Top Yogyakarta Day Trips - page 6

Fery was a really excellent guide and was so pleasant to spend the day with. You can ask him anything at all and he will have information for you. As a guide driver hybrid, he will not always accompany you at all of the stops but it is nice to have alone time over the course of such a long day. We started by viewing the sunrise between two volcanoes (one of them being Merapi) with borobudor in the far distance. Borobudor may look as small as a thumbtack from that location, but it will be quite a site to behold up close. Before heading to Borobudor we stopped at a monstery which was really tranquil and Fery decribed the story of Buddha's life to us while showing us the accompanying engravings. The peacefulness of that space so early in the morning was one of my favorite parts. At borobudor you must change into provided sandals to help protect the structure and you will be appointed a guide who takes you with a small group. The climb can have some larger and steeper steps but is overall easy and they will provide you with a small water. The sun will be unrelenting and it is a must to have spf and sunglasses and loose clothing. Some people will be selling uv umbrellas but a hat should be sufficient. The jeep excursion to view mount merapi is in the afternoon where it will likely be obscures by cloud cover. It is usually only clear in the early mornings. It was fascinating to see a home and its contents affected by hot steam from an eruption and important to talk about the devastation that comes with large scale eruptions. We were then given a choice to go see a no longer usable bunker or have an off roading experience with some water involved and we opted for the bunker. Overall the visit to Merapi seemed commercialized but our driver for the jeep was excellent and earnestly wanted to make sure we were enjoying things. We stopped to get lunch near prambanan after and were seated with a nice river view. Prambanan was quite stunning and Fery was our guide for this portion of the trip as we decided not to hire a local guide. He described everything perfectly and gave us as much information as we needed. Entering the temples is quite crowded and the heat gets trapped in the chambers, but lines move quickly. The sun set was really lovely and a great way to end the day. While speaking to Fery, he knew that I had an interest in the traditional puppets and he made a point of finding puppets for me to look at and really made the tour feel personal.

The best food tour I’ve done! Kalika was an amazing guide and we feel so lucky to have experienced Yogyakarta with her! She was so knowledgeable and shared lots of pearls about Jogja that we would have never known without her. She definitely made us fall in love with the city! Kalika went above and beyond ensuring our food was hygienic and safe - she brought clean utensils and napkins for us and always checked our food to make sure it looked good! Kalika taught us so much, taught us games, and made sure we enjoyed all of the food stops. This tour went above and beyond - this is your sign to book!

Prambanan Temple is a very impressive monument and is a must-visit. The Ramayana Ballet is very spectacular and we watched it outdoor which is better than indoor. Our driver Dani is the best: warm, friendly and very knowledgable about the history and religions of Jogja. Highly recommended.