Yogyakarta- 5 Things You Must Do

Yogyakarta is charming. Every bit of the city needs to be savoured slowly. Here is a list of 5 things you must (absolutely) do in Yogyakarta. Word of advice: Take your time.

1. Ponder over the street art

Street artists in Yogyakarta have something to say. Strong statements to make. Take notice, stop and think.

2. Eat Mee Bakso

This is the Yogyakarta dish. Homely, comfort food which is very affordable. We absolutely love the mee bakso at the stall along Jalan Cenderawasih.

3. Drink Kopi Joss

We want to thank the genius who (despite all odds) convinced a second person to drink his concoction of roasted black coffee and a piece of flaming hot charcoal. Kopi Joss is now enjoyed by many, every night, right along Jalan P. Mangkubumi on the road pavements.

4. Conquer Mount Merapi

Take a short drive (or book a driver) to witness the fiery Mount Merapi upclose. Admire its beauty, tranquility and prepared to get mesmerized.

5. Be awed by Borobudur

Borobudur is an absolute beauty.It is magnificent and majestic, yet simple and serene. Start your walk via the East entrance, and then clockwise around each level of stupa. Take your time to immerse in the tranquil and peaceful atmosphere, and try to feel eternity.

Yogyakarta- Mount Merapi Adventures

Yogyakarta is not only a gateway to 2 huge UNESCO world heritage sites- Borobudur and Prambanan; it is also a gateway to the most active volcano in Indonesia- Mount Merapi. Mount Merapi literally means Mountain of Fire, and it certainly lives up to its name. Just recently in early November, Mount Merapi spewed volcanic ash which fell in nearby towns and caused flights to be re-routed. Galen and I were fortunate to visit this fiery mountain just a month earlier, and caught it in its peaceful state.

The driver that Tigalima Homestay arranged for us brought us to Mount Merapi in between Borobudur and Prambanan. This is a typical arrangement for a day tour and it was very manageable- we had ample time to explore and enjoy each location. The foot of Mount Merapi was strewed with rows and rows of shops offering bike and jeep rides up the mountain. You could ride up on your own, or employ a driver (highly advisable).

We decided to take a walk up, as far as our legs could bring us. We figured that we did not want to go into the mountains, but to watch and admire it from afar. The walk started out fine- the sun was shining bright but the air was crisp and cooling. The weather was hardly synonymous to what one would stereotypically describe as 'Indonesian'. There were a few attap shelters at the side of the pavement- some looked like abandoned stalls, some looked like it was meant to be rest-stops for hikers like us (hah).

Lots of white, flurry clouds were companions to us and Mount Merapi that day- dancing and leaping around. Unlike me, who was almost dying at this point. The slopes were getting steeper and the air was getting thinner. Mount Merapi is seriously not for the unfit and untrained. If you are thinking of climbing it, like right to the top, you must train.

Can you imagine my happiness and relief when we saw this stall right after a steeeeep slope? It was like God sent/ prayers answered/ a miracle occured! There was a stall opened after all! Of course, hikers like us need rest and nourishment right?

The stall was right next to a little attap hut that the stall owner and her family lived. She spoke minimal English but her smile and laughter was infectious. We were mainly communicating through hand signals, and every action that we did was greeted by her warm smile and hearty laugher. At that moment, I wondered why she and her family would remain in the vicinity of such a dangerous volcano. Their livelihood, and even lives could vanish without warning. But I guess it is something that we would never understand. And perhaps, she would be laughing at our foolishness if we were to ask. "Why not?" may be her answer, followed by that distinguishing laughter of hers.

The best part of any mountain hiking/ climbing would be the cup of boiling hot noodles in your hands. We each had one cup, and we never experienced a joy simpler than this.

The clouds cleared up as we started our walk down after the cup noodles at the attap stall. It is hard to imagine that such a beauty could also be dangerous. Sometimes, you live with something, because you have never thought otherwise.

Yogyakarta - Prambanan Temple

After Borobudur, the driver arranged by Tigalima Homestay drove us to Prambanan. Prambanan is 17km away from Yogyakarta city, and very near Yogyakarta's Adisucipto International Airport. There are travellers who choose to visit the temples of Prambanan right after touching down. Galen and I preferred to have a day of cultural immersion at these two UNESCO world heritage sites.

Unlike Borobudur which is a buddhist monument, Prambanan is made up of Hindu temples. Borobudur was completed in 825AD, and soon after, Prambanan in 850AD. Both were massive religious complex, coupled with their existence in close proximities, tell the conflict of religions in Central Java at that time. Anyhow, it is true beauty to see both the Buddhist and Hindu structures intact, loved and protected in the Islamic country now. (World peace yeah, oops, couldn't resist it.)

The admission ticket to Prambanan is IDR165,000 for foreigners. An astronomical sum too but oh well, I would look at it as contributing to the preservation and restoration of the site. Many of the structures were destroyed by eruptions of Mount Merapi, earthquakes, deterioration and of course, temple raiders.

Each temple houses a different deity. The architecture is amazing- it is cooling inside each temple though it was scorching hot (the heat was seeping through my soles to my feet can you imagine), and the sunlight just falls perfectly on the statue of the deity through the tiny entrance.

Every wall is etched with stories and sightings. Another remarkable exhibit of the creativity and craftsmanship of the artisans of that time.

Right at the centre of the Prambanan complex is the temple of Lord Shiva. It is also the largest remaining temple, standing at 47m. We were given safety helmets before entering the premises, for protection against falling rocks and whatnots. But nothing happened, and we were exploring all the crocks and crannies of the temple looking like Bob the builder.

The Prambanan complex is surrounded by lush greenery perfect for a picnic. Galen and I enjoyed our Walls Magnum icecream while taking in this view. View of quiet majesty, view of serene triumph.

Yogyakarta - Kraton, Taman Sari and Water Castle Cafe

 Yogyakarta was the Indonesian capital during the Indonesia National Revolution (1945 to 1949) after Jakarta fell into the hands of the Dutch. Due to its significant contribution at that time, Yogyakarta was given the status of Special Administrative Region. This makes Yogyakarta the only region headed by a monarchy in Indonesia.

The Kraton, or the Sri's Sultan Palace, is around 2 km from the southern end of Jalan Malioboro. Admission for foreign tourist is IDR 12,500 per person, IDR 1,000 extra for the camera. The fee is inclusive of a guide. The guide that received Galen and I spoke good English, and told us that he has been a guide for the Kraton for 40 years!

Architecture of the Kraton took references from Malay, Indian, Chinese culture, making Yogyakarta truly a centre of cultural influences. The main complex houses a hall area where the Sultan would enjoy his entertainment by musicians and dancers. Surrounding the hall are little houses that served as preparation rooms for them. The hall is very airy and cooling, even in the scorching heat of the Yogyakarta sun, and the structure allows very good acoustics. Talk about royalty treatment!

The Taman Sari (the Water Castle), another 2km away from the Kraton, was built for entertainment purposes too- for the pleasure of first Sultan. One of the pool is specially for the wives and concubines of the Sultan, and he would take his pick while they frolicked in it. Sounds frivolous, ain't it? But the architecture is nothing of frivolity.

Beyond this small, stooping gate was a fascinating network of tunnels and rooms. A place for pleasure and entertainment indeed!

The interior was really cooling and seemed to freeze time once again. We took some time to explore every tunnel and room, though some were dark and looked forbidding.

What's not to be missed on a trip to the Taman Sari is a stop at the Water Castle Cafe. Situated just outside the entrance of the water castle, you can't miss it either.

The Water Castle Cafe serves a variety of hot food and beverages. This was a lunch stop for Galen and I, so we had mains. The Mee Goreng was flavourful with tons and tons of vegetable. What really surprised us was the Gado Gado - it was completely different from what we had in mind! The Singapore version would have rice cakes, beancurd, beansprouts and prawn crackers drizzled in a peanut sauce. The Yogyakarta version was truly refreshing! It was a wonderful basket of freshly boiled vegetables- all still sweet and succulent, and matched really well with the mildy spicy peanut sauce. They had the sweetest baby corn I've ever tasted!

The Water Castle Cafe is a good place to spend the afternoon, away from the sweltering heat. The interior is full of little charming details, and the Indonesian traditional music playing softly in the background transported us way back in time. The owners speak decent English and are really friendly and chatty.

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The Water Castle Cafe

Address: Inside Taman Sari, Yogyakarta