Indonesia Adventure!

Our entry to Indonesia was Yogykarta, just a short one-hour flight from Jakarta. Yogykarta (or Jogja, as it is often called) is a city of just under 400,000, located in south-central Java. The city is known for its proximity to both Prambanan and Borobudur Temples, but it’s also famous for the art and culture within the city itself. In fact, it is known as being the “cradle” of Javiness culture, making it an ideal stopping point to take in museums, palaces and arts such as batik and wayang (Indonesian puppet show). The city is also known for its foodie culture, meaning there is no shortage of culinary adventures, whether from a street food stall, a local restaurant (called warungs) or even your hotel. 

I stayed at the lovely Phoenix Hotel, just a block or so from the Yogyakarta Monument, often known as the symbol of the city. The location is also ideal being just a 10-15 walk from Malioboro Street, a popular stretch of the city which is closed off to cars on the evenings and weekends, chock full of batik and souvenir shops, as well as plenty of local eateries. 
Within the city itself, we explored all of the above mentioned areas, as well as the Kraton and Water Palace, both located not far from the southern end of Malioboro Street. The Kraton (also known as Yogyakarta Palace) is an important cultural landmark, as well as the royal palace for the sultan of the region. It is also a museum for learning more about Javanese history and culture. Performances are also common here, ranging from wayang to gamelan- which is the traditional ensemble music of Java. 

The Water Palace (Taman Sari) is also nearby, which was once a part of the royal palace complex, and used as a private retreat for the sultan and his family. Present day travelers can still visit the bathing pools, as well as the underground, formerly secret tunnels that connected different parts of the royal grounds. Just around the complex is also a vibrant community of around 2,700 called Kampung Taman. Most of the population there is known for their craftsmanship, especially as it relates to batik as well as puppet making and silver jewlery. 

Outside of the main area of Jogja you can find other amazing parts of the city to explore. I spend the better part of a day around Kotagede, which is an historic neighborhood in the south-east part of the city. These district not only has the oldest mosque in the city as well as an ancient graveyard, but is also one of the best areas to wander around the streets and alleys taking in the street art and traditional houses. We also visited an amazing batik shop here, and even got to try our hands at the art! 

For those unfamiliar, batik is a method of design famous throughout Indonesia. The goal is to make colored designs by dyeing them, after first applying wax to the areas you do not want to be dyed. For firstimers, this is not an activity to expect instant success. In fact, most rookie batik-makers will find that instead of being able to detail elaborate designs, their wax will initially come out as unwieldy globs. You get to take home your artwork after this activity, but you will probably want to visit a proper shop if you plan on bringing home any true masterpieces. 
Jogja is also close to two of the most famous temples in Indonesia: Prambanan and Borobudur. Prambanan is an easy drive of about 30 minutes, which will get you to the second largest Hindu temple in Southeast Asia, after Angkor Wat. 

Prambanan was built in the 9th century, and is currently a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Of the nearly 250 temples that were originally built, at least 22 of them have been painstakingly restored, and most can be entered. The largest of these stands at 154 feet (47 meters) and is dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva. That tallest temple is flanked by two others which are dedicated to Brahma and Vishnu. The complex is a fascinating and beautiful place to spend a few hours, ideally in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the worst of the heat.