"Jogja!" a Yogyakarta Travel Page by rite_of_spring

Yogyakarta, or Yogya for short (pronounced as Jogja), is the cultural hub of Java. It is also an intellectual centre, with many prestigious universities and academies around.

As Java premiere tourist centre, this city is an easy access for an insight into Javanese culture, such as batik, silver, wayang kulit, pottery and performing arts (eg. the famous Ramayana Ballet).

Geographically it lies between 2 of Java's most mystical symbols -- Mount Merapi in the north and the Indian Ocean in the south.

Yogya is an ideal base to explore nearby star attractions: including the UNESCO-listed world heritage sites -- Borobudur and Prambanan temples.

I visited Yogya during Chinese New Year, travelled solo. Without a clear idea of what to do, my initial plan was to visit Borobudur, Prambanan, and trek the Mount Merapi. Unfortunately I got terrible diarrhoea (it happened again!) before boarding, thanks for the breakfast that I took in Changi Airport. I spent the first day of my trip in Jakarta airport, due to the delay in domestic flight. This had cut down my actual days into 3 full days, which is pretty short for detailed exploration. Due to my poor tummy, I had to give up the plan of trekking Mount Merapi, only managed to appreciate its beauty from a great distance. Nevertheless, I'd got something which I would never think of doing it if I got good tummy and the weather was good (ie. sunny day), stay tuned.....:)