Things to do in Yogyakarta

Borobudur & Prambanan Temples + Ramayana Ballet

No trip to Yogyakarta is justified unless you take the pilgrimage out to the stunning temples of Borobudur and Prabanan. Borobudur temple is also one of the greatest manmade monuments and the single largest Buddhist structure in the world. Whereas Prambanan temple is a magnificent 9th century spectacle and an icon of Indonesia’s cultural heritage.

On this day trip you will travel out from Yogyakarta city first to Borobudur which is situated 45 kilometres away. You get time to not only enjoy the fascinating temple but the beautiful gardens that that temple is set in. From here you will also pause at the temples of Mendut and Pawon before stopping off for a local lunch. In the afternoon you will head back in the direction of Jogja and onwards to Prambanan. The journey takes around and hour and a half which you should use to sit back and relax as you will need your energy to explore the huge complex of Prambanan, which homes 240 temples.

After exploring the temples you will probably be pretty tired and most people would in actual fact visit the evening ballet performance on a different evening. However, is time is a factor you can chose to go to a pre-ballet performance buffet dinner before the stunning performance which starts shortly after dark at 19:30pm.

Visit Prambanan temple on your Indonesia holiday
Borobudur temple, Indonesia

Prambanan Temple

Situated in a picturesque plain, surrounded by rice paddies and villages just 30min from Yogyakarta, off the Solo road. This impressive Hindu temple has some similarities with the temple of Angor Wat in Cambodia and it is one of the most extraordinary religious complexes in Southeast Asia. Prambanan is also recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Borobudur Temple

This 8th century large Buddhist monument is also one of the most important world heritage sites in Southeast Asia. The temple sits on a hill and resembles a large pyramid; build out of a giant block of stone, arranged in 5 main terraces which represent the stages of enlightenment.

The Ramayana Ballet

The Ramayana ballet is visually spectacular and is performed by over 200 dancers that combine to tell the story of Ramayana; which is an incredibly moving performance which includes Javanese dance, drama and traditional music. The story is all about the model King Rama and was adapted in to local Javanese dance as the story is originally from the India.

Recommended Itinerary:
Yogyakarta: Java’s Kingdom

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