A pleasant escape from the city, this resort on the slopes of Mt. Merapi is surrounded by enchanting countryside. The “Telogo Muncar” waterfall and charming bungalows for rent make this a perfect place to get away from it all while traveling.

A popular seaside resort 27 km south of Yogyakarta on the Indian Ocean, Parang Tritis is famous in Javanese mythology as the home of the Goddess of the South Seas, who was married to Panembahan Senopati, founder of the Mataram Kingdom. Every year the sultans of Yogyakarta make special offerings to her in a beachside ceremony called “Labuhan”.

Situated on the eastern outskirts of the city, the Batik Research Center has an interesting permanent exhibition of batiks in classic and modern designs. Both the hand-drawn and hand stamped batik processes can be seen here.

Southwest of Yogyakarta lies the village of Kasongan, known throughout Indonesia for its artistic pottery and earthenware.

Set in a lush garden off the main road between the airport and the city stands the Affandi Museum. Affandi was Indonesia’s foremost impressionist painter who built a private museum for his own paintings and of those of his daughter Kartika.

Kotagede, a picturesque town about five kilometres southeast of Yogyakarta, was once the seat of the mighty Mataram Empire. Since the 1930’s Kotagede has become famous as the center of the Yogya silverwork industry. Kotagede is easily reached by four wheeled horse drawn cart, taxi, bus, or car. There are a number of workshops where visitors are welcome to watch the famous silversmiths at work.

This museum, founded in November 1935 and designed by the Dutch architect Kersten, is built in the traditional Javanese style of architecture. On exhibit are weapons, leather and wooden puppets of wayang theatre, masks, statues, textiles, curios and old Javanese gamelan instruments. The museum is situated on the northern side of the city’s main square in front of the Sultan’s Palace.

At Yogyakarta’s northern ringroad is the Monumen Yogya Kembali, established to commemorate Yogyakarta as the capital of the Republic of Indonesia in 1949. The monument has three floors. The first floor holds a museum, a library, an auditorium and cafeteria.

600 m northeast of the Kalasan temple sits the slender and beautiful Sari Temple, formerly a Buddhist sanctuary (Vihara) where Buddhist priests used to live, meditate and teach their followers.

This unique Buddhist temple is located some16 km east of Yogyakarta, on the south side of the main road between Yogyakarta and Solo. It was built in honor of the marriage between king Pancapana of the Sanjaya Dynasty and a Princess of the Cailendra Dynasty, Dyah Pramudya Wardhani. It is elaborately ornate, with finely carved relief preserved with “vajralepa”, from the sap of a local tree.