“Make sure you go from left to right,” Ibu Wagiyem gently reminds me as she watches me trace a delicate pattern with a spouted copper tool filled with hot wax. I am learning how to make batik (a bargain at less than £5 for a two-hour lesson), a fabric design using dye and wax that originated 2,000 years ago here in Java – the Javanese word “tik”, means “to dot.”
And what better place to do it than at the Batik Museum in Yogyakarta, one of Indonesia’s best-known centres for batik production?
At the heart of Java – the world’s most populous island, where you will also find Jakarta, the Indonesian capital – Yogyakarta (also known as Jogja) is dedicated to preserving thousands of years of culture. Once the seat of power of the Hindu-Buddhist Mataram Kingdom, the city is widely regarded as the cultural heart of Indonesia.
Between the 8th and 9th centuries, classical Javanese art and architecture flourished under the kingdom, and today, the region is dotted with temples and historical buildings in the shadow of Mount Merapi, the country’s most active volcano.
While Yogyakarta is popular among domestic tourists, few foreigners venture here: in 2023, Yogyakarta received 105,511 foreign tourists, compared with Bali’s 5.37 million.
This is the only city in the republic of Indonesia still ruled by a monarchy, who reside at the Kraton, the palace complex that’s home to the current sultan, Hamengkubuwono X. Visit the ornate Javanese buildings, pavilions and shaded courtyards in the morning and you’ll catch one of the daily performances of classical dance, gamelan (traditional Javanese orchestra), poetry reading and puppetry. Nearby is Taman Sari Water Castle, a royal retreat of picturesque pools for bathing and meditation.
Yogyakarta is also a centre for silver-smithing. Many artisan studios are found in the Kotagede neighbourhood, where you can watch craftsmen at work. Some, such as Studio 76, offer jewellery-making workshops that cost less than £20 per person, including your finished piece of jewellery.
Jalan Malioboro is the place to buy artisan-made handicrafts and souvenirs. This lively street extends north-south for a kilometre and is lined with shops, open-air markets and food vendors. There are items of clothing for £3, bags for £1 and little souvenirs for pennies. You won’t pay more than £2 for a portion of grilled beef skewers or gudeg, a traditional Yogyakarta dish of curried jackfruit served with chicken, egg and a variety of sides.
There are plenty of museums to visit, including the huge Museum Sonobudoyo that documents Javanese history and culture with ancient weapons, traditional masks and costumes, statues, puppets and more. Fort Vredeburg Museum is housed in a Dutch colonial fort, where interesting exhibitions showcase Indonesia’s fight for independence.
Beyond the city is a landscape of pine forests, waterfalls, mountain ridges, caves and temples, while 45 minutes south are black volcanic beaches.
To the west of Yogyakarta is Borobudur, one of the world’s greatest Buddhist temples and a Unesco World Heritage Site. Dating to the 8th century, the colossal monument of dozens of stone stupas crowns a hilltop and has stupendous views of the thick jungle below.
To the east of the city is Prambanan, a 9th-century Hindu temple and the largest of its kind dedicated to Shiva in Indonesia. Many of the stone structures are almost perfectly preserved, carved delicately with reliefs that illustrate the epic of the Ramayana.
It’s worth splashing out on a front row, VIP seat at the Ramayana Prambanan Ballet, which costs £22.20 per person. The illuminated temple provides a backdrop to the outdoor auditorium at which the Hindu legend is told through a mesmerising performance of Javanese dance. Acrobatics, fireworks, beautiful gamelan music – it’s all here.
As I watch the epic battle scenes unfold, I wonder why there aren’t more foreign tourists visiting. I’ve soaked in so much more culture in my three days here than in multiple visits to Bali – and it’s been much kinder on my wallet, too.
Getting there
Yogyakarta is served by flights from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Denpasar (Bali), as well as trains from Jakarta, taking six to eight hours.
Staying there
Meliá Purosani Yogyakarta has spacious rooms set around a tropical garden and lagoon pool, from £61, melia.com.
The Phoenix Hotel is set in a colonial building. Rooms from £46, accor.com.
Getting around
ViaVia offers bicycle tours of the city for £20pp.
More information
indonesia.travel/gb/en/destinations/java/yogyakarta.html
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