Wonders of Yogya

You can kick off your Yogyakarta stay with a dip in the hotel pool before heading out to explore under your own steam. You’ll find plenty of becak-drivers outside the hotel that will show you the city for a great price. You can watch daily street life unfold from the seat of your cyclo. There are plenty of traditional Indonesian restaurants in the tangle of streets surrounding your hotel.

This morning, you’ll be up before the sun to visit the UNESCO World Heritage site at Borobudur, drenched in spiritual atmosphere. It’s the largest Buddhist temple complex in the world dating back to the 8th and 9th centuries, and at sunrise it’s swirling with strands of morning mist. Borobudur is very popular of course, so we can’t promise that you’ll have it all to yourself, but visitor numbers are limited by the government.

At the top of the temple, there are 72 small open stupas, most with a meditating Buddha in the centre. To make a wish, reach through the latticed stonework and touch the lucky Buddha in the centre of the stupa. Men should touch the hand, women should touch the heel.

The next day you can spend some time relaxing by the hotel pool or snap up some souvenirs along Jalan Malioboro, the main street of Yogyakarta, before packing your bags and continuing your journey

Experience the Yogyakarta nightlife just like a local on this evening excursion to Alun-alun Kidul. From eating lesehan to pedaling on a colourful becak or playing the Masangin game with local inhabitants, you can soak up the fun atmosphere like any other Indonesian. End your night sipping a freshly brewed cup of coffee or an ice-cold beer with cakes and snacks.