Jeff's Travels: Yogyakarta

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Yogyakarta - Overview

I just got back from Yogyakarta, Indonesia, a trip booked one year in advance, with my fellow university friends. It has been more than 2 years since the Cambodia trip and here we are again, this time, embarking on an adventure to the cultural city of Yogyakarta.

The beautiful Dieng Plateau, one of the highlights of the trip

Our flight was to Semarang with return flight from Yogyakarta. Such arrangement was due to minimizing air flight expenses. Initial itinerary includes Karimunjawa Island which I missed out during my first trip to Semarang but again, we have to give this beautiful island a miss caused of the ferry schedule which worked to our disadvantage.

Candi Arjuna in Dieng Plateau

Regardless, we managed to come out with an interesting schedule, with heritage being the main theme. We visited the famous candi around Central Java, starting with Arjuna Complex in Dieng Plateau, followed by the majestic monument of Borobudur Temple and ended with Prambanan Temple. Both Borobudur and Prambanan are UNESCO World Heritage Sites on its own and both are within close vicinity to the city.

Second visit to Borobudur still leave me breathless

Other than ancient temples, we also went to Kraton Yogyakarta, the Sultan of Yogyakarta’s palace complex. While it is vast, it is the main palace that is the most interesting, with traditional dances being performed everyday in the morning. The Sultan himself still live in the palace, therefore, only certain areas are allowed for visit.

Traditional dance performed in Kraton Yogyakarta

Besides historic monuments, natural wonder too is something worth exploring, the main one being the Mount Merapi. One of the most active volcanos in the world, you can either hike to the peak of the mountain for a majestic peek or some nearby mountains like Mount Merbabu to view at a safe distance. Or, maybe you can do it like us, taking a jeep up to the view point. Either way, it is safe to say you won’t regret it.