Destination Indonesia
Java
Java is home to 60% of the Indonesian population – 120 million people in an area half the size of Great Britain. A long, narrow island, Java is divided into three provinces – West, Central and East Java – as well as the ‘special regions’ of Jakarta, the nation’s capital, and Yogyakarta, the center of Javanese culture. Also of note are the volcanoes that dot the island, the most famous of which is Krakatau, although Bromo in the south (accessible from Bali) is the most beautiful, the ascent of which can be made by mountain pony.
Jakarta
Jakarta is the political and economic hub of Indonesia and is the center for most businesses in the country as well as home to wild nightclubs, glitzy restaurants and international style shopping malls. You may either love it or hate it, but beneath the smog and busy streets, Jakarta has a particular character all of its own that makes it a memorable place to visit. Visit the bird markets, and learn the recent history of independence from the national monuments, landmarks and museums that all have stories to tell of this nation’s path to freedom. Taman Mini Indonesia is an interesting concept displaying a full size traditional house for each of the archipelagos provinces. It is a nice way to experience the diversity of Indonesia in hours instead of months.
Yogyakarta & Borobudor
Yogyakarta, the old royal capital of Java’s golden era is best known as the artistic center of Java, although more famous internationally for the nearby Borobudor (Buddist) and Prambanan (Hindu) temple complexes. Still, the Sultan’s Palace (Kraton) in Yogya is well worth a visit and has an interesting assortment of artifacts in its museums. Prambanan is 17 km northeast of Yogyakarta and is a fascinating Hindu temple complex built between the 8th and 10th Centuries AD at a time when Hinduism dominated the Indonesian Archipelago. It is the largest Hindu complex in Java and while we know it was built around half a century after Borobudor, little is known as to it’s actual history. As with Borobudor, a number of its structures were destroyed by nature and while the most impressive sanctuaries to Shiva, Brahma, Wisnu and others have been restored, more than 200 smaller temples lay in ruins along the outer ring of the complex.
Borobudor is a massive, inspiring Buddhist structure, that along with Angkor Wat in Cambodia reminds us of the great empires that have brought Asia to its current place in history. Borobudor was buried under layers of volcanic ash from nearby Gunung Merapi until 1815 when it was unearthed by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles during his governance of eastern Java, 1200 years after its initial construction. While the Dutch began restoration in the early part of the 20th Century, it was a US$25 million project devised by then President Suharto that brought the structure to its current state of restoration. The stone relieves carved into nearly 3000 stone panels across each of the steeped terraces are no less than stunning examples of Buddhist art and one can spend hours wandering around examining their intricate details of the galleries. From its 118m2 base, 2 million stones have been used to form a giant symmetrical ‘Mandala’, a sacred Buddhist symbol, with the ascent to the top symbolizing the journey to Nirvana. A truly remarkable sight and well worth the visit. For more time to enjoy the complex we recommend the Amanjiwo boutique hotel, its design inspired by the architecture of Borobudor, from which you can even travel to the complex by elephant.
