Things to Do in Yogyakarta - Itineraries

The train from Jakarta to Yogyakarta (pronounced Jog-jakarta) is a backpacker favourite: cheap, comfortable and a great way to see the Javanese countryside. In Yogyakarta, you will find a major chunk of Java's tourists. The city provides great access to the temples of Borobodur and Prambanan and has a pretty cool political history.Things to see in Yogyakarta: The Borobodur ruins, the ancient temples of Prambanan, the city life in Yogyakarta and the Kraton Palace complex.

Yogyakarta, (Pronounced as JOGJAkarta) is still a sleepy small town in Java Island which still hasn't got as crowded as Kuta & Ubud. I had to take a domestic flight from Bali to reach this traditional city. Batik prints was originated here so You can buy an authentic Batik printed clothes & silver there. Even schools have Batik printed uniforms :) Visiting Boro budur & Prambhanan Temples was worth traveling all the way there. Few Tips: Bali doesn't mean only Beaches & Bintang Beer. There are many small internal villages where you can actually experience the true Balinese culture & hospitality. Try to get into conversations with locals as much as possible. They are the friendliest people on earth, i can say :) People might scare you from not visiting the mother temple Besakih due to interference of local guides association there. You will have to hire a guide from them otherwise they will bug you to the core. To avoid it, best way is to keep minimum cash like 25-50000 IDK in you wallet and convince them that you can pay this much only. But i must tell you, the temple is worth the visit once. You can try including 1 or 2 days in Yogyakarta in your itinerary plans as you can easily get cheap domestic flights from Bali. Boro budur & Prambhanan Temple must not be missed there. Souvenir vendors will follow you wherever you go , forcing you to buy things. But only ask the price only if you are genuinely interested in buying. Otherwise simply keep saying,” no. thank you” and keep walking. It feels irritating sometimes to avoid them but in the end, its their bread and butter. Bargain hard. Start with less than half of what they offer at first. I have seen a girl paying 600 euros for a simple piece of pot. Don't miss this food place called Warung Sopa in Ubud. Lovely organic food. Still can't get over it. You can find “Central Kuta money exchange” very easily which gives best exchange rates. Bluebird taxis are good. You can book it online via bluebird app or by a call whenever you need. You can get local Sim card with great plans in the airport itself. Not to be missed places : Uluvatu temple (Kadak dance), Ulun danu temple, Jatiluwih rice terraces, Ubud market (for shopping), Tanah Lot, Kuta (for some crazy nightlife). Will be happy to help if you need more info. Cheers !!

Sweet surpriseI think I was in for a sweet surprise! I flew to Jogja (or Yograkarta) yesterday, mainly to explore great temples of Borobudur and Prambanan and volcanos in the east Java. That's when Asif from Joglo Aruna (my stay) told me about Wayang Kulit Ramayana show that runs every evening at Jogja's Sonobudoyo Museum everyday (except Sundays) between 8pm and 10pm. I instantly changed my day's plans to experience what I had been waiting for all this while! No prize for guessing that it was totally worth it! (Otherwise, a lazy guy like me wouldn't have been writing about it).Just before the start of Ramayana

Borobodur (the world's largest Buddhist temple) and Prambanan (a large Hindu temple dedicated to the Trinity) are two beautiful temple complexes near Yogyakarta, a sleepy town in Central Java. Mount Bromo, a dreamy active volcano near Surabaya, looks like one of those landscapes which appear in a painting by a skilled artist.

The Indian ocean :) Yogyakarta has a few amazing beaches just a short drive away, one of the better known ones is Parangtritis, a black sand beach. Though you can't swim here because of rip tides which can be fatal for swimmers, it is amazing place to lounge about, relax and have fun by the ocean.

The most expensive shit in the world, as well as coffee luwak produced out of it, can be found in Indonesia - "Kopi Luwak" is one of most delicious coffees and it is produced from the excreta of the Civet. And if you are lucky enough, you can also interact with this extremely friendly, cute and playful Luwak animal.

The world's largest Buddhist temple - Borobudur. For those who would like to experience the tranquility of the temple, the early morning just before sunrise is the most suitable time to visit. Just a bit later it and becomes the most visited tourist attraction.