Yogyakarta City Profile

Yogyakarta’s central Java location makes it a popular stopover for travelers making the long haul through the archipelago.

It is known as the Javanese cultural center and has active arts and academic communities. Worlds apart from Jakarta, it is easily the most popular city for foreign visitors. See the government’s official website for tourism information.

Population

Almost 400,000

Location

Yogyakarta is in the province of Central Java, about twelve hours by bus from Jakarta.

Weather

Yogyakarta is hot year-round, with afternoon downpours.

Transportation

Yogya is connected by air, bus, minibus, and train to other cities in Indonesia.

Inner-city travel is much the same as in the rest of Indonesia: the city is overwhelmed with bicycles, motorcycles, buses, becaks, and metered taxis.

Places of Interest

Yogyakarta has an almost overwhelming number of should-see tourist attractions. These include Water Castle, Pakualaman Kraton palace (Sultan’s Palace), the Bird Market, Borobudur (Buddhist complex), Prambanan Temple, and the Kota Gede suburb.

Parangtritis is a beautiful beach on the south shore of Java, but it is dangerous to swim there – ask the locals about the legend of the princess under the sea. If you are interested in outdoor activities, take a day trip to the Dieng Plateau or climb Mt. Merapi at night so that you can see the crater at dawn. To climb Mt. Merapi, hire a guide at one of the small hotels in Kaliurang, a town north of Yogya.