Travel Guide YogYakarta

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One of the interesting places to visit in Indonesia is YogYakarta! Thanks to AirAsia and Omy, we managed to make our way to this interesting city.  Boasting of 2 UNESCO World Heritage sites, this town offers a lot in terms of history and culture. For the discerning budget traveller, you will be glad to know that YogYakarta is definitely cheaper than places like Jakarta!

So what is there to see in YogYakarta?

After landing at the airport, we headed straight to the Parambanan Temple. As the temple is only 1okm from the airport, stopping at the temple was an ideal stop for us, upon arriving into YogYakarta.

Parambanan Temple has the largest Hindu compound in the whole of Indonesia. Characterized by its tall and pointed architecture, this UNESCO World Heritage site which was built in 850 CE, attracts visitors from all around the world.

If tourists are wondering why the temple is not in a better state, the natural facts are that the temples collapsed during a major earthquake in the 16th century. From then on, the Parambanan temple ceased to be a centre of worship. Ironically, in 1811, it was rediscovered by none other than Sir Stamford Raffles. Yes! The same guy who discovered modern Singapore and proper restoration work only began in 1930.

One of the things that travellers need to be aware about admission prices, is that there are different admission prices for tourists. Entry for locals to the Parambanan Temple is 30,000 RP (less than Sing $4), while Tourists will need to pay 171,000 RP (less than Sing $22). It is still cheap compared to a Tourist location in Singapore, but the zeros (30,000 VS 171 000 Rp) certainly makes every Singaporean think twice, and whip out his/her calculator.

Just next to the temple is a Pasar Malam which seems to be mainly catered for prices. Don’t be afraid to bargain when you enter the market, and start by slashing one away 1 zero from prices, after the opening price being offered to you. (For example, if they offer you 100,000 Rp, counter by 10,000 Rp). I am not kidding when, I tell you that they have already factored in a FAT Profit Margin, with their opening prices!

After leaving the Parambanan temple, we left for our Hotel. As one of the main objectives of our stay, was to catch the UNESCO World Heritage sites, we stayed in Hotel Puri Asri, that was near the famous Borobudor Temple.

Another MUST Go place in Yogyakarta, is the Borobudor Temple. This is one of world’s truly great ancient monuments,  which is the single largest Buddhist structure anywhere on earth.

Borobudur Temple was likely founded as a religious site in the 8th century at the peak of the Sailendra dynasty in central Java. The construction is thought to have taken a period of 75 years, and completed in about 825 A.D.

Borobudur lay abandoned and hidden for centuries under layers of volcanic ash and thick jungle growth. Nobody knows for sure why it was abandoned, although the popular theories are that the local population just became disinterested when there were mass conversions to Islam in the 15th century, or they were simply driven away by a large volcanic eruption. It was never forgotten entirely though, with local folklore ensuring that stories of the great monument lived on.

Another interesting point was that it was Sir Stamford Raffles interest in the folklore about the monument, that led to the temple being discovered. The temple was also a target for souvenir hunters, which has led to many of the Buddhas becoming headless.

Entrance fees to the temple are at 190,000 Rp for tourist and 30,000 for locals. Well, the only perk for the disparity in ticket admissions, are the complimentary bottles of mineral water and the cups tea and coffee. In groups of 5, you can also get a guide who will explain to you, the many different aspects of the temple’s history.

After my stay at YogYakarta, I would say that this town makes a great Getaway for 2 to 3 nights, and one that you can greatly enjoy, due to the affordable prices around the city. We greatly enjoyed our stay and many thanks to Omy and AirAsia for sending us there!