Candi Prambanan is located just outside of Yogyakarta, and is one of the most amazing places I have visited in the area so far. In fact, I would have to say that it is one of the most spectacular places that I have visited in ALL of Indonesia. Photos of Candi Prambanan really cannot do it justice. Even though they LOOK incredible, nothing can compare you for what is awaiting you in real life.
Table of Contents
- About Candi Prambanan
- What to expect at Candi Prambanan
- Ratu Boko
- How to get to Candi Prambanan
- Where to stay
- Summary
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About Candi Prambanan
Candi Prambanan is a massive Hindu Temple Complex that was originally constructed in the 8th Century. It is the largest Hindu Temple Site in Indonesia, and the second largest in South East Asia, behind only Angkor Wat. Prambanan is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The complex at Prambanan consists of 240 temples in total, most of which are being reconstructed after severe damage by earthquakes. Most have been completely razed to the ground. These are being painstakingly rebuilt by teams of archaeologists, and the results are amazing.
A complete rebuild
So far, work on the main structures has been completed, and is now being undertaken on the smaller temples. The three main temples are dedicated to the three gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. They are tall, pointy temples, the center one topping out at an incredible 47 metres!
The rebuild of this amazing complex is painstaking for those involved. Each temple has to be put back together piece by piece. Not unlike a Lego puzzle, and the similarities are astounding. These temples were not held together by rods or bolts. There was no mortar slapped in between the giant blocks. Instead, each individual block was carved to intricately inbed itself into the block next to it. Have a look at the photo below to see what I mean.
Years of reconstructive work
To hear that the complete and utter damage that was wrought on Candi Prambanan was inflicted by earthquakes is mind boggling. For such large and solid structures, there is not much remaining other than the original building materials. From above, you can see that they were perfectly aligned, and that the complex had an order to it. From ground level, though, all that is visible is ruins.
The temples that have already been reconstructed show how amazing the complex was. I have never seen anything like it, and would give my eye teeth to be able to see it when it is completed. Unfortunately, that won’t happen. This is why…
Each of the SMALL temples takes 1 year to complete reconstruction.
The MEDIUM temples take 2 years to rebuild.
The LARGE temples, take 10 YEARS to rebuild.
At Candi Sewu, which is a neighboring temple that is part of the larger Prambanan complex, it will take a staggering 200 years to complete reconstruction. With that thought in mind, one can only imagine how long it will take to repair the entire complex.
With reconstruction taking so long, I made an inquiry as to why they don’t simply get more teams working on more temples at once. It seemed I could only see several teams (made up of about 6 men) working throughout the massive 39.8 hectares. The answer was simply lack of Government funds, which is a shame for such a unique and incredible Heritage Site.
What to expect at Candi Prambanan
Expect to be blown away! No matter what you know about Candi Prambanan already, and what you have seen in photos, or even from the road, you will still not be prepared. This place is massive, and I will go out on a limb to say that I was even more impressed than I was with nearby Borobudur!
So put on your walking shoes (you will do a bit) and grab your camera, because this is going to be a day out that you will remember forever.
Ticket Prices
When you arrive at Candi Prambanan, you will walk from the car park, up a few stairs toward the ticket office. If the Covid restrictions are still in place, then expect to check in with Pendulilindungi, (or show your vaccination details) get your temperature checks and wash your hands before you hit the ticket queue.
At the ticket office, you will be presented with a couple of options. Firstly, depending on whether you are local, tourist, or have a Kitas, you will pay different prices. Also, you will have the option to include a trip to nearby Ratu Boko as part of the entry price. I highly recommend doing this, and will cover that Complex a little more later in this guide.
Ticket Prices for Candi Prambanan:
- Approx $35 AUD for tourist on normal visa
- Approx $5 AUD for local or Kitas Holder
- Approx $7.50 AUD for local or Kitas Holder for combined Prambanan and Ratu Bokor ticket
- Unsure of combined ticket for tourist, but saving is big to combine the tickets!
Get a Candi Prambanan Guide!
As soon as you walk through the front gate of Candi Prambanan, you will be presented with the option to hire a guide. They sort of jump out of the wood work at you, offering you their services. My suggestions is to GET A GUIDE!
I say this for one reason. They are worth their weight in gold.
At a complex as big as Candi Prambanan, there is SO MUCH you can miss if you don’t have someone showing you around. They will take you to places you didn’t know you could go, and also into places you cannot go WITHOUT a guide. I lost count of how many times we were posing for photos and other visitors were watching us in bewilderment. All because they didn’t have a guide and access to those places.
The other thing with a guide is that they know the best places to get photos, and the very best angles. We were struggling with back light, and he showed us a lot better place to get photos from that we wouldn’t have thought of ourselves. Our guide cost us $10 AUD, and I actually ended up tipping him even more. His services were THAT good!
The main temples
The three main temples of Candi Prambanan are the reasons you are there. They are the major attraction, and what you see in all the photos online. There is SO much more to the entire complex, but the beginning, and the majority of your trip will be spent in and around them.
Walk from the entry gate toward the temples, and you will pass the large white Prambanan sign. Pose for photos here (if you can get it to yourself) and then head toward the smaller gate that provides access to the Temple Complex.
At this point you can get some wonderful photos looking up the stairs toward the temples. This is a great spot and one that you will see in every tourist photo of the place. Our guide, however, led us off to the side. Here, you will find some great billboards with information about Candi Prambanan. We didn’t have any need to read it, however, as our guide was a walking encyclopedia. He had been a guide there for 27 years, and there was nothing he didn’t know!
Look for different angles
Off to the side he also showed us a different spot for photos on the grass among the ruins. This gave us a unique and different perspective to that of all the other visitors that day. He then showed us through the ruins as we took a back path up to the main temples. Along the way he explained about how the blocks all fit together, and how long it took to construct.
The main temples are absolutely MASSIVE, with the center one towering over us at 47 meters tall. This is higher even than Borobudur! The intricacies of the carvings and architecture are astounding. The guide even pointed out the way water runs off it during storms, and how the designs forms fountains that shoot out sideways to dispel the rain water. Amazing.
We spent a lot of time at this spot. Around the back we found it a lot quieter, and the photos came out a lot clearer. there is a nice grassy area and a few trees you can rest under. So take the time to wander around while you are there and really explore the temples from all sides.
You can go inside the temples if they are open. During the Covid Pandemic, the insides were closed. There is not too much to see, but there are some carvings of the Gods. Be aware that it is rather small inside, so be careful if you are claustrophobic.
Three bonus temples
If you took note of the map on the way in, then you will have noticed that the main temples are not all there is to Candi Prambanan. Exit the main temple complex the opposite way to where you entered, and you will find signs taking you to 3 other temples.
These are a lot smaller, but unique in their own ways. But first, you can decide to get a ride in the train or golf cart. We took the golf cart for $2 AUD each. It was worth it, as it is a kilometre out to the furthest temple from that point. On a hot day, I was happy to pay.
The cart will take you past all three temples. Candi Lumbung, Candi Bumbrah and Candi Sewu.
You can stop if you like, but I definitely advise you to stop and have a good look around the third one, Candi Sewu. “Sewu” means “thousand” and you can see how it got this name. The main temple here is surrounded by many smaller temples, and is quite amazing to walk around.
Other things to do at Candi Prambanan
On the way back you will pass, and find, a few other things you can do. You will pass by the Prambanan Museum, as well as a mini zoo with cute reindeer and other wildlife. If you are of a mind, there is also archery (for some reason) to try your hand at. This seemed so “left field” that I had to give it a go!
Now, head back to the gate, and the car park. If you bought the ticket that includes Ratu Boko, then go and find where to catch the complimentary bus. We, however, just made our own way there by scooter.
Ratu Boko
About 3 kilometres to the south of Candi Prambanan sits Ratu Boko. I found this place beautiful, and it is a perfect way to wrap up a day at Prambanan. The complex sits on a high plateau with great views. If the day is a clear one, you will get some amazing sunset photos from Ratu Boko.
Covering an area of 16 hectares, Ratu Boko isn’t actually a temple, as much as the remains of an ancient settlement. The main areas seem to surround the Kraton (palace) and bathing pools that were utilized by the Princess and other women. As you walk about the large and sprawling complex in the waning light of the day, you cannot help but be awed by its beauty.
There are many places to get some wonderful photos at Ratu Boko. The most popular place is at the top of the main stairway, where there seems to be the remains of some ancient stone door frames, or archways. The outlook from here is amazing, showing views right across to the distant mountains. The archways will perfectly frame the sunset if you are there at the right time.
Follow the path around from there and you will locate the Kraton ruins, and the beautiful bathing pools. These are all great spots to stop and rest, and I personally sat around at the pools for quite a while taking photos.
How to get to Candi Prambanan
Getting to Candi Prambanan is pretty easy. It is located only a short drive out of Yogyakarta, and sits beside the main road. You can find an easy Google Maps location HERE.
Personally I think the best and easiest way to get to Candi Prambanan is to drive or ride yourself. It is very easy to get around Yogyakarta on scooter. If you have your international drivers permit is is not hard to rent a reliable scooter.
Another option is to get yourself a car and driver, although this might be a waste if you hire a driver for the whole day and spend the entire time walking around a temple complex.
The final option is to take a tour. You can get some amazing tours to Candi Prambanan, and even combine it with a tour of Borobudur if you like. I will put a link below to my favorite Prambanan tour.
Where to stay
Candi Prambanan is not too out of the way, and unlike Borobudur is easy to get to from where ever you decide to stay. If you want to be as local as possible, though, my suggestion is definitely the Amaranta Prambanan. It is highly rated, local, and gets a whopping 5 stars on reviews. Click the link below to check it out.
If staying local is not a major factor, and you want to visit other places whilst in Yogyakarta, then I would suggest staying in the city itself. Click the link below for a list of accommodation available!
Summary
I rate Candi Prambanan extremely high in my list of best places I have visited in Indonesia. Its incredible history, and simple “WOW” factor blew me away. I hope this guide helps you out, and don’t forget to drop me a line or just comment on this article if you have any questions.
Have you been to Taman Sari yet?
As a footnote to my article about Candi Prambanan, I just HAVE to mention Taman Sari Water Castle. This is a place that I absolutely loved the first time I visited Yogyakarta, and I go back every time I visit the city. Do yourself a favor and get along to check out how the Sultanate entertained themselves (once upon a time) and learn a bit about the history of Yogyakarta.
DON’T FORGET to leave a comment below. I promise to reply!
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