Yogyakarta is a bustling town of some half a million 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 hub of art and education, offers some good shopping and has a wide range of tourist facilities.
Strictly speaking, the city (kota) of Yogyakarta is only one of five districts within the semi-autonomous region of Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (DIY), literally the “Yogyakarta Special Region”. (The other districts are Sleman on the slopes of fiery Mount 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.) This special status is thanks to the Sultanate of Hamengkubuwono, which has ruled the area since 1755 and steered the state through difficult times of occupation and revolution. During the Indonesian war of independence, Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX offered the fledgling Indonesian government his enclave as capital city, thus Yogyakarta became the revolutionary capital city of the republic from 1946 to 1949 when Jakarta was still occupied by the Dutch. As a result, the central government recognized the Sultan of Yogyakarta as the appointed governor of Yogyakarta Special Region; the only one in Indonesia that is not elected directly by the people. The Indonesian central government has tried to weaken the sultan’s power by calling for direct election for the governor, however the present Sultan Hamengkubuwono X was chosen by an overwhelming majority.
Yogyakarta’s Adisucipto International Airport (IATA: JOG), 8km east of town, is a small but busy mostly-domestic hub. There are frequent (every two hour) connections on Garuda, the national airline, to Jakarta (50 minutes) and 2-3 times a day (60min) to Denpasar, while other domestic airlines service both Jakarta and Denpasar, as well as major cities in Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi. For international services, AirAsia connects Yogyakarta to both Kuala Lumpur and Singapore while Malaysia Airlines flies between Yogyakarta and Kuala Lumpur. Silkair and Tigerair also flies from Singapore.
There is a tourist information desk, ATM and taxi stand in the arrival hall. Official airport taxis are available for around IDR50,000 depending on your destination, pay at the taxi desk in arrival terminal and then head for the official taxi rank. Give the receipt to your driver, there is no need for any additional payment. It is about half the price to use a taxi dropping passengers off at the departure terminal – insist on using the meter, do expect to pay the IDR2,000 airport entrance fee, even though this has already been paid by the previous passenger on the way in. A departure tax of IDR35,000 (as of Jan 2011) is charged for domestic flights and IDR100,000 for international flights (Feb 2014), at least for international AirAsia flight there is no departure tax anymore (is included in the ticket price, Jun 2015).
There is a travel agent at the arrival hall in the airport called Arga Tour or other tour services in Yogyakarta like the competitive one Java Bali Trips. A 10-hours car hire inclusive of driver to Prambanan, Ratu Boko, lunch followed by a 2-hour drive to Borobudur cost around IDR500,000-IDR600,000. Good service and English speaking driver. Be sure to haggle, though the price will not drop much, any savings could go toward a more luxurious meal.
Yogyakarta airport is one of the two rail-connected airport in Indonesia, beside Kuala Namu in Medan, North Sumatera. Those arriving from (and departing into) the airport can take a Prambanan Ekspres regional train to/from Kutoarjo (west of Yogyakarta), Palur (just east of Surakarta) and several stations in between, including Tugu (just off Malioboro Street in Yogyakarta) and Solobalapan station at Solo. The station at the airport is just a few minutes walk from the terminal, with an air-conditioned underpass leading all the way to the platform for trains into Yogyakarta.
Trains to Jakarta take between 7-12h from the main Yogyakarta station, commonly called Tugu Station. The Argo-class trains (Argo Lawu and Argo Dwipangga) are the best of the lot being the most comfortable and fastest (c. 8 hours, IDR255,000-360,000 (Sep 2012) including mineral water and snacks). Taksaka is almost as good at Rp 235,000-265,000. These express services connect Yogyakarta and Jakarta in 7-8 hours, either at daytime or overnight. Price and schedules are available online. 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 (although there is an overnight Lodaya and the Turangga from Surabaya also travels overnight. The fare is IDR155,000 including mineral water and food (or more like snacks).
Passengers to Surabaya are served by the twice-daily Sancaka service departing in the morning and afternoon.
Yogyakarta and Solo are connected by several Prambanan Ekspres trains. Despite the name, the train does not stop at Prambanan station, and even if it does make an unscheduled stop, the station is rather far from the temple complex of Prambanan. The Prambanan Ekspres does stop at Maguwo station (for the airport) making it easy for travellers to change modes.
Yogyakarta is a relatively small city, so travelling around town should not be too expensive. If you are travelling on foot, note that a street sign facing you at a corner indicates the name of the street you are entering, not the cross street. The Tourism Authority has maps in English that can be obtained from its offices next to Hotel Mutiara on Jl. Malioboro, at the airport and the train station. Beware that these maps are not to scale.
Yogyakarta’s taxis are metered and nowadays most taxi drivers are trustworthy. Flagfall is IDR6,000 and most trips around the centre of town should not cost more than IDR15,000. After dark the minimum fare for a taxi is IDR20,000 even if the meter reads less that IDR20,000. If by chance you find a taxi driver that you feel comfortable with and trustworthy, ask for his cellular phone number so that next time you need to travel you can call directly to his cell phone and arrange your travel needs. Most taxi drivers will be more than happy to do this. Virtually everyone has a cell phone which is called a “hp” (hand phone) throughout Indonesia, and everyone including all adults use text messaging (sms) extensively. It is best to use text messaging to communicate with drivers e.g. “sudah siap” when you are “ready” to be picked up. “Tolong jemput saya di Hotel XXXX jam XXXXX” = Please pick me up at hotel XXXX at XXX o’clock. Note: “jam = time” in Indonesian. Taxi in Yogyakarta could be reserved directly in the airport or every tourism center. Besides, you may also book the taxi from on-line organized by bluetaksi before you arrive. The booking can be done via [bluetaksi@gmail.com]
Traditional three-wheeled and pedal-powered cart, known as becak (pronounced beh-chak), which can be found in most part of Yogyakarta. before getting into the becak. Be sure to determine whether the price is for a one-way or return (pulang) trip and if you want the driver to wait whilst you conduct your shopping or business. A ride from within the city to the Malioboro shopping precinct should not cost more than IDR10,000.
Traditional horse-pulled carts, known as andong, or dokar, wait for tourists outside hotspots like the train station, the Kraton and Mal Malioboro. The traditional route is from Jl. Malioboro to Keraton, and this is where you’ll find most andong. Usually, andong opt to take you to shop for fake Dagadu t-shirt in Ngasem area with hefty prices. Then, andong will take you back to your initial journey. The cost for one round trip for andong is IDR20,000. Usually they ask for IDR30,000 but they may settle for less. Andong can accommodate up to 5 adult passengers.
Medium and small size buses are the main public transport in Yogyakarta.
TransJogja Bus Stop
There are two kind of bus: regular and patas. Patas buses, known as TransJogja operate from 6AM to 10PM and stop only at designated shelters. Unlike regular buses, TransJogja is air-conditioned and generally safer. Tickets can be purchased directly at the shelters and cost for single trip is Rp 3,000. Passengers may purchase regular trip cards which cuts per tip cost to Rp 2,700, and allows transit to other shelter. There are six routes, and route maps can be downloaded . Be aware that the bus stops are quite far apart, (1-2kms) and not very numerous, and often the bus stops for opposite directions are not opposite each other. If you are planning on travelling this way, expect to still do a fair amount of walking to and from the stops to your destination.
Regular buses normally operates from 6AM to 5PM, and some long routes extend their operation until 9PM. Please never bring anything valuable on public buses, pickpockets in buses are now more common than ever before. Cost for single trip is Rp 2,500 regardless of distance (within the city). Usually on a bus there will be one driver and one helper who will hang from the side of the bus and handle money and try to get passengers. The helper will usually tap you on the shoulder to indicate you should pay him. If there is no helper you can pay the driver directly. When you are ready to get off a bus, tell the driver or helper “Kiri,” which means left. Animated bus route maps are available at Transportation Agency of Yogyakarta website .
There are several car and motorbike rental agencies just outside Tugu Station near Jalan Pasar Kembang on the street that runs east-west just south of the station.
A near new semi-automatic (clutchless) motorbike can be rented for Rp 50,000 per 24 hr; older bikes may come for less, and fully automatic bikes such as a Honda Vario or Yamaha Mio may sometimes cost Rp 5,000-10,000 more.
Cars can be had rented for around Rp 350,000 for 24 hr, or Rp 225,000 for 12 hr. A driver can be hired along with the car for another Rp 50,000-Rp 200,000/day. Prices may vary due to fuel inclusion for a set distance or itinerary. Prices are always subject to negotiation and may increase or decrease due to local demand, type and age of vehicle and your individual requirements at the time. Cars are usually rented with drivers and it is strongly advised for foreigners as the roads are extremely busy with all the hundreds of thousands of higher ed students driving motorcycles recklessly around the city. I think you can get a better price than quoted here. In my experience, driving yourself in Bali is fine but not recommended for cities in Java like Yogya or Jakarta. Price of rental doesn’t include petrol (gas), parking, entrance fees etc. It is customary to give your driver 15,000 rps during any mealtime stops but he won’t expect to eat with you.
If renting please ensure you are familiar with both the applicable licensing requirements and vehicle use in the prevailing conditions.
To get around in Yogyakarta can be done by a car with driver. Commonly the driver has driving license or STNK in Indonesia language. Some drivers can speak basic English and some cannot. The trained-English speaking drivers could be found along the tourism centre, like in Malioboro, Prawirotaman, Kota Gode etc. This way to travel Yogyakarta for the first time is very helpful and higly recommended. Commonly the driver will transfer and pick up you in the airport or other places in Yogyakarta. Since 2014 Yogyakarta has a trained-English speaking driver community with proficient hospitality and tourism knowledge. This community will help visitors’ tour arrangement, transport, accommodations etc. It is organized by Yogyakarta Kota Istimewa or YOKI.
Being one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, Yogyakarta has many heritage buildings and monuments. The number one must-see attraction is Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono’s palace, better known as Kraton Ngayogyakarta’ or just call it less formally “Kraton” or “Sultan’s Palace”. Very hard to pronounce Javanese names like Ngayogyakarta….’. Other heritage buildings from colonial era are: BNI ’46 building, Kantor Pos Besar (Central Post Office) building, and Bank Indonesia building, all of them are located near Sultan’s palace.
Other notable landmarks and attractions are:
The Sri Sultan’s palace or Kraton encompasses the main palace, Sultan’s residential, two Sultan’s grounds, and large residential area where sultan servants used to reside. The Kraton is very large, and difficult to navigate by foot (unless you don’t mind lots of walking). Notable attraction in Kraton complex are:
Also worth seeing is the prince’s palace to the SE of the main palace.
True to its name in this arena you can find different types of games and attractions Planetariun a new facility that can be enjoyed by visitors and still are an integral part of the Kraton Complex
Yogyakarta city was built with deep philosophy: the city was designed so that the main elements of the city forms a imaginary line. This straight line starts from Parangtritis on the coast, to Kraton Yogyakarta, to Tugu Monument, and finally to Mount Merapi. This represents Sultan’s strong relationship with the guardian spirits of Mt. Merapi and the beach of Parangtritis.
Candi is ancient archeological structure constructed during 7th-9th century aimed for a specific religion (Buddhist or Hindu). It was constructed from hundreds of volcanic or river stone blocks and assembled solely by human labor. Candi walls is often carved with reliefs depicting stories, and a stone God or Goddess statue usually sits at the center.
There are several candi located in Yogyakarta and it’s proximity. The two most famous must see ancient temples are both UNESCO official World Heritage Sites. These include Borobudur, an 9th century Buddhist temple 1 hour drive from Yogyakarta in [Magelang]], not far from Yogyakarta. The second, a Hindu temple,Prambanan, also a well-known candi is just 10 minutes drive from Yogya’s Adi Sucipto airport on the outskirts of the city.
Source: http://wikitravel.org/en/Yogyakarta
