Jogjakarta alias Jogja, or Yogyakarta alias Yogya the Legend Mystery City

History has left its footprints across Central Java, an area rich in culture and tradition descending from a powerful Hindu and Buddhist past, and more recent Islamic influences. Under the Syailendra and Old Mataram kings in the 8th and 10th centuries the Hindu-Javanese culture flourished, and it was during this period that Java’s most remarkable religious monuments were built Borobudur Temple, the most magnificent monuments to Mahayana Buddhism in the world;the enormous Hindu temple complex of Prambanan, and the ancient site of the oldest Hindu temples in Java on the Dieng Plateau. All of these are testimony to the ancient power and influence of the region, and should be included in your travel plans.

The name “Borobudur” is believed to have been derived from the Sanskrit words “Vihara Buddha Uhr”, (Buddhist Monastery on the Hill). The Borobudur Temple was built in the eight century by the Syailendra dynasty and is located at Magelang 90 km southeast of Semarang or 42 km northwest of Yogyakarta. One of the world’s famous temples, it stand majestically on a hill overlooking lush green fields and distant hills. Borobudur is built of grey andesite stone. It rises in seven terraces, each smaller than the one below it. The top is the great Great Stupa, standing 40 meters above the ground. The walls of the Borobudur are sculpted in bas-relief, a total length of six kilometers. It has been hailed as the largest and most complete ensemble of Buddhist relief in the world, unsurpassed in artistic merit, each scene an individual masterpiece. The monument has been completely restored and was officially opened by the President on 23 February 1983. The restoration took eight years to complete, funded by the Government of Indonesia with aid from UNESCO and donations from private citizens and foreign governments.

Lying in the shadow of the aptly named “Fire Mountain”, (2914 meter-high active volcano, Mt. Merapi), is the seat of the once mighty Javanese Empire of Mataram, Ngayogyakarto Hadiningrat. Yogyakarta (Yogya) came into being in 1755, when a land dispute split the power of Mataram into the Sultanates of Yogyakarta and Surakarta (Solo). Prince Mangkubumi built Kraton of Yogyakarta and created one of the most powerful Javanese states ever. The Kraton is still the hub of Yogyakarta’s traditional life and despite the advances of the 20th century; it still radiates the spirit of refinement, which has been the hallmark of its art and people for centuries.

Yogyakarta is one of the supreme culture centers of Java. Full Gamelan orchestras keep alive the rhythms the past, classical Javanese dances entrance with visions of beauty and poise, shadows come to life in the stories of the wayang kulit and a myriad of traditional visual art forms keep locals and visitors alike spellbound. Yogya has an extraordinary life force and charm which seldom fails to captivate.

Prambanan Temple

This magnificent Hindu temple derives it name from the village where it is located, seventeen kilometers east of Yogyakarta. Locally known as
the Loro Jongrang Temple, or the Temple of thr Slender Virgin, it is the most magnificent and beautiful Hindu temple in Indonesia. Prambanan is believed to have been built by King Balitung Maha Sambu in the middle of the ninth century. Its parapets are adorned with bas-relief depicturing the famous Ramayana story. It has eight shrines; the three main ones are dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. The main temple of Shiva rises to a height of 130 feet and houses the magnificent statue of Shiva’s consort, Durga. The Ramayana ballet is performed on an open-air stage during the full moon in the months from May to October.

Water Castle

Just west of the kraton, are the ruins, pools, arches and underground passages of the former pleasure gardens, the Water Castle. Built in 1758 by Sultan Hamengkubuwono I,
the central courtyard with the nymph-baths has been restored. The Water Castle is located in the old part of the City within walking distance
from the Bird Market. A number off batik workshops line the avenue leading to the pleasure garden’s entrance.

Surakarta or Solo
Better know asis the cradle of Javanese culture in the province. The courts of Solo embody the noble value that the Javanese attach to grace and refinement, with majestic ceremonies and royal festivals still held with great pomp and circumstance. Although no longer the seta of power it once was, descendants of the royal houses of Solo are regarded as leaders of Javanese culture and traditions, upholding standards of sophistication and conduct.

An extensive network of good roads and railway links major cities and
villages. With airports in both Semarang and Yogyakarta it is one of the most accessible provinces in the country. Two major seaports, Tanjung Emas on the Java Sea, and Cilacap, a natural ocean port in the Indian Ocean provide national and international outlets for the province’s agricultural and industrial products.

Jogjakarta and East Java Interest Places

Jogjakarta:

Batiks Course | Boko Sunrise | Boko Trekking

Borobudur Masterpiece Dance Drama | Borobudur Sunrise

Dieng Plateau | Gamelan the Javanese Orchestra | Imogiri

Javanese Chinese Inscriptions | Kalasan Temple | Merapi Golf

Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat Palace | Natural Beaches in Jogjakarta

Parijs Van Jogja | Ramayana Ballet | Sari Temple

Sendratari Ramayana | Semarang | Silver Course

Siver handycarft in Kota Gede | Wayang Kulit

Solo:

Kasunanan Palace | Sangiran, the Lands of Mistery

Solo or Surakarta | Sukuh Temple

East Java:

Bromo Mountain | Discovering East Java | Demak | Ijen Crater

Malang | Puwodadi Botanical Garden | Tawangmanggu

Trowulan – Pandaan – Tretes | Surabaya the 2nd Largest City

Jogjakarta or Yogyakarta:

Batik Course
Batik Course, Learn the Batik Handmade to Batik Painting. Some places in
Yogyakarta provide the facilities of learning batik. You can learn thoroughly the culture of making hand-made batik to batik painting and practice the making of legendary batik motifs…more

Beringharjo Fried Rice
Enjoying the taste of Beringharjo Fried Rice is just as occupied as listening to a plate of story around the harmony of Javanese and Chinese cultures in Indonesia, especially in terms of culinary, not just its deliciousness…more

Boko Sunrise
Seeing sunrise from the top of Tugel Hill. Bukit Tugel or Tugel Hill provides you with the most beautiful scenery of sunrise in the beginning of New Year. You can also see the grandeur of Merapi Mountain, Prambanan Temple and tens of other temples…more

Boko Trekking
Boko Trekking is an amazing trek through isolated villages, splendid view of the mysterious landscape formation, the really natural locals way of life… more

Boro Masterpiece Dance Drama
Upon the finishing of the temple, Gunadharma incorporated into Borobudur
temple and stayed at Menoreh forever to keep the temple physically and
spiritually. Gunadharma also kept on giving inspiration about life and society’s life…more

Borobudur Sunrise
Borobudur sunrise is the only view of sunrise in Nirvana that human beings can enjoy. You can see the sun rising between two famous mountains in Java Island decorated with glowing magma…more

Dieng Plateau
Dieng Plateau. About 4 hours from Semarang is the Dieng Plateau, the
site of some of the oldest Hindu temples on Java. These 50 foot high
monu-ments stand on a crater floor amidst sulphurous fumes. The road to
the Dieng Plateau passes through tobacco plantations and beautiful
mountain scenery…more

Gamelan the Javanese Orchestra
Gamelan is the music created by integrating voices of gong, kenong and
other Javanese music instruments. Soft music that reflects the life harmony of Javanese people will soon greet and calm the soul down once
someone is listening to it…more

Imogiri
Imogiri, the official cemetery of the royal descendents from Yogyakarta
and Surakarta, is about 17 km southeast of Yogyakarta and easily
accessible by the bus or car. The tombs lie within three main courtyards
perched on a hilltop. Entry into the smaller courtyards housing the tombs of the princes is allowed only by visitors wearing traditional Javanese dress, which can be hired on the spot for a modest fee. (Monday 09.00 – 12.00 and Friday 13.00 – 16.00). The cemetery is closed during the Moslem month of Ramadhan…more

Javanese Chinese Inscriptions
Javanese-Chinese inscription that is located at back of Traju Mas Hall
in the Kingdom complex, even though small in shape, turns to keep deep
memory…more

Kalasan Temple

This unique Buddhist temple is located some 26 km east of Yogyakarta, on the south side of the main road between Yogyakarta and Solo. It was built in honor of the marriage between king Pancapana of the Sanjaya Dynasty and a Princess of the Syailendra Dynasty, Dyah Pramudya Wardhani. It is elaborately ornate, with finely carved reliefs preserved with “vajralepa”, from the sap of a local tree…more

Merapi Golf
A Golf sitting on 800 meters above sea level, with just the perfect climate and the most breathtaking panoramic view of Mount Merapi with the hinterland of Yogyakarta and the Indian Ocean, is worth trying to play on…more

Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat Palace.

The palace court with its grand and elegant Javanese architecture lies in the center of the city between the Winongo and Code Rivers. The palace grounds, courtyards and buildings stretch from north to south, in line with Mount Merapi. One passed through the palace meeting hall, the Pagelaran, where formal meetings of palace officials are held, to the Manguntur Tangkil hall where the Sultan holds audience. The palace today retains the atmosphere of a by-gone era through the installations of life-size wedding and palace meeting dioramas, traditional Javanese gamelan orchestras, antiques and heirlooms that adorn the royal buildings…more

Natural Beaches in Jogjakarta
At the south of Yogyakarta, you will meet beaches. The closest beach is
Parangtritis. There are also more natural beaches in the Gunungkidul
region, like:

1. Krakal
2. Baron
3. Wedi Ombo
4. Congot Beach, the Nuance of Fisherman Beach
5. Depok Beach, enjoy Seafood Cuisine from Fresh Fish
6. Drini Beach
7. Glagah Beach, from Lagoon Scenery to Agro Tourism
8. Kukup Beach
9. Ngrenehan Beach
10. Parangkusumo Beach, the Love Beach Jogjakarta
11. Parangtritis, the Most Popular Beach in Jogjakarta
12. Sadeng Beach, Visiting the Estuary of the anient Beangawan Solo River
13. Sepanjang Beach, The Old Kuta Beach
14. Siung Beach, Having 250 Routes for Cliff Climbing
15. Sundak Beach, Dog and Sea Urchin Fight which Result a Blessing
16. Trisik Beach, Enjoying the Nuance of Coastal Village
17. Wedieombo Beach, Fishing from the Coral Hill, etc.

…more

Parijs Van Jogja
Some areas in Yogyakarta turn to have the same name as other areas such as Bandung and Kuningan in West Java. Typical humor of Djokdja can also be found in some names of certain areas in Yogyakarta, such as Pakistan and Paris….more

Ramayana Ballet
Ramayana Ballet is a drama typical javanese dance. This dance-drama is a marvelous visualization of legendary epos in Javanese culture, Ramayana. Performed in an open stage, Ramayana ballet invites you to
enjoy the story in a set of typical Javanese dance accompanied by
gamelan music….more

Sari Temple
600 m northeast of the Kalasan temple sits the slender and beautiful
Sari Temple, formerly a Buddhist sanctuary (Vihara) where Buddhist
priests used to live, meditate and teach their followers…more

Sendratari Ramayana

Sendratari Ramayana is the Java’s finest example of storytelling in stone in which the epic is egrved on the wall of Siwa Temple in the complex of Prambanan sanctuaries…  more

Semarang
Semarang is situated on Java’s northern coast and is called the capital of Central Java, as it lies just about halfway between the extreme east and west coasts of the island. From Candi Hill you get amazing views of the port, the lowlands and green paddy fields, the city itself and the surrounding mountains. The environs around Semarang are perfect for day trips and side-excursions. In the older part of the city, near the harbor, you can still find an interesting collection of buildings dating back to the Dutch colonial era and the Dutch East Indies Company. The city offers evening performances of Wayang drama played by live actors, actresses and dancers at Ngesti Pandowo Theatre. For sport fans there are tennis courts in all major hotels and 2 golf courses located in the town’s suburbs. For short trips out of Semarang within radius of about 60 km, the recommended places are Jepara, Kudus and Demak…more

Silver Course
Silver Course in Studio 76 – Where making jewellery is easy and fun. The one and only in Yogyakarta…more

Siver handycarft in Kota Gede
Now, not only you can buy the worldwide famous silver handicrafts of Kota Gede but you can learn how to make them. Some places offer you such a rare opportunity at long duration as you wish…more

Wayang Kulit
Wayang Kulit or Leather Puppet, the Masterpiece of Javanese Performance
Art. This perfomance art has been more than five centuries of age.
Presenting the story of Ramayana and Mahabharata, this overnight
performance serves the proper space to spend the night, reflect and
understand Javanese life philosophy…more

Solo:
Kasunanan Palace
The royal residence of King Pakubuwono in the 17th century, the palace
has an art gallery exhibiting royal heirlooms, antiques and other invaluable object in a genuine royal Javanese atmosphere….more

Sangiran, the Lands of Mistery
In 1891, Eugene Dubois, a French and anthropologist discovered fossils
of Pithecanthropus Erectus, or ‘Java Man’. 1930 and 1931 marked the
discovery of fossils of a man from the Pleistocene Period. In mid 1980,
scientists were startled by the discovery of a complete 4m tall
elephant…more

Solo or Surakarta
A pleasant city with a lively character, Solo is also called ‘The City
That Never Sleep’. One can always find something to eat or buy, as
vendors of all kinds and small food stalls remain open 24 hours. Home of
two royal houses wit centuries of power and influence over the city, Solo today remains distinctly Central Javanese with an elegance all its own. It is one of the major centers of batik and other Javanese fabrics, and souvenir hunters may find exquisite “object d’art” and ornate trinkets in the local markets. Those interested in old Javanese culture and the art should not miss Solo…more

Sukuh Temple

Sukuh Temple not far from Solo is the Sukuh Temple decorated with
wayang stone carvings of Hindu origin, and the only erotic temple in Java. The stepped pyramid is like the ones in South America of the Maya
culture…more

 

East Java:
Bromo Mountain

Many local and foreign travelers make the trek for the mystical experience of watching the sunrise from the crest of the Bromo volcano. A pony ride from the village of Ngadisari takes you over a sea of sand to the foot of the volcano. Ascend the 50 steps to reach the rim. On the vast expanse of sand, formerly a caldera, there are two volcanoes; the extinct Batok which ia a perfect cone and Bromo. Volcanic sulfur fumes and smoke still emanate from the depths, and when the God of Bromo begins to rumble, the surrounding population quickly brings their offerings. The annual offering ceremony of Kasada is held on the 14th day of Kasada, the twelfth month in the Tenggerese calendar year. It is a dazzling event where villagers from the surrounding areas bring their humble offerings to the holy volcano…more

Discovering East Java
East Java is one of the Republic of Indonesia’s 27 provinces, occupying
an area of some 48,000 km2 just south of the equator. Including the
island of Madura, it accounts for a little more than a third of Java’s
total land surface and supports a population of almost 33,000,000
inhabitants. To the east, across a narrow strait, lies the island of
Bali; to the west are the provinces of Central Java and the Special
Region of Yogyakarta…more

Demak
The first Islamic Kingdom in Java was established in 1511in Demak, about
40 km from the Provincial capital of Semarang. One of the province’s
greatest Islamic structures is the Grand Mosque of Demak. Symbolic of
the way the new faith was introduced, the mosque displays a curious
combination of Islamic and Hindu architectural influences and is still
revered and worshipped by Javanese pilgrims. The rich and fertile plains
of the region support an enormous population of over 30 million people…more

Ijen Crater
Kawah Ijen is the world’s largest highly acidic lake and is the site of a
labor-intensive sulfur mining operation in which sulfur-laden baskets
are hand-carried from the crater floor. Coffee plantations cover much of
the Ijen caldera floor, and tourists are drawn to its waterfalls, hot
springs, and dramatic volcanic scenery…more

Malang
Ninety km south of Surabaya lays Malang, one of the most attractive hill
towns on Java. A strong sense of civic pride is evident from the well
maintained and elaborately painted becaks, the groomed main square, and
clean buildings and streets. The cool climate is a welcome respite from
Surabaya. Twenty km from Malang on the southern flank of Mt. Arjuna, are
Selecta and Songgoriti, popular hill resorts with hot springs. Nearby
Batu is famous for its apples and flowers. Sports facilities at Selecta
include horse riding, swimming and tennis…more

Puwodadi Botanical Garden
Founded in 1941 for the study of plants growing under relatively dry
conditions, lie about 30 kms northeast of Malang, just off the Surabaya
to Malang main road. They cover an area of about 85 ha (212 acres)…more

Tawangmanggu
Located 40 kms east of Solo, this recreational resort offers fresh weather, scenic views, swimming pools, bungalow style hotels and restaurants. It lies on the slope of Mt. Lawu, at an elevation of 1300m above sea level. Other features include nearby temples, a national park and the 40m high waterfall of Grojogan Sewu…more

Trowulan – Pandaan – Tretes
Trowulan village and the surrounding area is believed to be the site of
the ancient capital of Majapahit. Archaeological excavations in the area
have recovered many terracotta ornaments, statues, pottery and stone
carvings which are displayed at the Trowulan Museum. The map in the
museum is a guide to nearby sites of historical interest. The Candra
Wilwatika open-air theatre in Pandaan, 45 km south of Surabaya presents
classical East Javanese ballet performances on each full moon night from
June to November. The performances are based either on the Ramayana
stories or East Java’s legends and folklore. The backdrop of Mt.
Pananggungan makes the performances an enchanting experience. 10 km from Chandra Wilwatika is Tretes, one of the most beautiful mountain resort of East Java…more

Surabaya the 2nd Largest City
A booming city of over 3 million people, Surabaya offers many good hotels, shopping centers and plentiful sources of entertainment. Its well-stocked zoological garden includes several species of Indonesian fauna: Orang Utans, Komodo dragons and a collection of nocturnal animals. Kalimas is an old traditional harbor for the world famous Bugis schooners, which can still be seen in all their former glory. Across the Madura Strait, half an hour by ferry from Surabaya is the island of Madura, famous for its unique bull races…more