Indonesia - Prambanan

Again, I'm back after another hiatus which I hope will be the last one in near future. Now, I just want to finish the story about my Yogyakarta trip that happened 2 years back which I started writing about almost a year ago. Talk about procrastination.

Prambanan

So, after our Mount Merapi jeep adventure, we moved on to next attraction in Yogyakarta: Prambanan. Other than its gorgeous islands, Indonesia is also famous for its historic religious sites and Prambanan is one of the many.

About 30 minutes from city centre, this Hindu temple is the largest in the country and among the biggest in the region. Dedicated to the deities Brahma (Creator), Vishnu (Preserver) and Shiva (Destroyer), the complex was inscribed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, together with Borobudur.

Upon entering the complex, you will notice that not all of the buildings are still structurally intact. A lot of the smaller candi on the outer ring are either damaged or in a rumbled state. In fact, the main temple, the worship site for Shiva, which is located at the centre of the compound, is still considered unstable and they only allowed 50 people to enter at one go.

Some of the damaged structures

Warning sign for Shiva temple

All these has nothing to do with poor management but rather the fury of Mother Nature. Recent earthquakes and volcano eruptions have caused major damages to the complex, some of which are simply irreparable.

You have to wear safety helmets before going to the temple

You should take your own time slowly exploring the complex and admiring the craftsmanship of the olden days. I think we spent about 2 hours, more or less, before our grumbling stomachs drew our attentions. Our driver, Saiful, took us to a nearby restaurant we had some simple and traditional Indonesian cuisines.

Such detailed craftsmanship 

Group shot

After our lunch, we were clueless as to where to go. We did stop by Ratu Bako, another cultural site but we decided not to enter. We went back to the city centre around 6 and did a quick walk before calling it a day since we have been out since 8 in the morning.

Fried chicken

Toufu

The following day was rather free and easy with nothing planned except for our flight home. After breakfast, we were all ready to be back home.

*THE END*

Indonesia - Mount Merapi

When we bought the flight tickets to Yogyakarta, I had every intention to hike the fiery Mount Merapi. I did some research about the possibilities of hiking to the peak and it seems to be doable. When we reached the city, there are even tour packages that will bring you to the top of the mountain. However, the weather was not really conducive for such an adventure, what with the regular rain during our stays. Hence, the hiking expedition was cancelled.

Mount Merapi

However, we did ended up going to Mount Merapi, admiring the majestic mountain from a safe distance. We departed early in the morning with a hired car recommended by my friend. It was quite a deal to rent a whole car plus driver if you come in a group. We decided to rent the car service for half day, starting our journey at 7 am.

Maximum capacity of the Jeep, excluding the driver, is 4 persons

Our first destination was Mount Merapi. The driver, Saiful, brought us to this tour agency,Jeep Extreme Adventure, that offers Jeep ride, as advertised, up to the mountain. It was quite reasonably priced, I think, for a 3 hour Jeep ride and much fun than I expected, heading up the rocky terrain with the vehicle. It goes without saying that the journey was a bit bumpy which was rather exhilarating, to say the least.

Mount Merapi serving as our background

We made a few pit stops along the way to the highest possible point before reverting back. We noticed that we were not the only group who explored Mount Merapi in a Jeep. Apparently, it is quite a popular activity and a preferred way of going through the terrain of the volcano.

Cloud has decided to gather by the mountain, a cue for us to go

When we reached our final destination, Bukit Glagahsari, the view of Mount Merapi is simply majestic. We stood there admiring it. Of course, while absorbing its beauty, there is the background music of shutter clicking non stop, of which I'm the guilty one. We spent about 10 minutes plus before heading back down as clouds began to gather around the mountain.

What Left of My Possessions Museum, loosely translated from its Indonesian 

Before we reached the base, we made a last stop. It is a museum of sort, one that showcase the aftermath of the eruption of the volcano few years back. All the items on displays are what left of it, melted to its irregular shapes and sizes. Some still retain its original looks while some rendered before recognition, leaving us wonder what these items were back then. It was quite depressing to see how life can make a twist to the worst in just a matter of minutes. Entrance is free but donations are welcome.

Melted possessions

Jeep Ride Adventure
IDR 450,000 (per person)

*TO BE CONTINUED*

Indonesia - Taman Sari

Wow, I just realized that the last entry was dated back in September 2014. 6 months of MIA! Studying takes a large portion of your times away, especially after works. Well, I'm going to better manage my time and start writing again because, I really do like to write.

Walking to Taman Sari from the Palace

Let us continue with the story. It was in April 2013 that I went to Yogyakarta with my fellow uni-mates and we had visited Dieng Plateau, Borobudur and Kraton, the city palace. On the same day that we explored Kraton Ngayogyakarta, we also dropped by Taman Sari, a ruined complex used to be the bathing pools for the Sultan.

Taman Sari

Walking distance from the palace, Taman Sari served as a pleasure recreation for the Sultan. It is said that one of the bathing pools will be crowded with his ladies while the Sultan would be sitting in his tower, overlooking the scene and making his pick for the day. Such a scintillating lifestyle, won't you agree?

Tower (left) is where the Sultan made his pick from the ladies in the pool

As we listened to the story, out of nowhere rain started to fall heavily. We were stranded in the water castle, taking a shelter as we waited for the rain to stop. The irony, to be in the ancient water complex yet afraid to get drenched by the rain.

Nothing to do but to take photos as we waited for the rain to stop

After a while, it seemed that the rain was unlikely to stop. So, when the torrent slowed down a bit, we quickly got ourselves a tricycle or two to get us back to the hotel. April is not exactly a good time to visit Indonesia as it is the raining season. We spent the rest of the day hiding in our rooms before heading out for dinner.

Taman Sari
Entrance fee: IDR 7,000
Camera fee: IDR 1,000

*TO BE CONTINUED*

Indonesia - Cultural Performances in Kraton Ngayogyakarta

As I mentioned in the previous post, there are two entrances to Yogyakarta Palace, namely Tepas Kaprajuritan and Tepas Pariwisata, and that the former is not really worth the money to enter even though it is just few ringgits only. It is better to just go straight to Tepas Pariwisata which is just within walking distance from the other entrance.

There are a lot of hawker stalls near the entrance

Bakso for lunch before entering the palace

Indonesia - Tepas Kaprajuritan Kraton Ngayogyakarta

One of the main cultural attraction when in Yogyakarta is a visit to Yogyakarta Palace. After dropping our luggage at Amaris Hotel Diponegoro, we took the public bus from the bus station, which is right in front of the hotel, to get to Jalan Malioboro. The palace is within walking distance from the end of the street.

Kraton or palace in Javanese

Entrance ticket

The palace itself is a huge complex, consists of main hall (Tepas Kaprajuritan) and the main palace (Tepas Pariwisata) itself. There's entrance fee charged at both entrances and each admission ticket is only valid for that particular site. Admission fee for Tepas Kaprajuritan is IDR 7,000 (about RM 2.10, more or less) with an additional IDR 1,000 for camera.

The main hall of the palace

Honestly speaking, there isn't much to see here in Tepas Kaprajuritan other than to marvel at its architecture and dive into its historic significance. This is where the coronation of the king took place back when Yogyakarta was still under the Sultan's rule. 

Family portraits of the royal families

Musical instruments used in those days

Exhibits revolving the lives of the royal family are proudly on display to educate the locals as well as foreigners. It can be quite interesting to read about the glory days of the past, worth a visit if you have some free time. However, if you are running out of time, I would suggest you to go straight to Tepas Pariwisata. This is where you get to see cultural dances and performances. I will get into details in the next post.

*TO BE CONTINUED*

Hotel Review - Amaris Hotel Diponegoro, Yogyakarta

While the hotel (or motel, whichever deemed best) we stayed in on the first night in Yogyakarta was not worth mentioning, the following two nights, we were based in Amaris Hotel along Diponegoro Street. Amaris is one of the few budget hotel franchises famous in Indonesia, along with POP! and Ibis hotel chains, that offers affordable accommodation without leaving a huge hole in your wallet nor having you to forsake modern comfort. 

Amaris Hotel Diponegoro

Located along Jalan Diponegoro, within walking distance to the historic Tugu railway station and close proximity to Jalan Malioboro, it is easy to find this hotel as its brightly coloured facade will attract your attention to it. We were greeted by friendly receptionist, eager to help make sure our stays there were nothing but memorable.

Our room..ignore the mess

The room is just as brightly painted as its front facade, with neon green being the colour of our room while the other one being purple, if my memory served me right. This somehow lightens up the room a lot. For the price we paid (about RM 100 per room per night), it was definitely value worthy for the room is intact with every facilities offered by the luxurious hotels.

The room comes with air-condition, a flat screen TV and a work desk

Clean bathroom is definitely a plus point

Just outside the hotel is a bus stop which you can take hop onto a local bus to the main street of Malioboro. It is also easy to call a taxi. Just ask the receptionist to help you out.

All in all, Amaris Hotel Diponegoro is the right choice as it suited our budget without sacrificing any amenities at all. 

Indonesia - A Glimpse of Yogyakarta

Yogyakarta (commonly called as Jogjakarta), one of the biggest cities in Indonesia, is famous as the country's fine art and cultural centre. This is the city to go to for those hunting for authentic batiks, mesmerising wayang kulit (shadow play) and traditional music and dance. And Yogyakarta is where we were all heading to after Borobudur.

Malioboro St., the place to shop for batiks

We took a local bus from Magelang to Yogyakarta, about 30 minutes to an hour of ride. The ride itself was entertaining. Besides the fact that it's a local bus, one without air-conditioned and crowded with locals, halfway through the journey, a few musicians boarded along the bus and started singing! Their performance was rather good and when it was over, you can tip them for it. Quite an experience, I have to say.

Like any Indonesian cities, you will see the locals playing a game of chess along the road

Once checked into the low budget hotel we booked for the night, we went to explore the city for a while. Honestly speaking, Yogyakarta is like any other Indonesian cities and when night comes, you have very little things to do. We practically just walked through every nooks and hooks, every bends and crooks, before calling it a night, resting for tomorrow's exploration.

Some sort of dessert we had along the road

Food and music is the perfect match

*TO BE CONTINUED*

Indonesia - Borobudur, the Second Round

OK, back to recounting my Yogyakarta trip. Where did I stop last time? Oh, yea, we were still in Dieng Plateau, exploring Telaga Warna and Kawah Sikidang before rain cut short of our visit, forcing us to proceed to Magelang where we will be staying for the night.

It was another 4 hours of long drive from Dieng Plateau to Magelang and by the time we reached Manohara Hotel, we were practically spent. We had been travelling for close to 9 hours since arriving Semarang and in need of a good shower and dinner. 

It was the second time for me and my roommate, staying in Manohara Hotel. The reason why we chose back this spot was that it was really good and worth every penny. Plus, the close proximity to Borobudur doesn't hurt as well. However, the room we got this time around wasn't as spacious as the one last time. After dinner, we retreated back to our room and called it a night. It had been a long day, after all.

Love the serenity Manohara Hotel offers

The next day, we woke up early for Borobudur. Guests of Manohara Hotel can enter the UNESCO World Heritage Site for free as the entrance fee is already included in the accommodation. The day was rather misty, giving the temple a mystical appearance. 

Borobudur temple

Indonesia - First Stop, Dieng Plateau

When my friend and I came back from Semarang, Indonesia, back in 2012, we immediately planned for another exploration in the country. Coincidentally, AirAsia mega sale was on and we managed to grab two more of our coursemates to join us, this time to Yogyakarta. Flash forwards to April 2013 and the four of us were on the flight to Semarang.

Wait a minute. Didn't I say Yogyakarta? Then, why were we flying to Semarang then? As both cities are only about 3 hours apart, we decided to fly to Semarang and back from Yogyakarta. Alright, more like AirAsia decided for us as we can't find promotional prices to Yogyakarta for return flights. However, we didn't stop and explore the city (since the two of us already done that) and once we arrived, we rented a taxi in the airport to bring us to Dieng Plateau, our first stop.

We stopped by a tahu (tofu) factory for a quick snack

Fried tahu - quite delicious

It was a 4 hours journey from the Ahmad Yani Airport to Dieng Plateau and when we reached the highland, it was already 1 p.m. The ride along the way was really beautiful but since the road taken was almost the same from the one when we first when from Semarang to Magelang, I fell asleep halfway. 

When we were getting nearer to Dieng Plateau

Dieng Plateau, Wonosobo is not a major tourism destination in Indonesia and this is an advantage for us. There were barely any tourist around when we arrived Candi Arjuna Complex, the main attraction in Dieng. There are about eight Hindu temples scattered across the complex. While none of them are as grand as Prambanan, they are still quite a sight themselves.

Candi Arjuna

The entrance fee for the complex is IDR 25,000 (about RM 8) which I think is rather affordable. There are about eight small temples in Dieng Plateau and are said to be the oldest standing temples in Java. Out of these eight candis, the main one is Candi Arjuna. The names of these temples are said to be inspired after the Hindu epic Mahabharata.

Taking photo with the candi

One of the eight temples

What I really enjoyed when in Dieng Plateau was the peacefulness of the place. There were little tourists in the complex, allowing us to explore the area in a relaxing pace. The weather was also enjoyable and cooling, considering it being an upland. We saw a lot of bell-shaped flowers here in Dieng Plateau and it was really pretty. Too bad we had no idea what their name is.

That bell-shaped flowers on the left

Hydrangea

After spending about an hour exploring the complex and taking photos, we decided to head to another landmark in Dieng Plateau, Telaga Warna.

Group shot

*TO BE CONTINUED*

Sharing is caring. A word of advice and a piece of information.

We decided to hire the taxi for the whole day, with him bringing us to Manohara Hotel in Magelang at the end of the day. The whole trip costed us IDR 900,000, which was about IDR 225,000 per person (about RM 72). While you surely can't find such a rate anywhere in Malaysia, I do believe you can find a cheaper one in Indonesia. When I told how much we paid to my friend, he told me to hire a minivan instead. The rate is about IDR 250,000 for half day and it comes with driver. We just have to pay for petrol, which costs about IDR 100,000. Hence, arrange your transport to pick you up from the airport with minivan.

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.

One of the regrets of the trip, not hiking Mount Merapi

More information on this trip will be slowly blogged after all my pending adventures.

*TO BE CONTINUED*