Known as a central city of the Java culture, our small town is really worth being one of the most preferred tour destination in Indonesia.

Located in the center of Java Island, bordered in the south by the Indian Ocean, which according to the Japanese belief is where the spirits of Queen of South dwells; and in the north by Mt. Merapi, an active volcano which still believed as a home of sacred spirits. Just about 600 kms from Jakarta, the capital city and about 1000 kms from Bali, Yogyakarta city is easily reached by various transport connections, either by airlines or trains and buses.

Yogyakarta, is a great place. You can spend weeks here to discover all it's treasures. It's a famous old city of sultans located to the south of the active Mt. Merapi volcano and north of the Indian Ocean in Central Java. It is one of the most densely rural areas of Indonesia and the province has more than 3 million people. The city itself is much smaller with only a population greater than 400,000.

Yogyakarta is the most popular tourist destination on Java. Famous for its rich heritage, cultural performances such as gamelan music, classical dance, shadow puppet shows, can be enjoyed daily. It is also a good base for day trips to 2 of the world's most impressive archaeological sites - Borobudur & Prambanan Temple complexes. Yogyakarta also has excellent budget food & accommodation options and has been a travellers favourite for many years.

The cultural colour of Yogyakarta is still obvious because of the temples, traditional, buildings, various cultural activities, and a number of famous artists. This is accentuated by the presence of living tradition and every day life of Yogyakarta community which is art loving and hospitable.

Yogyakarta is ready to host more visitors who are eager to enjoy its enchanting nature and culture by providing tourist facilities, attractions, guides and other services.

Your visit to Yogyakarta will be welcomed warmly.

Yogyakarta or Yogya (pronounced JOG-ja) is famous for it's sultans and it's nearby fantastic temples. The Borobudur and Prambanan temple complexes are truly magnificent and must be visited if you are in Yogyakarta. These antiquities date from the first part of the 8th century A.D. Borobudur is 42 km (26 miles) west of Yogya, about a 1 hour drive. It is one of the world's largest Buddhist monuments. Nearby is another great complex of temples on the Prambanan Plain which consist of about 50 sites and is Java's earliest Hindu monuments.

Within the city limits, the Sultan's Palace or Kraton and the Water Castle ruins are now a major tourist's attraction of the area. Within easy reach from the many first rate hotels in Yogyakarta are the old temple ruins of Prambanan and the restored Borobudur Buddhist sanctuary.

Gamelan, classical and contemporary Javanese dances, the wayang kulit (leather puppet) theatre and other forms of traditional art will amaze the visitor. Yogya's craftsmen excell in the art of batik, silver and leather work and delight in showing off their skill to the visitor. In the silver workshops of Kotagede, once the seat of the Mataram empire, but now a tranquil little town just a few kilometres east of Yogyakarta, there hardly seem to exist any trade secrets: every body is welcome to watch as the silver is being transformed from raw material into beautiful works of art under the deft hands of the numerous craftsmen.

The Sultan's Palace is the hub of Yogyakarta's traditional life. Despite the advance of modernity, it still reflexes the spirit of refinement which has been the hallmark of Yogya's art for centuries. Since its beginning in 1755, the Kraton has received many a royal guest and served as a stage for exclusive court dances. Today, it is treasured as an archetype of classical Javanese architecture, the ornate carvings and gilded beams testifying its royal origin. Next to the traditional, the contemporary arts are finding fertile soil in Yogyakarta's culture-oriented society. ISI, the College of Fine Arts, is the academic centre of these arts and Yogyakarta itself has given its name to an important school of modern painting in Indonesia, perhaps best personified by the famed Indonesian impressionist, Affandi.

There are many others, and another place where so much can be found in so small an area (3,169 sq. km) is probably hard to find. Roads leading to the main places of interest are good and local transportation easy to obtain. Buses play predetermined route regularly within the city and from points in the city to destinations outside. So do the so called "colts" - small taxis - usually of Japanese make. Taxis are available at the airport and at the better hotel counters. But Yogya's atmosphere invites casualness and leisure and it is completely in style to ride a "becak" (tricycle) or "andong" four wheeled horse-cart whenever one wants to go on his own on a modest budget.

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