:: Yogyakarta - Central Java Travel Guides ::
Yogyakarta
is
both the name of a province Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (DIY),
literally the Special Area Yogyakarta, and the name of
one of DIY's 5 Districts, Kota (or city) Yogyakarta'.
The other districts are Sleman on the slopes of fiery Mt
Merapi to the North, Bantul all the way to the sea to
the South, the hills of Gunungkidul to the East and the
low lands of Kulon Progo to the West
One of Indonesia's few Special regions (another being
Aceh), the Yogyakarta Special Region owes its special
status to the sultanate of Hamengkubuwono, which has
ruled the area since 1749 and steered the state through
difficult times of occupation and revolution. When the
central government tried to weaken the sultan's power by
calling a direct election for the state leader, present
sultan Hamengkubuwono X was chosen by an overwhelming
majority.
Today's Yogyakarta is a bustling town of some 500,000
people and the most popular tourist destination on Java,
largely thanks to its proximity to the temples of
Borobudur and Prambanan. The town is a center of art and
education, offers some good shopping and has a wide
range of tourist facilities.
HOW TO GET THERE:
By plane
Yogyakarta's Adisucipto International Airport (JOG),
8 km east of town, is a small but busy domestic hub
presently (2005) undergoing renovation and expansion.
There are near-hourly connections on Garuda to Jakarta
(50 minutes) and Denpasar, while other domestic airlines
service major cities in Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan and
Sulawesi.
There is a tourist information desk, ATM and taxi stand
in the arrivals hall. A metered taxi to the city or
direct to Prambanan costs about Rp 20,000. A departure
tax of Rp 25,000 is charged for domestic flights.
Another option is to take a direct flight from Kuala
Lumpur to Solo (SOC) with the discount airline Air Asia.
There are bus services connection Solo to Yogyakarta. A
direct taxi costs around Rp 300,000.
* Bandar Udara Internasional Adisucipto (Adisucipto
International AIrport), Jalan Solo km9, Yogyakarta
55282, +62 274 484261 (fax: +62 274 488155).
By bus
The main bus station is Giwangan, 4 km to the southeast
of the center. There are regular services throughout the
island, including Jakarta (9 hours), Bandung (6 hours),
and Surabaya (8 hours).
* Terminal Penumpang Giwangan (Giwangan Bus Terminal).
Jalan Imogiri, Giwangan, Yogyakarta 55163, +62 274
378288, 7482222 (fax: +62 274 7483333
By train
Trains to Jakarta take between 7 to 12 hours from the
main Yogyakarta station, commonly called Tugu Station.
The Argo-class trains (Argo Lawu and Argo Dwipangga) are
the best of the lot: most comfortable and fastest.
Taksaka is almost as good. These expresses connect
Yogyakarta and Jakarta in 7-8 hours, either at daytime
or overnight. The line between Kroya and Prupuk, where
the railway crosses the main backbone mountains of Java,
is scenic.
Passengers to/from Bandung should take the Argo Wilis or
Lodaya expresses which traverse a scenic part of Java
during daylight hours, with rice fields and mountains.
The fare is Rp155.000 including lunch.
Passengers to Surabaya are served by the twice-daily
Sancaka service departing in the morning and afternoon.
Yogyakarta and Solo is connected by the five Prambanan
Ekspres trains. Despite the name, the train does not
stop at Prambanan, and even if it does make an
unscheduled stop, the station is rather far from the
temple complex of Prambanan.
* Stasiun Tugu (Tugu Central Railway Station), Jalan
Mangkubumi 1, Yogyakarta 55232, +62 274 589685. The main
central station, serves big city destinations such as
Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, and Solo.
* Stasiun Lempuyangan (Lempuyangan Railway Station),
Jalan Lempuyangan, Yogyakarta 552224. Serves economy
class trains and small city destinations.
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