Beyond Bali: Yogyakarta City

The Prambanan ruins, a Hindu temple, are actually a vast group of many temple ruins spread over five kilometers. Towering in the middle of them is the 47 meter high main Temple of Siva, a symbol of the Prambanan ruins. The Siva temple is flanked by the Brahma and Vishnu temples and standing opposite them are the temples enshrining the animals which transport them.

Borobudur, on the other hand, is the largest Buddhist temple in the world. It was buried in the jungle for about 1000 years before finally being discovered in 1814 during the British occupation. The temple is still shrouded in many mysteries.

The Yogyakarta royal palace located in the middle of the town of Yogyakarta is still the home of the present king, Sultan Hamengkubuwono X. At the museum located inside the royal palace which is open to the public, you will see gifts to the king from many countries of the world, and treasures and antiques as well as the clothes worn by successive kings. The museum, a reminder of how the kings lived and the history of Yogyakarta, has become a renowned and fascinating tourist spot.

No doubt, Yogyakarta is your-must-next-visit destination after Bali. If you often hear that Ubud is the true of Bali, then Yogya is the true of Java.