21-Jun-2024: Imagine the feeling when seated in a plane, ready to take off to Yogyakarta and the pilot comes on line to say “Welcome to this service to Jakarta”. The wife & me look at each other visibly puzzled! “We didn’t hear it well” was the first reaction and waited for the following announcement in Bahasa. We heard Jakarta again! “It is impossible but…. “. The perplexed me walked up to the front and confirmed with the stewardess. We were on the right plane and the pronunciation for Yogyakarta is Jog-jakarta!
Many places in the world are characterized by a long history of geological events and recent times of religious sites. Yogyakarta has it reversed. Volcanos are active and temples are 1000 years old.
Wonderful Indonesia
Indonesia has many wonders. The country spans 5000kms from east to west. On the east, it is 580kms from Australia and on the east 560kms from India. It is world’s largest archipelago with 17xxx islands. Home to the world’s stinkest flower Rafflesasia, underwater paradise Rajah Ampat, Komodo Dragons to name to a few. Nasi Padang is an unforgettable food galore social experience. It is common for people to have only the first name without a surname or family name. It is also common to come across Indonesians who claim to have the ability to see ghosts!
Day 1
We arranged for a pre-booked pickup from the hotel. On arrival, we detoured to Pantai Glagah for a glimpse of the mighty Indian Ocean, black sand from the volcanic activity with 10 feet high strong waves rocking the erected podiums. From the car stop, the 100 metre walk to the beach is through a variety of stores hawking food, quirky artifacts (like small live crabs with colorfully painteds shells!), XL-size tender coconuts & even a water play pool! Next, we drove 55kms/90mins north east from the beach towards Yogyakarta town. We stopped at Warung Somayoga for lunch, coincidentally on International Yoga Day, 21-Jun. We enjoyed the deep flavours of Javanese cuisine served by a charming waitress while being seated next to a rice field.
Next stop, the fascinating Prambanan Hindu temple built in the 9th century. Originally called Shivalaya, it is a cluster of temples of Shiva flanked by Brahma and Vishnu with Nandi (bull), Garuda (bird) and Angsa (swan). As Hindus, it is a sense of pride to experience the historic influence of ancient India on faraway lands. The temples are well maintained & justifies the relatively expensive ticket (400k IDR / 2K INR / 25 USD).
Day 2
The next day started at 5am for moon set and sun rise over the majestic active volcanic Mt Merapi and Mt Merbabu.
We booked in advance to join the first batch of 8.30am to tour the mighty Boroburdur Temple. All tickets are guided tours and capacity controlled. 150 every hour and 1200 every day. Best is to book online 6 days in advance when the ticket window opens. Visitors are nicely grouped and assigned to a tour guide. Footwear is provided & it is mandatory to change. They are surprisingly comfortable contrary to it’s rudimentary looks. It’s one hour of great story telling and learning of Buddha’s values while climbing a century-old creation with beautiful views of mountains all around. No words can do justice to the experience. The 5 levels of the temple symbolize the 5 values:
- Stay grounded
- Give
- Focus
- Patience
- Learn and Share
- Transform
Day 3 was reversed to chill, relax & read. A hotel staff was kind to lend us a motorbike for a ride to bring takeaway dinner for a local restaurant.
Stay
We stayed in a new exquisitely designed hotel called Le Temple, near the Borobudur area. It was not cheap but great value for the design, location & the overall experience. I reckon it is well poised to top design awards in the coming times. The hotel staff are nice & chatty. One of them was a full time photographer and took a job during covid. The area around the hotel has all vibes of a country-side- laid back with many paddy fields & views of volcanic mountains.
The default choice for most visitors is to stay in the city of Yogyakarta and do day trips. We drove through a part of the city and skipped the city tour (Malioboro Street, home of the sultan Kraton Palace & the historic ‘entertainment’ complex for the sultan Taman Sari are ther popular sights).
Route Map
When you plan to visit and require a reliable driver with a comfortable clean car, message Munir @ +62 87719 232000
Food
Many scenic restaurants in rice fields & foothills. When it comes to how the food looks, don’t be deceived by the sight of it! Just dive in for the deep complex flavors. All listed below are vegetarian or vegetarian version. Rating of 5 means “will have again”.
- Burbursumsum – sweet coconut rice porridge (5/5)
- Nasi Bakar – rice woth spices wrapped in banana leaf and grilled (5/5)
- Jamur Krispi – crispy mushroom (4/5)
- Bakso Jamur – hearty mushroom soup (5/5)
- Tongseng – sweet and spicy mushroom stew (5/5)
- Gado Gado – salad of mixed vegetables, tofu and tempeh with peanut sauce (4/5)
- Nasi / Mee Goreng – fried rice / noodles (4/5)
Conclusion
The active volcanos are reminders of fragility. Century old temples are reminders of resilience. People are symbols of humility. Jogja, as a locals call their home, is unique in its own ways. We enjoyed it more than Bali. Look forward to more of Java island & Indonesia.
You know how to reach me. If not, X @rajspace
