Well, all I can say is that the first couple of weeks in Jogja have been HUGE! We have covered so much, I honestly don’t know what we are going to do over the next few weeks. We don’t leave and head back to Bali until the 20th December, so still have quite a bit of time here. Jo assures me we still have plenty to do, but after our trip this week to Gunung Kidul Beaches, along with the amazing temples and sunsets we have seen, she will have a hard time topping it!
So where do I start? The beginning, I guess. That’s always a good place.
Table of Contents
- A couple of amazing temples
- Surprises I didn’t know existed
- The (in) famous Gondola
- Gunung Kidul Beaches
- The next week
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A couple of amazing temples
You couldn’t call these places anything OTHER than amazing. We started out on our very first day by heading to Candi Prambanan. This temple is over a thousand years old and totally blew my socks off! I simply could not believe how amazing it was. I won’t go into too much detail, as I already wrote a lengthy blog post on it, which you can check out HERE.
Just be assured that if you ever visit Jogja, you HAVE to get along to this temple and see it for yourself.
The next place we went was the very next day. The weather was holding steady at a sunny and almost cloudless 30 degrees, so we thought we would make the most of it. You don’t waste days like these during wet season.
So we woke up early, had coffee and hit the road to Borobudur. Now, if you have been living under a rock, you probably won’t know that this is one of the 7 wonders of the world, so I was pretty keen to finally see it. I must say, though, that I was left a little disappointed by the experience.
A let down, but not really, but yes, really…
To say that Borobudur was a let down would be wrong. The place is amazing, and is one of the 7 wonders for a reason. But then, how many times has a “wonder of the world” let someone down? Plenty!
For me, it wasn’t the place itself. Borobodur is unique and awe inspiring. To stand in front of it and gaze up at it makes you feel so small, and you realize how little you actually mean in this big, nasty world. Having said that, Prambanan did the same and left me even MORE amazed. But I digress…
The problems with Borobodur were, I have to say, most likely unique with MY experience, and I am certain that you will have a totally different experience. But this is MY blog and about MY experience.
Firstly, there was the traffic. Now, if you take a tour this won’t even register with you. But for me, riding a scooter, the traffic was heavy. For 2 solid hours we fought the trucks and constant traffic to get to the temple. Then, same on the way home.
Second, and this is the big one. It wasn’t even open! Well, technically it was, but with covid restrictions you couldn’t do anything. They took our money at the ticket office, and didn’t say one word about the restrictions. We climbed up a BACK WAY to the temple, because of maintenance, and then found that the entire temple was “off limits” and we could only stand at the base and take photos.
Apparently this was due to the risk of people brushing by each other in the narrow stairwells up in the temple, which was ridiculous. Simply because they had herded us like cattle through the gate to get our temperature checks, and then into golf carts 16 at a time to ferry us up to the temple. It just goes to show that money talks, and once they have it, the experience actually comes a distance third, right after daylight!
Don’t for any reason take this as me saying do not go to Borobudur. Because I can tell you that I will be going back again some day. Just don’t go this week! Because you will be disappointed. Wait until 2022, when hopefully things will be back to normal.
Surprises I didn’t know existed
So after Prambanan and Borobudur, we have also visited a few places that I didn’t even know existed. To be fair, I really didn’t know that much about Yogyakarta (Jogja) in the first place. So there is STILL probably a lot I don’t know about.
As part of the ticket entry price for Prambanan, you can get entry into Rotu Boko if you pay the extra. This meant nothing to me at first, but when we went later that day to check it out, I was blown away. I loved Rotu Boko, and you can read about it in my Candi Prambanan article HERE.
The place is basically old ruins of a water palace (for want of a better description) and I just loved wandering around and wondering what it was like in its Hey Day. The sunsets at Rotu Boko are pretty awesome too.
Now, I know my headline says Gunung Kidul Beaches, so hang tight and I will get to them soon!
First, a couple of great sunset spots that we have found around Yogyakarta.
HeHa Sky view sits on top of one of the hills to the South East of Jogja, and commands a great view out over the city. It faces West, so is perfect for the sunset. Entry is pretty cheap (about $4 AUD) and gives you access to the “sky walk” that is made specifically for catching the sunsets and views. There is a restaurant out at the end, and PLENTY of selfie spots designed just for Instagram. For those that want to eat cheap, there are food carts, and plenty of other options. Great for a nice evening catching the views.
The other place we have found is Obelix Hills. This is very similar to Sky view, but on a different hill with slightly different view and vibes. Once again, it has a large restaurant, colored beanbags to sit on, and plenty of places for photos.
One thing I will make note of here is Indonesia’s penchant for supplying DOZENS of “selfie spots” at every tourist attraction. Personally, I find it tacky, and even have a bit of a laugh. But the locals LOVE them. They will line up and take photos and just have a great time being silly for a few moments. Each to their own, I guess, but that is the Indonesian culture and attitude. They are so down to Earth and easy going.
Up near Obelix Hills is another great spot called Tebing Breksi. This place would also have great sunsets, but is mostly famous for its incredible cliff with intricate pictures carved into them. We found it great for photos, as well as the view, and spent a few hours there on the way to Obelix Hills.
The (in) famous Gondola
One of the things that I had on my list to do in Jogja was the Gondola ride. We (well, Jo) knew basically where it was, but finding it turned out to be a bit harder. With little written about it online, we followed Google maps as much as we could. Trouble was, there was not full satellite coverage out there.
Now, I’m not going to say TOO much about it here, as I will be writing a full article on it tomorrow. (I will put a link HERE, when I have one). But just chew on this until then.
It took 2 hours to get there, and then we had to go the final 7 kilometres by Jeep. The road in was terrible, and probably impassable on the scooter. In fact, we saw a few old scooter wrecks along the way.
The Gondola and island that it takes you across to were amazing. There is also the option of a suspension bridge, but I had wanted to experience the Gondola, so I did!
Wait for the article tomorrow and you can read all about it. Until then, have a look at the YouTube video above.
Gunung Kidul Beaches
The Gunung Kidul Beaches really took me by surprise. I had heard and even seen a photo or two of some nice, white sandy beaches near Jogja. But what I found went we turned up at the Gunung Kidul Beaches had me confused.
I honestly did not expect to find anything as nice as the Gunung Kidul Beaches anywhere in Java.
Now, I know that probably sounds strange, but here is how my thinking works. In Bali, for instance, the beaches are mostly black sand, and in most areas a dirty grey. This is due to the volcanic nature of the island, and the ensuing black sand you will find in such a region. To get white sand, you have to go out onto the bukit, or the Nusa Islands, where you will find some amazing beaches.
So with that in mind, and Java being home to so many volcanoes, I just figured that most beaches would be of a volcanic nature, and the black or dirty sand that you find in such places.
I was SO wrong!
The Gunung Kidul Beaches are amazing, and when I put my drone up for a better look I was blown away. The stretch of white sandy beaches reminded me of some stretches in Australia, where beach after beach of golden sand will stretch for as far as you can see.
The beaches are not easy to reach from Jogja, unless you have some transport. They are at least 90 mins to 2 hours drive or ride. The only reason we went was because the Gunung Kidul Beaches are very close to the Gondola at Pantai Timang. But I can tell you, they are worth visiting!
Unlike Bali Beaches, you will not get hassled by sellers and warung owners at the Gunung Kidul Beaches. In fact, I have found that in most of Jogja. Even in the markets, no one hassles you for a sale.
By contrast, at Gunung Kidul Beaches you can relax and enjoy yourself, even when there are many warungs lining the beaches and not many customers. The sand is beautiful and white, with crystal blue calm waters to swim or snorkel in.
Do yourself a favor if you are in Jogja, and get yourself on a day trip out to Gunung Kidul Beaches. You will NOT be disappointed!
The next week
Well the next week is shaping up to be, well, I’m not really sure! Jo has a few things we are going to do, but once again I am sort of in the dark.
We are here for a couple more weeks yet, and don’t head back to Bali until the 20th. So we will keep exploring, and hopefully find a few more surprises like the Gunung Kidul Beaches!
One place I DO want to go is a very nice village on the side of a mountain that is a few hours ride away. But that will mean a 4am start, so we will see how that works out.
For now, I will leave it here. I know this has been a long one, but we have seen and done SO much that I have probably missed some stuff. If I have, I will put in all in my Jogja wrap when we are back in Bali.
Cheers for sticking around, and I will see you all for THE JOURNEY #8 soon!
J
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