Central Java is one area of Indonesia I had to see before finishing this year abroad.

Being a fan of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, I was pretty excited to visit the area which boasts TWO of the best in the country.

Yogyakarta is Central Java’s capital city and is a great cultural staple to experience.  There is so much national pride surrounding this city and expats as well as local Indonesian’s alike make the trek to this area to enjoy super cheap shopping, impressive natural beauty and famous cultural icons.  With it’s small-town feel, it was very easy to feel right at home is this area.
 

After getting some requisite shopping out of the way, the real exploration could begin.  I was able to rent a vehicle and driver for about $45 for the day to see all the main points in an all-consuming, action-packed 12 hours!

The first stop was about an hour outside Yogya at the Borobudur Temple Compound.  Built around the 8th or 9th century and made of more than 2 million blocks of volcanic stone, this is the largest Buddhist temple complex in the world.

I was able to get there right after sunrise and it truly was a magical time to see the structure and walk around in the peace of the morning.  After about an hour, the hoards of school kids began to arrive which felt pretty crowded, so I was very happy to be heading on to other sites as school groups filled every nook and cranny.

The next stop was a set of two smaller temples: Mendut and Pawon.  These smaller structures were beautiful and isolated.  It almost seemed like if they weren’t on your drivers’ or tours’ agenda, they would be lonely and overlooked.  It was great to see these bite-sized Hindu temples in the early morning sun, with no crowds, and no lines.
 

Just outside one of the temples was a shop offering the infamous Luwak coffee.  A tasting sounded great after getting up VERY early in the morning to begin the day.  After visiting the Civets in their cages and trying a sip of the strong brew, it was time to stop for a quick lunch before heading on to the last temple complex.

The Hindu temple complex of Prambanan was built around the 10th century.  It consists of about 240 temple structures and is the largest complex dedicated to Shiva outside of India.

Like a row of pointy skyscrapers, this structure dominates the skyline as you enter.

It was neat to see how the Buddhist structures were curved and wide and smooth, while the Hindu structures were tall and rocky and jagged.  Each used beautiful dark stone to convey feelings or emotions that words can barely describe.  I wasn’t just impressed with the architectural styles or in awe of the sheer magnitude…I was at peace.  I appreciate when different ideologies can exist harmoniously.  People from all over the world came out to see these structures for many reasons, and all left happy.

Having the highlight of the journey accomplished quickly, my last two days in town were spent walking up and down Malioboro Street, looking for the best souvenirs, eating plenty of street food, hanging out with some birds, visiting the huge Sultan’s Palace and taking pedicabs everywhere.

Yogyakarta was a fun, laid-back city with the best combination of old-world charm and modern conveniences.  It’s high on my list of places to return if I’m able to continue working in this amazing country.