Hey guys! We're in Indonesia for a week. Yeah, so this is our second time back in Indonesia
and this week we're going to be exploring Yogyakarta and Central Java and this video
is going to show you some of the top attractions in the region. Can't wait to show you around.
Let's go!
This trip was all about going in search of food, culture and a little bit of adventure.
Over the course of the week we visited ancient temples, browsed through antique markets,
ate our fair share of street food, and tackled a rather infamous volcano. In this video we
are going to show you 20 things to do in Yogyakarta and Central Java, so let’s get started.
For our very first stop in Central Java, we headed to the biggest Buddhist monument in
the world and the most popular attraction in the region: Borobudur.
So this morning we are visiting the temple of Borobudur and this is a site that I've
been wanting to visit for years so we're super excited to be here. Yeah, I know. This is
way up on our bucket-list of places we've wanted to go in Southeast Asia. And the views
are spectacular so we're just going to show you that right now. We've really lucked out
with awesome weather today.
Borobudur is made up of 9 stacked platforms, so there was quite of bit of climbing involved
to reach the top, but once we did, we had spectacular views as far as the eye could
see.
Also we came here in the early morning. We got here at about 8 AM but if you want to
you can actually watch the sunrise here. Unfortunately, it was a really cloudy morning so we wouldn't
have been able to see anything anyway but if you luck out with clear skies it might
be worth getting up early.
We took our time climbing the different platforms, exploring each corner, and admiring the relief
panels that have stood the test of time. Then, once we reached the central dome, we came
face to face with 72 seated Buddhas.
So tell us how are you enjoying Borobudur so far? Loving it so far. Something I've really
come to appreciate is that when you kind of walk around the perimeter of the temple you
can like have pockets of it where you don't see anyone else. It really feels like you're
exploring it as opposed to just being you know a tourist that is kind of crammed in
with a whole bunch of other people. So I've really liked that so far. It is pretty cool.
There is no one around here it is just us.
If you’re planning to visit, I would suggest you give yourself at least an hour and a half
or two. Also, make sure you bring lots of water because it gets hot up there!
So we are ready for another adventure. Tell us! Yeah, we're heading up to Mount Merapi
and there is basically two different ways you can do it. You can hike up but we're going
with a jeep. Yeah, it'll be fun. Hop on in.
Merapi translates to Fire Mountain, and as the most active volcano in the region, it
really lives up to its name. We visited a museum that chronicled the effect this volcano
has had on the surrounding communities and rode past lava fields that once burned red.
It looks like we've got a new driver!
So what you see behind us is Mount Merapi and actually it just looks like a whole bunch
of fog. Yeah. Well, we really lucked out with the weather in the morning but this afternoon
not so much. Yeah, it looks like it is going to start raining soon, so these are the views
we're enjoying. It has been a pretty cool experience doing the jeep safari but no volcano
sighting unfortunately.
Even though we decided to do the jeep tour, there are other ways to explore Mount Merapi.
We encountered a lot of people riding on motorbikes, and we were told it’s also possible to hike.
That very same day we continued on to Prambanan, which is a 9th century Hindu temple located
about 17 kilometres northeast of Yogyakarta. The temple is dedicated to the trinity of
Hinduism: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. In its original form, the complex contained a total
of 250 large and small temples.
Later that evening we returned to Prambanan Temple, but this time to watch a dance performance.
They have different shows scheduled throughout the week, and we visited the evening of the
Ramayana Ballet, which is a a Javanese dance interpretation of an Indian epic poem. It
was a 2-hour performance and things got really interesting when they lit the stage on fire!
Aside from all the day excursions, we also tried to explore a bit of Jogjakarta. Taman
Sari, also known as the Water Palace, is one place that I really wanted to check out and
we made it just before closing. This was once a large complex with an artificial lake and
islands, but today only the bathing complex is well preserved. If you have some spare
time in the city, it’s well worth visiting.
From there, we hopped on a motor-rickshaw for a tour of the city. We didn’t have a
particular destination in mind, so we just rode down some of the side streets before
making our way up Jalan Malioboro, which is the main shopping street and is filled with
shops and markets.
Then for our last night in Yogyakarta, we went up to our hotel’s rooftop lounge to
enjoy some city views and watch the sunset.
Alright guys, the adventure continues. We're off to Solo by train.
After a few days in Jogja, we hopped on a train and headed towards Solo, also known
as Surakarta. The ride was a little over an hour, and not only was it an inexpensive way
to travel, but it was also incredibly scenic. We zoomed past villages and rice fields, and
before we knew it, we had arrived.
So right now we're inside Pasar Triwindu which is an antiques market here in Solo and we
are seeing some real gems.
The market is spread out across a series of two-story buildings and inside you’ll find
everything from chandeliers and leather puppets, to old phonographs and Dutch porcelain. It’s
a great place to shop for unusual souvenirs and you could easily spend an hour or two
here.
We also ended up visiting the House of Danar Hadi, which is home to one of the best batik
collections in the whole world. Batik is a technique where wax is added to textiles to
create elaborate patterns. This can be done by hand or using a stamp. After a quick tour
of the museum, we visited the workshops where you can see the art in action, and then I
also picked up a batik shirt for myself.
So I went shopping for my Batik and I found one I really like. It cost about 30 US dollars
and I can't wait to start wearing it. I think the first time I'll try it on is for dinner
soon.
So we're starting off with coconut milk pancakes which are called Serabi. So let's take a look
at it down here. So you can see the outside fringe it looks like something quite crispy
and I think this is going to be like the middle part is the coconut milk. So I'm not entirely
sure how to eat this. I'm just going to take a big bite. That looks delicious.
Oh, wow. Oh, that is delicious. I love coconut and so what you've got here, if you look down
here. This part it sort of tastes like I don't know like maybe like a coconut type of pudding.
It is really got a bit of a milky consistency. It is a little it tastes a little bit wet
once you have it in your mouth and then this part over here is crispy so you've got those
two. You've got the contrast between the crispiness and the pudding like texture. Oh man, I love
that. Instant hit. We may be ordering more.
So I also got myself Serabi but I went with the chocolate so as you can see it has chocolate
sprinkles that have melted over top the coconut. Wow. So let's go in for the first bite. How
do we do this.
Mmmmm.
How is that? That is amazing. It is like having dessert for lunch which I love. It is so sweet
and when you add chocolate I think it is just perfect. Like you mentioned you have the crispiness
with a very soft coconut so it is wonderful.
Dessert for lunch. Mmmmm.
Our next stop in Solo was the Mangkunegaran Palace, which dates back to 1757. Part of
the royal family still lives here, so you can’t wander around the grounds on your
own, but we took a guided tour which was very informative and enjoyable.
Another way to experience Solo is by doing a tour on a pedibike, also known as a becak.
This is a very leisurely way of seeing the city, and you can easily find drivers outside
the major hotels, so it’s just a matter of bargaining the price.
So it is dinnertime here in Solo, Indonesia and we're trying a new restaurant that was
highly rated on TripAdvisor. We're eating at a place called Warung Selat Mbak Lies.
Hopefully I got that right. It is a pretty long name.
We ordered something called Selat Bistik or Selat Solo. So if you take a look down here
it is basically a braised beef tenderloin with a watery gravy and it also comes with
vegetables. We have some green beans, some carrots, it looks like some mashed potato
here and there is like chips kind of sprinkled on top. And what else, yeah other vegetables
some onions. So apparently this is like a twist on a western slash dutch food that has
been like adopted here in Indonesia and just changed to their taste. Yeah, like with Javanese
ingredients. Yeah. So let's try this. You know what. Dig right in.
I'm going to start with this egg. Okay. This dark egg. I've never had such a dark egg before.
And apparently the soy sauce is quite sweet. Mmmm.
Is it sweet? Mmmmm. That is a sweet gravy. Yeah.
I mean it is quite watery, it is almost like you're having a soup. It is like a main dish
but kind of looks like a soup. So yeah.
So we are currently at Sriwedari Park. We thought we were coming for a puppet show but
what did we find instead? We found an amusement park and there is all kinds of cool stuff.
I noticed bumper cars so we're going to go check that out. Awesome.
I challenge you to bumper cars. Woo! Oh, there we go. There we go. Ah. That is scary. That
is so mean.
Music playing.
So today we are in Semarang. This is our third and final stop on this trip in Indonesia.
And we're going to start out with a visit to Sam Poo Kong temple and then head over
for some food.
Sam Poo Kong was established by a Chinese Muslim explorer in the early 15th century
and it is a large complex featuring 5 temples. Not only is Sam Poo Kong one of the top-rated
attractions on TripAdvisor, but it’s also a fascinating place to visit because you get
the blend of both Chinese and Javanese architectural styles.
Okay, so right now we're taking a little ice cream break at a place called Toko Oen. And
yeah, they specialize in cakes, pastries and ice cream which is perfect for us with our
sweet tooth. Now we're kind of cooling off a bit here and something really cool is they
are celebrating their 80th anniversary of being open. Yeah.
So I'm trying rum and raisin over here. Yes! Oh!
Wow. Wow.
I think we may have ordered a little too much ice cream. I think you're right. Hahaha.
Want to try yours? Okay, so I'm starting off with rum and raisin over here. Okay. So I've
got a nice couple chunks of raisin. Mmmm.
How is that? Wow, that is good. Yeah, very rich. That is cool. And I got myself some
Mocha ice cream and we also ordered some pancakes with more ice cream. So we've got our work
cut out for us for sure.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper visit to Semarang without exploring Kota Lama. This
area makes up the Old Town and it is home to buildings that date back to the Dutch colonial
period. Some of the structures look like they could use a little TLC, but the good news
is that earlier this year plans were announced to rejuvenate Semarang’s historic “Little
Netherlands”.
Hi! Hi!
Haha.
So for today's meal we are enjoying some street food in the city of Semarang and we're going
to be having Lumpia Semarang or Semarang spring rolls which actually originated in the Chinese
community. So if you have a look down here we actually thought we were ordering a plate
full of them but we only got one. So a little lost in translation but I think this should
be enough because it is a pretty big fat spring roll.
So we're going to dig right in to this. It is huge. Are you ready? Ready for the food?
And here is the sauce on the side. Yeah, look at that. So it should be good. It smells good.
It smells deep-fried which is a good thing.
Okay, Sam do you want to tell us the key ingredients in this special spring roll. Yeah, so what
you'll find inside are bamboo shoots, dried shrimp and then you can have chicken or prawn.
So, man these look good. Yeah. It is just a matter of attacking it here. Yeah. Don't
mind my fingers. Look at that. Oh, look at the detail in there. Yeah, that looks good.
Okay, we're going to dip this in the sauce and I have a feeling this sauce might be sweet.
Yeah. Oh, wow. Look at that. Look how thick that is.
Wa! Ha.
What do you think? Those are delicious. Yeah. I love deep-fried spring rolls so. I know
you do. I know. And the bamboo shoot is really nice. I'm still not sure if it is chicken
or prawn. I didn't get a bite of that so still waiting to figure that part out. Ha! I think
that calls for a second bite. Yeah, the sauce is sweet. I'm just going to take a little
bit of that sauce and see what it is.
Mmmm. Man. It almost looks like it has a gelatin like consistency. Yeah, it does. And surprisingly
it doesn't have a very strong taste. I thought it would be really sweet or strong and it
is not.
So let's go in for bite number two. Let's go in for some of the ingredients this time.
Okay. I definitely taste the shrimp and prawn this time. Yeah. Yeah, I think that is what
it is made with.
And that’s a wrap for our whirlwind trip to Indonesia. We hope you enjoyed getting
a closer look at what Yogyakarta and Central Java have to offer. As always, if you have
any other suggestions of things to do and places to visit, feel free to let us know
in the comments below. Happy travels!