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Yogyakarta

December 2016

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A short trip to the former king's city Yogyakarta on Central Java between Christmas and New Year's Eve 2016 to see the town, but more specifically the old temple complexes such as the Borobudur, Sumur Gumuling, Prambanan, Candi Plaosan, and the rice terraces in the neighbourhood.

Our hotel for this short Christmas vacation: Dusun Jogja Village Inn.
Taman Sari - also known as Tamansari Water Castle - is a site of a former royal garden of the Sultanate of Yogyakarta.
Taman Sari, before entering the water palace grounds.
The east entrance, formerly the back exit of the water palace.
The name Taman Sari comes from the Javanese words taman, meaning a "garden" or "park" and sari, which means "beautiful" or "flowers".
The complex consists of about 59 buildings including a mosque, meditation chambers, swimming pools, and a series of 18 water gardens and pavilions surrounded by artificial lakes.
The complex was effectively used between 1765–1812.
The British invasion of the Yogyakarta Kraton saw considerable parts of the complex destroyed in 1812.
In early 1970s, effort at restoration was made. Only the bathing complex has been completely restored.
We are among the main sights for the locals who often want to have their picture taken with us.
Local craftsman
The west entrance, the Gedhong Gapura Hageng was formerly used as the main entrance to the bathing complex.
Taman Sari
Wall paintings in the vicinity of Taman Sari.
Wall paintings in the vicinity of Taman Sari.
Batik crafting in an open doorway.
Impressions of a local produce market.
Impressions of a local produce market.
Impressions of a local produce market.
Impressions of a local produce market.
Sumur Gumuling. This underground mosque is located close to Taman Sari. It can be reached through an underground passage to the circular building with a well in the centre.
Inside this underground mosque, there are five stairs which symbolise the five tenets of Islam.
On the ground level of the platform is a small pool that was used for Muslim ritual ablution.
In the underground tunnel that leads to the well.
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The Kraton Bird Market. There are not just birds for sale here, but also a wide variety of reptiles and all sorts of pets including cats and dogs.
Pasar Burung Ngasem
Pasar Burung Ngasem
Pasar Burung Ngasem
Pasar Burung Ngasem
Pasar Burung Ngasem
Jalan Malioboro. The main shopping street in Yogyakarta. Mostly tourist shops along the road itself.
Jalan Malioboro
In the side streets there are more picturesque things to see.
Pasar Tradisional
Pasar Tradisional
Pasar Tradisional
Pasar Tradisional
Pasar Tradisional
Pasar Tradisional
Pasar Tradisional
Pasar Tradisional
Pasar Tradisional
Jalan Malioboro
Dusun Jogja Village Inn
Coffee wisdom
Menggoran. An old, dormant vulcano caldera with beautiful views.
Menggoran
Menggoran
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Menggoran
A coconut roaster in Sri Gethuk.
Our guide Jondhil
Waterfall with mainly inland tourists.
Sri Gethuk
Hand woven mat
Sri Gethuk
Sri Gethuk
Sri Gethuk
On our way to the Prambanan district with some of the largest temples of Indonesia and Gunung Merapi in the distance.
Plaosan temple is one of the lesser known temples in the Prambanan district.
Because it's not so well known among tourists, it is a lot more quiet than the main temple of Prambanan.
Candi Plaosan
Candi Plaosan
Candi Plaosan
Peaceful life along the rice paddies
Candi Plaosan
Candi Plaosan
Candi Plaosan
Candi Prambanan is a 9th-century Hindu temple dedicated to the Trimurti, the expression of God as the Creator (Brahma), the Preserver (Vishnu) and the Destroyer (Shiva).
Candi Prambanan
Candi Prambanan
Candi Prambanan
Ganesha is widely revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences and the deva of intellect and wisdom.
Vie getting youngster attention on the stairs towards the nirvana.
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Candi Prambanan. Temple overview
Candi Prambanan. Temple overview
Candi Sewu is an eighth century Mahayana Buddhist temple located a mere 800 meters north of the main Candi Prambanan.
Candi Sewu
Like Plaosan, not so well known as Prambanan or Borobudur and therefore very quiet. We were the only ones there, together with 3 European girls...
Candi Sewu
Well look who's hotel we have there!
Candi Borobudur is the world's largest Buddhist temple, and also one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world.
We woke up very early in the morning to go and see the sunrise over the temple complex.
Together with a few hundred other tourists we waited for the sun to appear.
Unfortunately, the horizon was shrouded in clouds so we didn't see the direct sunlight on the temple.
Built in the 9th century the temple was designed in Javanese Buddhist architecture, which blends the Indonesian indigenous cult of ancestor worship and the Buddhist concept of attaining Nirvana.
The monument is both a shrine to Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base, follows a path around the monument and ascends to the top through the three levels symbolic of Buddhist cosmology.
Waiting for the sun to appear
Worldwide knowledge of Borobudur's existence was sparked in 1814 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, then the British ruler of Java, who was advised of its location by native Indonesians.
On an inspection tour to Semarang in 1814, Raffles was informed about a big monument deep in a jungle near the village of Bumisegoro.
Raffles was not able to make the discovery himself and sent H.C. Cornelius, a Dutch engineer, to investigate.
In two months, Cornelius and his 200 men cut down trees, burned down vegetation and dug away the earth to reveal the monument.
Raffles has been credited with the monument's recovery, as one who had brought it to the world's attention.
Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations.
One of the highlights of our trip turned out to be a leisurely walk through the rice fields towards a hidden temple called Selogriyo.
Freshly harvested rice drying on mats in the sun.
Rice sifting is still done by hand here, a wonderful craft using weight and wind to sift the dried chaff from the grains.
Hiking to Candi Selogriyo
Planting new rice plants by hand.
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Full grown rice paddies
Hiking to Candi Selogriyo
Different stages of rice growing
The beauty of this part of the trip is in the journey through the mountains and rice fields, not the destination. Candi Selogriyo is small and little noteworthy after having seen the large temples in the valley.
In December 1998, the temple was destroyed by a landslide. The reconstruction process was completed in 2005.
Hiking to Candi Selogriyo
Up mount Merapi on a rainy day in an open top jeep. Not such a great idea.
A small museum on the mountain slope shows the devastating results of the 2010 eruption.
A small museum on the mountain slope shows the devastating results of the 2010 eruption.
We never saw the top of the mountain this day, but we were in awe of this trough which was formed by pyroclastic flows when Merapi erupted in 2010.
In this vulcano bunker, many people suffocated during the 2006 eruption.
The Kraton palace is the main seat of the Sultan of Yogyakarta and his family. It serves as a cultural center for the Javanese people and contains a museum that displays the sultanate's artifacts.
Hand painted gates in the palace
The Kraton was built by Prince Mangkubumi in 1755-1756, several months after the signing of the Treaty of Giyanti between Prince Mangkubumi of Yogyakarta, Hamengkubuwono of Surakarta and the Dutch East India Company.
After 3 long days filled with temple visits, mountain hikes and intermittent car rides through heavy traffic, time to relax and enjoy the swimming pool in our hotel!
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