original : wikitravel
Yogyakarta— despite the official spelling, the name is usually pronounced and not uncommonly written Jogjakarta or just Jogja (JOGH-jah) — is a major tourist destination in Indonesia. It is the capital city of the province of Yogyakarta Special Region which is located in the southern part of the Central Java province, Indonesia.
Understand
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.
At 6:30am on Saturday morning, May 27th 2006, a Richter 5.9 earthquake struck the province of Yogyakarta and the adjoining district of Klaten in Central Java. Although relatively mild, from 40 kms below the surface the earthquake produced violent shockwaves that wobbled through the soft clay soils of Yogya's southern and eastern rice paddy districts for a brutal 60 odd seconds. In this briefest moment in time nearly 6,000 people died and over 300,000 houses were completely destroyed, with another 300,000 seriously damaged, making the Jogja earthquake, (in terms of physical damage) one of the worst in global history
Although Yogyakarta city was less than 25 kms from the epicenter few areas of the city suffered significant visual damage, with most damage confined to the south and east of the city centre in areas such as the famous silver smithing area of Kota Gede and the artsy areas to the south of Jl Prawirotaman
The massive response by the people of Java, the Indonesian government and the national and international aid community has resulted in one of the most rapid and effective disaster recovery operations ever.
The above said, many residents of the affected districts of Jogja and Central Java still remain deeply traumatized, continuing to suffer from the deep pain caused by the loss of family, injuries and loss of livelihoods. Aid efforts continue to this day, with many families still housed in makeshift or semi complete accommodation. Visitors should feel encouraged to travel through the earthquake affected area, assisting however they can
Get in
By plane
Yogyakarta's Adisucipto International Airport (JOG), 8 km east of town, is a small but busy domestic hub presently (2005) undergoing renovation and expansion. There are near-hourly connections on Garuda to Jakarta (50 minutes) and Denpasar, while
other domestic airlines service major cities in Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi.
International connection from Malaysia is provided by AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines. AirAsia Malaysia (AK) now flies to Adisucipto Airport on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from Kuala Lumpur whereas Malaysia Airlines serves Yogyakarta on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.
There is a tourist information desk, ATM and taxi stand in the arrivals hall. A metered taxi to the city or direct to Prambanan costs about Rp 20,000. A departure tax of Rp 25,000 is charged for domestic flights.
Bandar Udara Internasional Adisucipto (Adisucipto International AIrport), Jalan Solo km9, Yogyakarta 55282, +62 274 484261 (fax: +62 274 488155).
By bus
The main bus station is Giwangan, 4 km to the southeast of the center. There are regular services throughout the island, including Jakarta (9 hours), Bandung (6 hours), and Surabaya (8 hours).
Terminal Penumpang Giwangan (Giwangan Bus Terminal). Jalan Imogiri, Giwangan, Yogyakarta 55163, +62 274 378288, 7482222 (fax: +62 274 7483333
There is also a new bus station as of March 2008 which is part of the Trans Jogja Busway System inside the airport. From there you can get to any one of the many bus stations in the system. It costs Rp 3000 for a ticket.
By train
Trains to Jakarta take between 7 to 12 hours from the main Yogyakarta station, commonly called Tugu Station. The Argo-class trains (Argo Lawu and Argo Dwipangga) are the best of the lot: most comfortable and fastest. Taksaka is almost as good. These expresses connect Yogyakarta and Jakarta in 7-8 hours, either at daytime or overnight. The line between Kroya and Prupuk, where the railway crosses the main backbone mountains of Java, is scenic.
Passengers to/from Bandung should take the Argo Wilis or Lodaya expresses which traverse a scenic part of Java during daylight hours, with rice fields and mountains. The fare is Rp155.000 including lunch.
Passengers to Surabaya are served by the twice-daily Sancaka service departing in the morning and afternoon.
Yogyakarta and Solo is connected by the five Prambanan Ekspres trains. Despite the name, the train does not stop at Prambanan, and even if it does make an unscheduled stop, the station is rather far from the temple complex of Prambanan.
Stasiun Tugu (Tugu Central Railway Station), Jalan Mangkubumi 1, Yogyakarta 55232, +62 274 589685. The main central station, serves big city destinations such as Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, and Solo.
Stasiun Lempuyangan (Lempuyangan Railway Station), Jalan Lempuyangan, Yogyakarta 552224. Serves economy class trains and small city destinations.
Get around
Yogyakarta is a relatively small city, so travelling around town should not be too expensive.
By taxi
Yogyakarta's taxis are metered and nowadays most taxi drivers are trustworthy. Flagfall is Rp 5000 and most trips around the center of town should not cost more than Rp 15,000. After dark the minimum fare for a taxi is Rp 10,000 even if the meter reads less that Rp 10,000. If by chance you find a taxi driver that you feel comfortable with and trustworthy, ask for his cellular phone number so that next time you need to travel you can call directly to his cell phone and arrange your travel needs. Most taxi drivers will be more than happy to do this.
Taksi Armada, +62 274 517248.
Taksi ASA, +62 274 545545.
Taksi Centris, +62 274 544977.
Taksi Indra Kelana, +62 274 564572, 563910.
Taksi JAS, +62 274 373737.
Taksi Pandawa, +62 274 370000.
Taksi Pataga, +62 274 371725.
Taksi Primkopad, +62 274 621055.
Taksi Rajawali, +62 274 561459, 512976.
Taksi Sadewa, +62 274 376107.
Taksi Setia Kawan, +62 274 412000, 7117333.
Taksi Vetri, +62 274 563555.
By trishaw
Traditional three-wheeled and pedal-powered cart, known as becak, which can be found in most part of Yogyakarta. Haggle furiously before getting into the becak. Be sure to determine whether the price is for a one-way or return (pulang) trip and if you want the driver to wait whilst you conduct your shopping or business. A ride from within the city to the Malioboro shopping precinct should not cost more than Rp 20,000.
By horse cart
Traditional horse-pulled carts, known as andong, or dokar, wait for tourists outside hotspots like the train station, the Kraton and Mal Malioboro. Haggle furiously. The traditional route is from Jalan Malioboro to Keraton, and this is where you'll find most andong. Usually, andong opt to take you to shop for fake Dagadu t-shirt in Ngasem area with hefty prices. Then, andong will take you back to your initial journey. The cost for one round trip for andong is Rp 20,000 (twenty thousand rupiahs). Usually they ask for Rp 30,000 but they may settle for less. Andong can accommodate up to 5 adult passengers.
By bus
Medium and small size buses are the main public transport in Yogyakarta.
There are two kind of bus: regular and patas. Patas buses, known as TransJogja operates from 6AM to 10PM and stops only at designated shelters. Unlike regular buses, TransJogja is air-conditioned and generally safer. Tickets can be purchased directly at the shelters and cost for single trip is Rp 3000. Passangers may purchase regular trip cards which cuts per tip cost to Rp 2700, and allows transit to other shelter. There are six routes, and route maps can be downloaded here .
Regular buses normally operates from 6 am to 5 pm, and some long routes extend their operation until 9 pm. Please never bring anything valuable on public buses, pickpockets in buses are now more common than ever before. Cost for single trip is Rp 2000 regardless of distance (within the city). Usually on a bus there will be one driver and one helper who will hang from the side of the bus and handle money and try to get passengers. The helper will usually tap you on the shoulder to indicate you should pay him. If there is no helper you can pay the driver directly. When you are ready to get off a bus, tell the driver or helper "Kiri," which means left. Animated bus route maps are available at Transportation Agency of Yogyakarta website.
Contact
The international country code for Indonesia is 62. The local area code for Yogyakarta is 274. There are three main telecommunication providers in Indonesia: Telkom Indonesia, Indosat and Excelcomindo. Coin operated public phones are limited in Yogyakarta. However there are many official telephone kiosks called Wartel.
International dialing
To make an IDD call from Indonesia, dial the access code 001 (for Indosat) and 007 (for Telkom), followed by the country code, area code and party's number.
also available cheaper IDD call via VoIP Technologies, IDD Prefix is 01016 (for Indosat user) and 01017 (for Wartel, Telkom, and Telkomsel user), and 01000 (for XL -excelcom- user)
Mobile Phones
Mobile Phones are carried by almost everyone in Indonesia. Prepaid SIM cards are widely available from many telecommunication providers, such as, Telkomsel, XL, indosat and Three, just bring your own GSM 900 or GSM 1800 phone. The pre-paid SIM card costs around Rp 10,000 up to Rp 30.000. A local phone call costs between Rp 500-Rp 2000 per minute. Local text message (SMS) costs about Rp 350, while international SMS cost about Rp 3000.
also available for CDMA users, Telkom Flexy, Indosat Jagoan, And Mobile-8 which are cheaper, but you must have RUIM CDMA Phone
Internet
There are many internet cafes in Yogyakarta which offer speedy access to the Internet. Several hotels provide wireless Internet access on the lobby. Ask the front desk about internet access. The Taman Sari food court at the Plaza Ambarrukmo, coloquially known as Amplas offers a free wireless internet service for any WiFi compatible device.
aldonet, Jl. Babarsari, blok PJKA no 4 Depok, Sleman Yogyakarta Phone : (0274) 487007 .
Chanet, Jl. Dr. Wahidin no 4 lempuyangan Yogyakarta Phone : (0274) 560277
Gama Student Internet Center, UPT Perpustakaan Unit 2 Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jalan C. Simanjuntak.
Ibis, Ibis Maliboro Hotel lobby (near to the 'Link Cafe' at Malioboro Mall).
Intersat, Jalan Adisucipto 49, Yogyakarta 55281, +62 274 547732.
Shooternet, Jalan Ampel 10 Papringan Yogyakarta 55281.
Tourism
Tourism Information Centre in Jogyakarta:
Jalan Malioboro 56, 62 274 587 486, (fax: +62 274 565 437),
Jalan Malioboro 16, +62 274 586809.
Jalan Cendana 11, +62 274 562628, 564945 (fax: +62 274 564945).
Stay safe
Like any other larger Indonesian city, Yogya has its share of petty crime like pickpocketing, especially in local city busses. Watch out for gallery scams and streetsellers trying to get comission for batik. Most of them occur around kraton and Jalan Malioboro. Especially the government art centre scam which includes cheap transport to the 'genuine' gallery. An earthquake in 2006 caused severe damage. The volcanic presence of Mount Merapi, which also last erupted in 2006, looms over the city.
Cope
Emergency
Ambulance: 118.
Police: 110.
Yogyakarta Police headquarters:, Jalan Ringroad Utara, +62 274 563494
Yogyakarta Police station, Jalan Reksobayan 1, +62 274 512511, 512940.
List of hospitals with 24 hours emergency room (ER):
RSUP Dr. Sardjito, Jalan Kesehatan 1 Yogyakarta 55284. +62 274 587333, 547783.
RSUD Kota Jogyakarta, Jalan Wirosaban 1, +62 274 371195.
RS Bethesda, Jalan Jendral Sudirman 70, +62 274 586688, 562246.
RS Panti Rapih, Jalan Cik Ditiro 30, +62 274 514845.
Get out
North
The 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 5:00 am 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.
Mount Merbabu & Mount Merapi, Central Java.
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.
East
The 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 kms 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.
South
Parangtritis 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.
Yogyakarta— despite the official spelling, the name is usually pronounced and not uncommonly written Jogjakarta or just Jogja (JOGH-jah) — is a major tourist destination in Indonesia. It is the capital city of the province of Yogyakarta Special Region which is located in the southern part of the Central Java province, Indonesia.
Understand
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.
At 6:30am on Saturday morning, May 27th 2006, a Richter 5.9 earthquake struck the province of Yogyakarta and the adjoining district of Klaten in Central Java. Although relatively mild, from 40 kms below the surface the earthquake produced violent shockwaves that wobbled through the soft clay soils of Yogya's southern and eastern rice paddy districts for a brutal 60 odd seconds. In this briefest moment in time nearly 6,000 people died and over 300,000 houses were completely destroyed, with another 300,000 seriously damaged, making the Jogja earthquake, (in terms of physical damage) one of the worst in global history
Although Yogyakarta city was less than 25 kms from the epicenter few areas of the city suffered significant visual damage, with most damage confined to the south and east of the city centre in areas such as the famous silver smithing area of Kota Gede and the artsy areas to the south of Jl Prawirotaman
The massive response by the people of Java, the Indonesian government and the national and international aid community has resulted in one of the most rapid and effective disaster recovery operations ever.
The above said, many residents of the affected districts of Jogja and Central Java still remain deeply traumatized, continuing to suffer from the deep pain caused by the loss of family, injuries and loss of livelihoods. Aid efforts continue to this day, with many families still housed in makeshift or semi complete accommodation. Visitors should feel encouraged to travel through the earthquake affected area, assisting however they can
Get in
By plane
Yogyakarta's Adisucipto International Airport (JOG), 8 km east of town, is a small but busy domestic hub presently (2005) undergoing renovation and expansion. There are near-hourly connections on Garuda to Jakarta (50 minutes) and Denpasar, while
other domestic airlines service major cities in Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi.International connection from Malaysia is provided by AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines. AirAsia Malaysia (AK) now flies to Adisucipto Airport on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from Kuala Lumpur whereas Malaysia Airlines serves Yogyakarta on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.
There is a tourist information desk, ATM and taxi stand in the arrivals hall. A metered taxi to the city or direct to Prambanan costs about Rp 20,000. A departure tax of Rp 25,000 is charged for domestic flights.
Bandar Udara Internasional Adisucipto (Adisucipto International AIrport), Jalan Solo km9, Yogyakarta 55282, +62 274 484261 (fax: +62 274 488155).
By bus
The main bus station is Giwangan, 4 km to the southeast of the center. There are regular services throughout the island, including Jakarta (9 hours), Bandung (6 hours), and Surabaya (8 hours).
Terminal Penumpang Giwangan (Giwangan Bus Terminal). Jalan Imogiri, Giwangan, Yogyakarta 55163, +62 274 378288, 7482222 (fax: +62 274 7483333
There is also a new bus station as of March 2008 which is part of the Trans Jogja Busway System inside the airport. From there you can get to any one of the many bus stations in the system. It costs Rp 3000 for a ticket.
By train
Trains to Jakarta take between 7 to 12 hours from the main Yogyakarta station, commonly called Tugu Station. The Argo-class trains (Argo Lawu and Argo Dwipangga) are the best of the lot: most comfortable and fastest. Taksaka is almost as good. These expresses connect Yogyakarta and Jakarta in 7-8 hours, either at daytime or overnight. The line between Kroya and Prupuk, where the railway crosses the main backbone mountains of Java, is scenic.
Passengers to/from Bandung should take the Argo Wilis or Lodaya expresses which traverse a scenic part of Java during daylight hours, with rice fields and mountains. The fare is Rp155.000 including lunch.
Passengers to Surabaya are served by the twice-daily Sancaka service departing in the morning and afternoon.
Yogyakarta and Solo is connected by the five Prambanan Ekspres trains. Despite the name, the train does not stop at Prambanan, and even if it does make an unscheduled stop, the station is rather far from the temple complex of Prambanan.
Stasiun Tugu (Tugu Central Railway Station), Jalan Mangkubumi 1, Yogyakarta 55232, +62 274 589685. The main central station, serves big city destinations such as Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, and Solo.
Stasiun Lempuyangan (Lempuyangan Railway Station), Jalan Lempuyangan, Yogyakarta 552224. Serves economy class trains and small city destinations.
Get around
Yogyakarta is a relatively small city, so travelling around town should not be too expensive.
By taxi
Yogyakarta's taxis are metered and nowadays most taxi drivers are trustworthy. Flagfall is Rp 5000 and most trips around the center of town should not cost more than Rp 15,000. After dark the minimum fare for a taxi is Rp 10,000 even if the meter reads less that Rp 10,000. If by chance you find a taxi driver that you feel comfortable with and trustworthy, ask for his cellular phone number so that next time you need to travel you can call directly to his cell phone and arrange your travel needs. Most taxi drivers will be more than happy to do this.
Taksi Armada, +62 274 517248.
Taksi ASA, +62 274 545545.
Taksi Centris, +62 274 544977.
Taksi Indra Kelana, +62 274 564572, 563910.
Taksi JAS, +62 274 373737.
Taksi Pandawa, +62 274 370000.
Taksi Pataga, +62 274 371725.
Taksi Primkopad, +62 274 621055.
Taksi Rajawali, +62 274 561459, 512976.
Taksi Sadewa, +62 274 376107.
Taksi Setia Kawan, +62 274 412000, 7117333.
Taksi Vetri, +62 274 563555.
By trishaw
Traditional three-wheeled and pedal-powered cart, known as becak, which can be found in most part of Yogyakarta. Haggle furiously before getting into the becak. Be sure to determine whether the price is for a one-way or return (pulang) trip and if you want the driver to wait whilst you conduct your shopping or business. A ride from within the city to the Malioboro shopping precinct should not cost more than Rp 20,000.
By horse cart
Traditional horse-pulled carts, known as andong, or dokar, wait for tourists outside hotspots like the train station, the Kraton and Mal Malioboro. Haggle furiously. The traditional route is from Jalan Malioboro to Keraton, and this is where you'll find most andong. Usually, andong opt to take you to shop for fake Dagadu t-shirt in Ngasem area with hefty prices. Then, andong will take you back to your initial journey. The cost for one round trip for andong is Rp 20,000 (twenty thousand rupiahs). Usually they ask for Rp 30,000 but they may settle for less. Andong can accommodate up to 5 adult passengers.
By bus
Medium and small size buses are the main public transport in Yogyakarta.
There are two kind of bus: regular and patas. Patas buses, known as TransJogja operates from 6AM to 10PM and stops only at designated shelters. Unlike regular buses, TransJogja is air-conditioned and generally safer. Tickets can be purchased directly at the shelters and cost for single trip is Rp 3000. Passangers may purchase regular trip cards which cuts per tip cost to Rp 2700, and allows transit to other shelter. There are six routes, and route maps can be downloaded here .
Regular buses normally operates from 6 am to 5 pm, and some long routes extend their operation until 9 pm. Please never bring anything valuable on public buses, pickpockets in buses are now more common than ever before. Cost for single trip is Rp 2000 regardless of distance (within the city). Usually on a bus there will be one driver and one helper who will hang from the side of the bus and handle money and try to get passengers. The helper will usually tap you on the shoulder to indicate you should pay him. If there is no helper you can pay the driver directly. When you are ready to get off a bus, tell the driver or helper "Kiri," which means left. Animated bus route maps are available at Transportation Agency of Yogyakarta website.
Contact
The international country code for Indonesia is 62. The local area code for Yogyakarta is 274. There are three main telecommunication providers in Indonesia: Telkom Indonesia, Indosat and Excelcomindo. Coin operated public phones are limited in Yogyakarta. However there are many official telephone kiosks called Wartel.
International dialing
To make an IDD call from Indonesia, dial the access code 001 (for Indosat) and 007 (for Telkom), followed by the country code, area code and party's number.
also available cheaper IDD call via VoIP Technologies, IDD Prefix is 01016 (for Indosat user) and 01017 (for Wartel, Telkom, and Telkomsel user), and 01000 (for XL -excelcom- user)
Mobile Phones
Mobile Phones are carried by almost everyone in Indonesia. Prepaid SIM cards are widely available from many telecommunication providers, such as, Telkomsel, XL, indosat and Three, just bring your own GSM 900 or GSM 1800 phone. The pre-paid SIM card costs around Rp 10,000 up to Rp 30.000. A local phone call costs between Rp 500-Rp 2000 per minute. Local text message (SMS) costs about Rp 350, while international SMS cost about Rp 3000.
also available for CDMA users, Telkom Flexy, Indosat Jagoan, And Mobile-8 which are cheaper, but you must have RUIM CDMA Phone
Internet
There are many internet cafes in Yogyakarta which offer speedy access to the Internet. Several hotels provide wireless Internet access on the lobby. Ask the front desk about internet access. The Taman Sari food court at the Plaza Ambarrukmo, coloquially known as Amplas offers a free wireless internet service for any WiFi compatible device.
aldonet, Jl. Babarsari, blok PJKA no 4 Depok, Sleman Yogyakarta Phone : (0274) 487007 .
Chanet, Jl. Dr. Wahidin no 4 lempuyangan Yogyakarta Phone : (0274) 560277
Gama Student Internet Center, UPT Perpustakaan Unit 2 Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jalan C. Simanjuntak.
Ibis, Ibis Maliboro Hotel lobby (near to the 'Link Cafe' at Malioboro Mall).
Intersat, Jalan Adisucipto 49, Yogyakarta 55281, +62 274 547732.
Shooternet, Jalan Ampel 10 Papringan Yogyakarta 55281.
Tourism
Tourism Information Centre in Jogyakarta:
Jalan Malioboro 56, 62 274 587 486, (fax: +62 274 565 437),
Jalan Malioboro 16, +62 274 586809.
Jalan Cendana 11, +62 274 562628, 564945 (fax: +62 274 564945).
Stay safe
Like any other larger Indonesian city, Yogya has its share of petty crime like pickpocketing, especially in local city busses. Watch out for gallery scams and streetsellers trying to get comission for batik. Most of them occur around kraton and Jalan Malioboro. Especially the government art centre scam which includes cheap transport to the 'genuine' gallery. An earthquake in 2006 caused severe damage. The volcanic presence of Mount Merapi, which also last erupted in 2006, looms over the city.
Cope
Emergency
Ambulance: 118.
Police: 110.
Yogyakarta Police headquarters:, Jalan Ringroad Utara, +62 274 563494
Yogyakarta Police station, Jalan Reksobayan 1, +62 274 512511, 512940.
List of hospitals with 24 hours emergency room (ER):
RSUP Dr. Sardjito, Jalan Kesehatan 1 Yogyakarta 55284. +62 274 587333, 547783.
RSUD Kota Jogyakarta, Jalan Wirosaban 1, +62 274 371195.
RS Bethesda, Jalan Jendral Sudirman 70, +62 274 586688, 562246.
RS Panti Rapih, Jalan Cik Ditiro 30, +62 274 514845.
Get out
North
The 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 5:00 am 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.
Mount Merbabu & Mount Merapi, Central Java.
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.
East
The 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 kms 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.
South
Parangtritis 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.
Pandam
April 12, 2010 at 4:22 PM
the most beautiful city in the planet!