{"id":408,"date":"2014-12-02T10:43:48","date_gmt":"2014-12-02T15:43:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/?p=408"},"modified":"2014-12-02T10:43:48","modified_gmt":"2014-12-02T15:43:48","slug":"a-week-in-yogyakarta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/a-week-in-yogyakarta\/","title":{"rendered":"A Week in Yogyakarta"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a great couple of days in Jakarta<\/a>, a nice\u00a0trip to the botanical gardens of Bogor<\/a>, and a wild day hiking up to a dormant volcano in Bandung<\/a>, it was time to bid farewell to West Java. From Jakarta, we took a day train bound for Yogyakarta. Also commonly known as Jogja, this is the capital of the Yogyakarta Special Region and the most popular tourist destination in Java. It’s also a center for education and culture, which explains its nicknames – Kota Pelajar<\/strong> (Student’s City) and Kota Budaya<\/strong> (Cultural City). As for the actual name of the city,\u00a0Yogya<\/i> means “suitable, fit, proper”, and karta <\/i>means\u00a0<\/i>“prosperous, flourishing” – “a city that is fit to prosper.” This city\u00a0has a lot to offer, so make sure you budget enough time to fully explore. We were fortunate enough to hang around for an entire week, and I had the opportunity to take a crash course in Indonesian with the amazing teachers at Puri Bahasa<\/a>. Here are some thoughts and tips for an awesome trip in Yogyakarta:<\/p>\n

A Scenic Train Ride<\/h2>\n
\"Scenes<\/a>

Scenes from the train ride across Java.<\/p><\/div>\n

If you’re heading to Yogyakarta from the capital or another big city such as Bandung, there are plenty of trains throughout the day. Make sure you get tickets for a day train, as the scenery is worth the price of the ticket alone and you’d be missing out on an overnight journey.\u00a0Forget flying over this beautiful landscape and ride the rails – it’s cheaper, much more scenic, and better\u00a0for the environment.<\/p>\n

Explore a Palace<\/h2>\n
\"Inside<\/a>

Inside the Sulan’s Palace of Jogja.<\/p><\/div>\n

The main tourist attraction in the city is without a doubt the Kraton<\/strong> (Sultan’s Palace). Although the Sultan doesn’t wield as much power as he did before Indonesian independence, he is still the governor of the region. Visitors are allowed to stroll around part of the complex in the mornings, but it’s still used for official purposes the rest of the day. It’s a beautifully designed place, and well worth a couple of hours. Make sure you stick around for the daily cultural performance which differs from day to day.<\/p>\n

\"Lots<\/a>

Lots of music and dance in the Kraton.<\/p><\/div>\n