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