Yogyakarta Things to Do Tips by rite_of_spring Top 5 Page for this destination

Prambanan (2)

The ornamented bas-reliefs depict the great Hindu epic: Ramayana.

Prambanan Temple

Another star attraction of Central Java. It is a group of temples with the largest temple dedicated to Shiva, two other smaller temples on the right and left dedicated to Brahma and Vishnu.

Directions: About 20km east of Yogyakarta

Website: http://whc.unesco.org/sites/642.htm

Borobudur (6)

Another picture of it. Simply beautiful :)

Borobudur (5)

The wall of the monument is fully decorated with reliefs, which depict the stories related to Buddha.

Borobudur (4)

There are 504 Buddha statues in sitting or standing position. Sadly, they are no longer intact : broken body part, missing head etc. The causes include natural disasters such as earthquake, vandalism, and theft for souvenirs or private collections.

Borobudur (3)

The park opens at 6am, and you'll have to get up at 5am in order to catch the sunrise. In fact the best time to visit this magnificient building is in early morning for the sunrise, or in the evening for the sunset. Nevertheless, the park is usually very crowded after 7am.

The entrance fee for foreign visitor is USD10. There's 40% discount for student (USD6).

Borobudur (2)

Facts and figures:

-original height: 42m
-present height: 35.29m (due to lightning strikes)
-width: 120m
-area covered: 14165 square meters
-total building volume: 55000 cubic meters
-no. of volcanic rocks used: >2000000
-estimated weight: 3500000 ton

Website: http://www.buddhanet.net/boro.htm

Borobudur (1)

My aim of taking this short trip to Yogya is Borobudur. Built between the 7th and 8th century by the Hindu kings of the Sailendra dynasty, Borobudur is the biggest buddhist monument in the world.

Directions: Borobudur District, South of Magelang, Central Java. 42km west of Yogyakarta (about 1 hour driving from Jogja).

Website: http://www.borobudurpark.com

Kraton Ceremonies

Kraton is also the centre of extended rituals, which are dated from the traditional Javanese calender. This reflects the higher power of the sultan and the influence of his court.

Sultan Palace (2)

A museum within the kraton is dedicated to Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX, the most popular sultan of Yogya and he is also a keen photographer.

The best time to visit the Kraton is before noon. The entrance fee for foreign visitor is 7500 rupiah, with an additional fee of 500 rupiah for camera, and 1000 rupiah for video camera.