Morning in Borobudur Temple

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Central Java

As home to the great world-class monuments of Borobudur and Prambanan, this is the must-see region of Java. Jakarta may be the nation’s capital, but the Javan identity is at its strongest here, in the island’s historic heartland. This is where Java’s first major Indian-inspired civilisation originated and it served as the stronghold of the great Islamic sultanates centred on the kraton (walled city palaces) of Yogyakarta and Solo. Today, Central Java (Jawa Tengah) remains the province where the island’s cultural traditions are most readily observable.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Prambanan Temple

    Prambanan Temple

    Central Java

    Comprising the remains of some 244 temples, World Heritage–listed Prambanan is Indonesia's largest Hindu site and one of Southeast Asia's major…

  • Morning in Borobudur Temple

    Borobudur Temple

    Borobudur

    Dating from the 8th and 9th centuries, and built from two million blocks of stone, Borobudur is the world's largest Buddhist temple and one of Indonesia's…

  • Dwarapala guardian statue at Donopratono gate of the Kraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat, the palace of the Yogyakarta Sultanate, Central Java, Indonesia, January 14, 2018

    Kraton

    Yogyakarta

    Beside the southern alun-alun (main square), Yogya's enormous kraton (palace) is the cultural and political heart of this fascinating city. Effectively a…

  • Garuda in front of the 15th century temple of Candi Sukuh, on slopes of Gunung Lawu, east of Solo, thought to be linked to fertiflity cult, island of Java, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

    Candi Sukuh

    Central Java

    In a magnificent position 900m above the Solo plain with fine views of Gunung Lawu, Candi Sukuh is one of Java’s most enigmatic and striking temples. It’s…

  • Old City

    Old City

    Semarang

    Semarang’s atmospheric old quarter, often referred to by its Dutch name, the Outstadt, is well worth investigating. Until recently, most of the area’s…

  • Sangiran Museum of Ancient Man

    Sangiran Museum of Ancient Man

    Solo

    With the largest collection of Homo erectus fossils in the world (the bones of 70 individuals), Sangiran is an important archaeological excavation site…

  • Taman Sari

    Taman Sari

    Yogyakarta

    This once-splendid pleasure park of palaces, pools and waterways, built between 1758 and 1765, functioned as the playground of the sultan and his…

  • Mendut Temple & Monastery

    Mendut Temple & Monastery

    Borobudur

    This exquisite temple, around 3.5km east of Borobudur, may look insignificant compared with its mighty neighbour, but it houses the most outstanding…

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Central Java and beyond

Beyond Central Java
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