are welcome to join the group meditations here at 7pm daily. You can also stay here for three-day, three-night meditation retreats.
Candi PawonBUDDHIST TEMPLE
( GOOGLE MAP ; admission 3500Rp; h8am-4pm)
Around 1.5km east of Borobudur, this small solitary temple is similar in design and decoration to the Mendut temple (one ticket covers both sites). It is not a stupa but resembles a Central Javanese temple, with its broad base, central body and pyramidal roof. Elaborately carved relief panels adorn its sides. Pot-bellied dwarfs pouring riches over the entrance to this temple suggest that it was dedicated to Kuvera, the Buddhist god of fortune.
MAKING THE MOST OF BOROBUDUR
Borobudur is Indonesia’s most popular tourist attraction. It's crowded and noisy at all times, especially on weekends.
The golden rule is to arrive as early as you can – ideally be at the gate just before the site opens at 6am, or fork out extra for sunrise entry (4.30am). This way you'll arrive at the least crowded, coolest and most photogenic time of day. Most of the tour groups and school parties don't get in until 7.30am or later. Another choice would be to slip in late in the day, perhaps an hour before closing, when the sun dips low enough for the light to be right and the heat to subside. You can also pay that same extra fee to enter after closing for a sunset view. The view is magical from the top at either edge of the day, when you gaze from above the canopy, watch birds flutter and hear them sing as the light shifts and the mountains glow or fade into that hazy horizon.
Hawkers both outside and inside the archaeological park can be quite pushy, but will sometimes back off if you tell them in Bahasa Indonesia that you are a resident of Yogyakarta (saya tinggal di Yogyakarta).
Most visitors are groups from distant corners of Java. Many have never seen foreigners in the flesh before so expect plenty of requests for photos.
An MP3 player and some mystical tunes will help cut out the noise of the crowds. There's a small hill with some shade 100m or so directly south of the temple, where you can escape the hordes and contemplate the monument in peace.
Visitors who stay locally in Borobudur village hotels qualify for a 20,000Rp discount (ask for a voucher), another worthwhile reason to stay in the region for a few days and escape urban Java.
TTours
Kaleidoscope of Java is an excellent Yogyakarta agency that operates fascinating tours of the Borobudur region.
JakerTOUR
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0293-788845; [email protected]; Jl Balaputradewa)
Jaker is a group of guides and local activists based in the small settlement of Borobudur that surrounds the world’s largest Buddhist monument. All Jaker members were born in the area, can provide expert local knowledge and speak fluent English.
Affordable rates are charged for trips to Selogriyo (towering rice terraces and a small Hindu temple), Tuksongo (a centre of glass-noodle production), tofu and pottery villages, a large batik workshop and to Setumbu hill for sunrise over the Borobudur monument.
WORTH A TRIP
VILLAGES AROUND BOROBUDUR
Away from the temples, the region around Borobudur is supremely beautiful: a verdant, fertile and classically Javanese landscape of villages and rice fields. Borobudur itself sits in a large bowl-shaped valley ringed by mountains and volcanoes that the locals call mahagelan – the giant bracelet.
Around 3km southwest of the monument, the small village of Karang is prime tofu-making terrain. There are several kitchens in the village, each producing around 50kg of tahu daily using traditional methods, cooking with coconut oil over a wood fire. The next settlement of Nglipoh is a ceramics centre, where locals say claypots have been made for more than 1000 years; everyone in the village is involved in production in some way. Today mostly ibu (cooking vessels) are made, though glazed ashtrays and other pots are for sale too. The potters are friendly and will let you try your hand on their wheels (just expect a giggle or two).
zFestivals & Events
WaisakRELIGIOUS
The Buddha’s birth, his enlightenment and his reaching of nirvana are all celebrated on the full-moon day of Waisak when a great procession of saffron-robed monks travels from Mendut to Pawon then Borobudur, where candles are lit and flowers strewn about as offerings, followed by praying and chanting. This holiest of Buddhist events attracts thousands, and usually falls in May.
Festival of BorobudurCULTURAL
Around June, the Festival of Borobudur kicks off with a Ramayana-style dance, and goes on to feature folk-dancing competitions, handicrafts, white-water rafting and other activities.
4Sleeping
There's a reasonable selection of hotels around Borobudur, though good budget places are limited. Visitors who stay in locally owned hotels get discounted entry to the monument; ask for your 15%-off voucher.
Rajasa Hotel & RestoranGUESTHOUSE$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0293-788276; Jl Badrawati II; r incl breakfast with fan & cold water/air-con & hot water 200,000/400,000Rp, meals 20,000-25,000Rp; aW)
A deservedly popular, welcoming guesthouse with rooms that face rice fields (through railings) about 1.5km south of the bus terminal. The fan-cooled rooms are the best value, as you pay a lot more for air-conditioning and slightly smarter furniture. Meals are well priced.
Lotus IIGUESTHOUSE$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0293-788845; [email protected]; Jl Balaputradewa 54; r incl breakfast 250,000-275,000Rp; aiW)
This popular, friendly place is owned by one of the founders of Jaker, so there’s great local information and everyone speaks English. Rooms are clean and simple with wooden beds and high ceilings. The long rear balcony, overlooking rice fields, is perfect for your breakfast or an afternoon tea or beer. Book well ahead.
Rumah DharmaLODGE$$
(%0813 9225 2557; www.rumah-dharma.com; r 650,000Rp)
A popular new lodge recommended by travellers, with four small shingled cottages blessed with teak wood ceilings and set in the rice fields. Reserve ahead.
Rumah BoediBOUTIQUE HOTEL$$$
(%0293-559498; www.rumahboediborobudur.com; r from 990,000Rp; aW)
In a peaceful location about 3km east of the monument, this boutique spot offers gorgeous contemporary rooms (all feel very private) dotted around extensive, shady grounds. There's a (pricey) cafe-restaurant too.
Manohara HotelHOTEL$$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0293-788131; www.manoharaborobudur.com; r incl breakfast from 1,050,000Rp; aW)
With an unrivalled location in the grounds of the monument, and a cafe-res
taurant that has views across to the main temple, this hotel's real trump card is that an unlimited, back-gate entry (and a discounted sunrise or sunset rate) to Borobudur is included in the room rate. Rooms are smallish and slightly dated, but they are comfortable and clean.
If there are two of you it's a good deal. The restaurant, on the other hand, is not so magical. Dine out.
AmanjiwoHOTEL$$$
(%0293-788333; www.amanresorts.com; ste from US$1,210; aiWs)
Perched on a hillside 4km south of Borobudur, with panoramic views towards the stupa, this five-star resort has it all. The incredibly commodious suites, many with private pools, are some of the finest in Indonesia. This is where the celebrities stay. Facilities include two tennis courts, a 40m pool and a spa.
5Eating
For inexpensive local grub head to the Lotus Guesthouse (try the soto, soup) or you'll find warung outside the monument entrance.
Saung Makan Bu EmpatSEAFOOD$$
(%0293-914 0085; Jl Borobudor, Nyrajek; meals 45,000-65,000Rp; h8am-10pm)
Around 5km east of Borobudur village on the road to Yogyakarta, this traditional bamboo-and-timber restaurant is set around rice fields and gurgling streams. It's renowned for its fish and shrimp dishes. No alcohol is served but there are lots of delicious fresh fruit juices (10,000Rp) to choose from.
PatioINTERNATIONAL$$$
(%0293-788888; www.plataranborobudur.com; mains from 60,000-300,000Rp; h11am-10pm)
For a special setting, this colonial-style hotel restaurant, 4km west of the monument, is hard to match – eat in the formal dining room or out on the terrace with views of Borobudur. Local mains are 60,000Rp to 100,000Rp while international dishes (try the rack of lamb) can cost up to 300,000Rp. There's a long wine list.
8Information
For tourist information contact the information office (%0293-788266; www.borobudurpark.com; h6am-5.30pm) just beyond the temple’s entrance. A BNI Bank ATM ( GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Medang Kamulan; h8am-4pm Mon-Sat) is near the temple’s entrance. Wi-fi connections are widely available in area guesthouses, hotels and restaurants.
8Getting There & Away
From Yogyakarta, buses leave Jombor terminal (20,000Rp, 1¼ hours, every 30 minutes) to Borobudur. The last bus to/from Borobudur is at 4.30pm.
From Borobudur terminal buses go regularly to Magelang (10,000Rp) until 4pm. In Borobudur, becak cost 5000Rp to 10,000Rp anywhere in the village. Bicycles (30,000Rp) and motorbikes (60,000Rp to 70,000Rp) can be hired from hotels. Tours of Borobudur are easily arranged in Yogyakarta.
Yogyakarta
%0274 / Pop 636,660
If Jakarta is Java’s financial and industrial powerhouse, Yogyakarta is its soul. Central to the island’s artistic and intellectual heritage, Yogyakarta (pronounced ‘Jogjakarta’ and called Yogya or Jogja for short), is where the Javanese language is at its purest, Java’s arts at their brightest and its traditions at their most visible.
Fiercely independent and protective of its customs, and still headed by its sultan, whose kraton remains the hub of traditional life, contemporary Yogya is nevertheless a huge urban centre (the entire metropolitan area is home to over 3.3 million) complete with cybercafes, malls and traffic jams, even as it remains a stronghold of batik, gamelan and ritual.
Put it all together and you have Indonesia's most liveable and lovable city, with countless hotels offering the best value in Java across all price ranges. Its restaurants are tasty and there are cultural attractions everywhere you look within the city and on the outskirts, where you'll find Indonesia’s most important archaeological sites, Borobudur and Prambanan.
History
Yogyakarta owes its establishment to Prince Mangkubumi, who in 1755 returned to the former seat of Mataram and built the kraton of Yogyakarta. He took the title of sultan and created the most powerful Javanese state since the 17th century.
Yogya has always been a symbol of resistance to colonial rule; it was the heart of Prince Pangeran Diponegoro’s Java War (1825–30) and became the capital of the republic from 1946 until independence in 1949.
When the Dutch occupied Yogya in 1948, the patriotic sultan locked himself in the kraton and let rebels use the palace as their headquarters. The Dutch did not dare move against the sultan for fear of arousing the anger of millions of Javanese who looked upon him almost as a god. As a result of the sultan’s support of the rebels, Yogya was granted the status of a special region when independence finally came.
Yogyakarta
1Sights
1Gedung Negara (Governor's Building)B4
2KratonB5
3Museum Kareta KratonB5
4Pakualaman KratonC4
5Pasar BeringharjoB4
6Pasar PastyA6
7Sono-Budoyo MuseumB4
8Taman SariA5
4Sleeping
9Dusun Jogja Village InnB7
10Edu HostelA4
11The PhoenixB1
5Eating
12Bu AgengB6
13Kedai KebunB6
14MediterraneaB6
3Entertainment
15AmsaraB6
16PurawisataC5
17Sasono HinggilB5
Sono-Budoyo MuseumB4
7Shopping
18Batik KerisB3
19Batik PlentongB6
Batik WinotosastroB6
20Hamzah BatikB4
21Lana GalleryC7
22Mal MalioboroB3
23Terang BulanB3
1Sights
Most of Yogya’s sights are in a small central area of the city centred on the kraton complex, and just to the north. But away from here and out in the eastern and southern suburbs are other attractions.
The Kraton & Around
The historic kraton area harbours most of Yogya’s most important buildings and tourist attractions and is eminently walkable, which allows you to see contemporary life sprout from the ruins. This is no sleepy relic, but a unique urban neighbourhood.
KratonPALACE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0274-373321; admission 12,000Rp, camera 1000Rp, guided tour by donation; h8:30am-2pm Sat-Thu, to 1pm Fri)
The cultural and political heart of this fascinating city is the huge palace of the sultans of Yogya, the kraton.
Effectively a walled city, this unique compound is home to around 25,000 people, and has its own market, shops, batik and silver cottage industries, schools and mosques. Around 1000 of its residents are employed by the sultan. Alas, the treasures here are poorly displayed, so don’t expect much information to put the palace, its buildings or contents in context.
The innermost group of buildings, where the current sultan still resides, was built between 1755 and 1756. European-style touches to the interior were added in the 1920s. Structurally this is one of the finest examples of Javanese palace architecture, providing a series of luxurious halls and spacious courtyards and pavilions. An appreciation of history runs deep in Yogya, and the palace is attended by dignified elderly retainers who wear traditional Javanese dress.
The centre of the kraton is the reception hall, the Bangsal Kencana (Golden Pavilion), with its marble floor, intricately decorated roof, Dutch-style stained-glass windows and great columns of carved teak.
A large part of the kraton is used as a museum and holds an extensive collection, including gifts from European monarchs, gilt copies of the sacred pusaka (heirlooms of the royal family) and gamelan instruments. One of the most interesting rooms contains the royal family tree, old photographs of grand mass weddings and portraits of the former sultans of Yogya.
A modern memorial building within the kraton is dedicated to the beloved Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, with photographs and personal effects.
Other points of interest within the kraton include the male and female entrances, indicated by giant-sized ‘he’ and ‘she’ dragons (although the dragons look very similar).
Outside the kraton, in the centre of the northern square, there are two sacred waringin (banyan trees), where, in the days of feudal Java, white-
robed petitioners would patiently sit hoping to catch the eye of the king. In the alun-alun kidul (southern square), two similar banyan trees are said to bring great fortune if you can walk between them without mishap blindfolded; on Friday and Saturday nights you can see the youth of Yogya attempting the feat to a chorus of laughter from friends.
There are performances in the kraton’s inner pavilion that are included in your entrance ticket. There’s gamelan on Monday and Tuesday (10am to noon), wayang golek puppetry on Wednesday and Saturday (9am to noon), Javanese poetry readings on Friday (10am to 11:30am), and classical dance on Thursday (10am to noon) and Sunday (11am to noon).
The kraton’s entrance is on the northwestern side. It’s closed on national holidays and for special ceremonies.
Be careful as there are scams practised by some batik sellers who hang around here.
Taman SariPALACE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Taman; admission 7000Rp; h9am-3pm)
Just southwest of the kraton is this complex, which once served as a splendid pleasure park of palaces, pools and waterways for the sultan and his entourage. It's said that the sultan had the Portuguese architect of this elaborate retreat executed, to keep his hidden pleasure rooms secret.
Built between 1758 and 1765, the complex was damaged first by Diponegoro’s Java War, and an earthquake in 1865 helped finish the job.
Lonely Planet Indonesia Page 19