Prambanan
The absolutely stunning temple complex of Prambanan was constructed in the 8th century, and is the largest Hindu temple complex in Indonesia. It is also the second-largest in Southeast Asia, behind only Angkor Wat. The three main temples tower as high as 47m, making them taller than even the famous Borobudur. Consisting of an incredible 240 temples in total.
Much of the Prambanan complex still lies in ruins, the result of several large earthquakes over the past few hundred years. The main temples have been rebuilt, but restoration of the lesser temples is ongoing. Construction of the original temples was incredible, with no mortar or steel rods involved. Instead, every piece was carved to fit into its spot perfectly. Due to a lack of funding, only several teams of builders and archaeologists are able to work at any one time, making the process painstakingly slow. Its estimated work on the entire complex will take over 200 years to complete.
It’s fairly easy to get to Prambanan from Yogyakarta. I hired a Gojek, which dropped me off at the ticket entrance gate. I then returned to Yogyakarta by train.
Borobudur
This is the largest Buddhist temple in the world. If you visit Yogyakarta you’re eventually going to hear about Borobudur. Visiting Borobudur is a must if you are in Central Java, and particularly if you are in Yogyakarta.
Borobudur Temple was constructed in the 8th century, and is composed of a single building covering a massive 2500 sq metres. The temple has nine levels, tops out at 35m, and has an incredible 2672 reliefs and 504 Buddha statues. Borobudur was lost to humanity sometime around the 10th century. There are many theories as to why this happened, but it’s believed that much of the temple was buried in ash by an eruption of Gunung Merapi. Subsequent Merapi eruptions caused the relocation of the Mataram kingdom to East Java, leaving the area, and Borobudur, abandoned. It was finally rediscovered in 1814 when Thomas Stamford Raffles sent a party into the jungle to investigate rumours of a lost religious monument. Over the years several restoration projects were attempted, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that major restorations were undertaken. Borobudur was eventually World Heritage listed in 1991.
It’s obviously possible to visit Borobudor on an organised tour, I chose to get there independently. This was a little more challenging! From the centre of Yogyakarta you need to get to Terminal Jombor bus station. From here you take the bus to the junction for Borobudor. It’s then a 15-minute drive to the temple complex. Small vans do the run, it’s just a case of flagging one down and telling them where you want to go. Getting back to Yogyakarta is the reverse of this.
The entrance fee structure is a little complex. You really want to be able to climb the temple if you visit. Numbers are restricted so it’s best to buy your ticket online at GOERS before you visit, especially at busy times – morning and late afternoon. It’s not the easiest web site to navigate – so double check everything is correct before paying. The site accepts credit cards.
