Yogyakarta is both the name of a province Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (DIY), literally the Special Area Yogyakarta, and the name of one of DIY’s 5 Districts, Kota (or city) Yogyakarta’. The other districts are Sleman on the slopes of fiery Mt Merapi to the North, Bantul all the way to the sea to the South, the hills of Gunungkidul to the East and the low lands of Kulon Progo to the West
One of Indonesia’s few Special regions (another being Aceh), the Yogyakarta Special Region owes its special status to the Sultanate of Hamengkubuwono, which has ruled the area since 1749 and steered the state through difficult times of occupation and revolution. When the central government tried to weaken the Sultan’s power by calling a direct election for the state leader, present Sultan Hamengkubuwono X was chosen by an overwhelming majority.
Today’s Yogyakarta is a bustling town of some 500,000 people and the most popular tourist destination on Java, largely thanks to its proximity to the temples of Borobudur and Prambanan. The town is a center of art and education, offers some good shopping and has a wide range of tourist facilities.
Being one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, Yogyakarta has many heritage buildings and monuments. The number one must-see attraction is Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono’s palace, better known as Kraton Ngayogyakarta. Other heritage buildings from colonial era are: BNI ‘46 building, Kantor Pos Besar (Central Post Office) building, and Bank Indonesia building, all of them are located near Sultan’s palace.
Other notable landmarks and attractions are:
Tugu Monument. A well known landmark located in the center of downtown Yogyakarta. Built by Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono VI, the top spire was originally a round sphere which represents the universe. During the colonial era, the spire was replaced with a golden cylinder.Benteng Vredeburg, Jalan Jenderal Ahmad Yani 6, Yogyakarta 55122, +62 274 586934, 510996 (fax: +62 274 586934). A Dutch fort located in front of Gedung Agung (President’s Palace). A great example of the Dutch colonial architecture. A few warfare items are still preserved, including a twin cannon.Kotagede. The capital of ancient Islamic Mataram kingdom. The tomb of Mataram Kingdom’s first king, Panembahan Senopati, is also located in this place. Before independence, Kotagede was the central economic district of Yogyakarta, as it held the largest marketplace and was home to many wealthy batik merchants. Although some ancient buildings have been modernized or replaced with newer buildings, Kotagede remains a prime example of ancient Javanese architecture and city structure. Be sure to check out the local silver handicrafts.Imogiri, southwest of town. Graveyard of the Yogyakarta and Surakarta royal families. Suffered damage during 2006 earthquake but has reopened.Kotabaru, which used to be Dutch officials residential area, has few heritage homes as well as a colonial style church and monastery (Gereja Kotabaru) and a stadium (Stadion Kridosono).
Kraton ComplexThe Sri Sultan’s palace or Kraton encompasses the main palace, Sultan’s residential, two Sultan’s grounds, and large residential area where sultan servants used to reside. Notable attraction in Kraton complex are:Kraton Yogyakarta. A calm yet elegant Javanese heritage that consists of two separate entrances: the Main Court (Pagilaran & Siti Hinggil), and the Residence. The Main Court showcases the grandeur of Sultan’s monarchy, while the Residence is more homey while still exhibiting the royal family’s luxurious lifestyle. Open 8.30 AM to 1 PM daily, on Friday the attraction is closed at 11 AM. While the guide is part of the entrance fee, they might expecting tips. Some guide might offer extended trip to sultan’s servants batik workshop, this is a scam as they only bring you to a regular batik shop with steep price. It’s a good idea to refuse their offer politely. Rp 12500 (foreign tourist price) or Rp 5000 (Indonesian tourist price), Rp 1000 extra for a photo permit (price as of June 15, 2008).Sultan’s Carriage Museum (Museum Kereta) . This museum houses Sultan’s horse-drawn carriages, including two beautiful carriages imported from the Netherlands and known as Golden Carts (kereta kencana).Taman Sari, Jalan Taman, Kraton Yogyakarta 55133. Also known by the Dutch name waterkasteel (water castle), this is a partly ruined complex built as a pleasure garden by the first Sultan in 1765. One of the bathing pools was dedicated to the sultan’s harem, and he had a tower overlooking the area so he could take his pick. Entrance fee does not cover the guide, who will expect tips. Open 9 AM to 3 PM daily. Rp 7000 for entrance, Rp 1000 for a photo permit (price as of June 15, 2008).Siti Hinggil Selatan. This somehow-muted palace is rarely used for formal occasion. You can catch a shadow puppet performance during weekend night.Alun-Alun or the Sultan’s ground. There are two Sultan’s grounds: Alun-alun Utara and Alun-alun Selatan or the northern and southern Sultan’s ground, consecutively. If you are lucky, you can see the Gerebeg Maulud parade during Prophet Muhammad’s birthday.Masjid Gede Kauman, one of the oldest and largest mosque in Yogyakarta. Located on the west of Alun-alun Utara, this mosque was where the Sultan performs his religious rites and ceremonies. Non-muslim visitors should wear decent clothing. It may be a good idea to ask the mosque authorities prior to entering the mosque due to some rules that must be abide.
Yogyakarta city was built with deep philosophy: the city was designed so that the main elements of the city forms a imaginary line. This straight line starts from Parangtritis on the coast, to Kraton Yogyakarta, to Tugu Monument, and finally to Mount Merapi. This represents Sultan’s strong relationship with the guardian spirits of Mt. Merapi and the beach of Parangtritis.
Malioboro
Malioboro is a well-known shopping promenade and very popular among Indonesian as well as international tourists. Spans from the Tugu Station to the Sultan’s square, Malioboro is 2 kilometers in length and home to hundreds of shops and street-stalls which offers various kind of handicrafts. Several notable places in Malioboro are:Pasar Beringharjo (Beringharjo Marketplace), Jalan Pabringan 1, Yogyakarta 55122 (north of Vredeburg Fort). Literally means slanted land, Beringaharjo is the largest traditional marketplace in Yogyakarta. The vendors sell many kind of goods, ranging from basic household items (vegetables, fruits, meats) to many kind of handicrafts. Haggle furiously.Mirota Batik (opp Pasar Beringharjo), Jalan Ahmad Yani 9, Yogyakarta 55122. The large family-owned store offers plenty of handicrafts, not only from Yogyakarta but also from all part of Indonesia.Dagadu (lower ground floor Malioboro Mall). Offers funny contemporary t-shirts and souvenirs that revolves around Yogyakarta people’s culture.Ciamis Art Shop (153 Jl. Malioboro). Shadow puppets, masks, carvings, and more at fixed prices that are lower than in the market. Open from 9:00 – 13:00 and 18:00 – 21:00.Nadzar (187 Jl. Malioboro). Huge souvenir shop specializing in batik, art, jewelry, and more. Has every souvenir you could imagine and all at fixed prices.
If travelling on foot is not your thing, you can ride the pedal-powered trishaw called becak, or the andong horsecart.
HandicraftsSaptohoedojo Art Gallery, Jalan Solo km 9 (500m from airport), [11]. This fascinatingly weird sprawling complex houses an utterly eclectic collection of Indonesian art, ranging from abstract modern paintings and batik shirts through gamelan instruments and stuffed tigers to Papuan tribal totems complete with the skulls of vanquished enemies. Everything is for sale and previous customers, pictures of whom are proudly pasted on the walls, include Pope John Paul II and the Dalai Lama. While the adjoining restaurant looks quite attractive, the food served is rather disappointing.Tjokrosuharto, Jalan Panembahan Angkurat 58, Yogyakarta 55131. This handicraft shop opens its door for business in 1954 and still operating today. It offers a large selection of javanese handicrafts such as wayang kulit (leather puppet), wayang golek (wooden puppet), batik, keris, silverware, sculptures, traditional outfits, etc.EatOriginally, Yogyakarta dishes are known for its sweetness. However, as more and more people move to Yogya, this small city starts seeing more diversity in flavor. Now you can find many kind of interesting dishes, ranging from sweet, spicy, to fiery, sometimes a fusion from other cuisine such as Chinese or Western.Local delicacies
The following dishes should be on every traveller’s agenda:
Gudeg, a curry of jackfruit, chicken and egg served with rice, and is the most famous local dish. Goopy slop in various shades of brown, the stuff does not look particularly appetizing, but it can be tasty if done right. There are many gudeg restaurants, but the most popular are: Gudeg Wijilan, Gudeg Juminten, Gudeg Bu Tjitro, Gudeg Tugu, Gudeg Bu Ahmad. If you can wake up early in the morning, you may find small stalls serving Gudeg just at the corner of the street, or close to traditional markets. If you can’t sleep at night, you can go to Jalan Janturan and enjoy the Gudeg Pawon (enjoying gudeg inside the old style kitchen) that open in late night.Ayam Goreng Mbok Berek (Mbok Berek’s Fried Chicken). Fried free range chicken with mild garlic and coriander flavor served with crunchy crackers.Nasi Langgi, locally known as Sego Langgi (Langgi Rice). Warm rice served with various side dishes. Can be found in small stall in Gandekan street.Kipo, bite size snacks made of green colored tapioca dough filled with sweetened grated coconut. Can be found in Kotagede.Bakpia, another bite size snack made from sweetened greenbean paste wrapped with thin dough pastry. The most popular bakpia is known as Bakpia Patuk, which not surprisingly, are sold in Pathuk street, also known as Jalan Aip K.S. Tubun.Jadah Tempe, sandwich of rice cake and sweet beancake. Can be found in Kaliurang.Es rujak or rujak es krim, a fruit salad made from mangos, papayas, apples, pineapples, cucumbers etc., mixed with palm sugar, lime juice, salt, chillies and (of course) ice cream (es krim). All flavors (sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, salty) in one plate. In case you are at UGM campus, have a look along Jalan Kaliurang. Small foodstalls sell es rujak there (only very late morning to early afternoon). If you are not close to UGM, keep your eyes open.Angkringan, a food seller using hopper as store. The famous food sold here is Nasi Kucing (Cat Rice) that consists of a small serving rice with a sambal (chilies) or oseng-oseng and wrapped using a piece of paper or banana leaf. The most popular angkringan is Angkringan Lik Man, also known as Angkringan Tugu, located in Jalan Wongso Dirjan, north side of Yogyakarta Railway Station (Tugu Station). See Angkringan Tugu below. Angkringan usually opens from afternoon (2 PM) or evening (6 PM) until late night (1 AM) or morning (4 AM).Get OutNorthThe massive Buddhist temple of Borobudur, the largest Buddhist monument in the world, is 40 minutes away by car and one of the main drawcards for visitors to Yogyakarta. Many tour buses (minivans) leave Yogyakarta at 5AM for an early visit to Borobudur. This is a convenient way to skip the crowds which arrive mid morning, although a little more expensive between Rp 45,000 to Rp 50,000 (including a simple breakfast). However, the extra cost could save you money if tour participants chip in for a tour guide.Kaliurang is a small town on the southern slope of Mount Merapi.Ketep offers a great vantage point for a spectacular view of Mount Merapi and Mount Merbabu. This site has a small cinema which regularly shows an interesting documentary of Mount Merapi. Located in Muntilan, east of Borobudur, 40 minutes from Yogyakarta by car.EastThe Hindu temples of Prambanan, just 20 minutes away, are a close second. The smaller temples of Kalasan and others are on the way to Prambanan.Ratu Boko palace, only 2 km north of Prambanan. An ancient royal palace complex, similar in architectural layout with other Kratons or palaces in Java. Magnificently located on top of a hill, Ratu Boko has been recently restored. SouthParangtritis on the south coast is one of the better known beaches. Local folklore suggests that this beach is the palace of the legendary Nyai Loro Kidul or ‘Queen of the South’. It is common knowledge among locals not to wear anything green in color, or the Queen will entice the wearer into the ocean to drown. Warning: Never swim at Parangtritis beach. Its wild waves are known to be extremely deadly: many people have died who ignored these precautions. But there are many other beaches with white sand. But you have to arrange with travel agent to rent a car with the driver. These beaches are so beautiful, such as Kukup beach, Krakal beach, Sundak Beach and Baron.
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