Jakarta
This puppet museum has one of the best collections of wayang (flat wooden puppets) in Java and its dusty cabinets are full of a multitude of intricate,…
Must-see attractions in Java
East Java
Situated right in the village of Singosari, 12km north of Malang, this temple stands 500m off the main Malang–Surabaya road. One of the last monuments…
Semarang
This huge Chinese temple complex, 5km southwest of the city centre, comprises three main temple buildings and many smaller structures that date back to…
East Java
The Hindu temples at Panataran (locally called 'Penataran') are the largest intact Majapahit temples, and the finest examples of ancient East Javanese…
East Java
This small, squat Buddhist stupa lies in the terraced, cultivated foothills of Gunung Arjuna, about 5km northwest of Singosari. It was built to…
South Jakarta
During WWII, thousands of people were made prisoners of war and killed in and around Jakarta. Early victories by the Japanese killed scores of troops from…
Solo
Built in 1757, the Mangkunegaran Palace in the centre of Solo is still a royal residence. Some rooms are dedicated to a delightful palace museum devoted…
Central Java
Built around the same time as the larger Prambanan temple group, the Plaosan temples combine both Hindu and Buddhist religious symbols in their elaborate…
Yogyakarta
One of Indonesia’s most celebrated artists, Affandi (1907–90) lived and worked in a wonderfully quirky self-designed riverside studio, about 6km east of…
Central Java
Demak’s venerable Mesjid Agung (circa 1466), notable for its triple-tiered roof, is Java's oldest mosque and one of the archipelago’s foremost Muslim…
Museum Perumusan Naskah Proklamasi
Jakarta
This atmospheric mansion saw historic events as Indonesia proclaimed its independence at the end of WWII. It was the home of the Japanese naval commander…
East Java
A droplet of creamy white sand, topped with a tuft of scrub, this tiny island set offshore from Java, nearly halfway to Bali, is surrounded by a ring of…
Semarang
Semarang's most famous landmark, Lawang Sewu ('Thousand Doors'), comprises two colossal colonial buildings that were one of the headquarters of the…
East Java
Along a small road near the market in Tumpang, 22km from Malang, Candi Jago was built between 1268 and 1280 and is thought to be a memorial to the fourth…
West Java
The stunning gardens of Kebun Raya Cibodas are an extension of the Bogor botanical gardens. Spread over the steep lower slopes of Gunung Gede and Gunung…
East Java
Down a spur that branches from the main road just after the Hindu temple, Sadengan grazing ground has the largest herd of banteng (wild cattle) in Java…
Central Java
Kraton Ratu Boko is a partly ruined Hindu palace complex dating from the 9th century. Perched on a hilltop overlooking Prambanan, it is believed to have…
Central Java
This sweeping stretch of coast, an hour's drive from Yogya, is home to the important cottage industry of seaweed collection. Locals bent double over the…
Jakarta
Near Jakarta's historic port are several 17th-century VOC (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie; the Dutch East India Company) warehouses that comprise the…
East Java
Occupied by the present bupati (regent) of Sumenep, the grand kraton and its Taman Sari date back to 1750. The bathing pools once used by the royal women…
Yogyakarta
In 1582, Kota Gede was made the first capital of the Mataram kingdom, the founder of which, Panembahan Senopati, is buried in a tomb here. Today, the area…
Central Java
From Kaliurang, there are two entrances to this national park, set on the shoulders of volcanic Gunung Merapi. The more developed entrance on Jl Kaliurang…
Semarang
Semarang’s Chinatown is well worth investigating, particularly around the riverside Gang Lombok. With temples, pagodas, shop houses, jade jewellers,…
East Java
Set in the village of Kidal, west of Tumpang, with houses rising all around, this graceful temple was built around 1260 as the burial shrine of King…
Surabaya
The Mesjid Ampel is the most sacred mosque in Surabaya. While non-Muslims aren't allowed to enter the mosque itself, the souk-style streets surrounding it…
East Java
The park’s major attraction is the protected turtle beach at Sukamade, one of Indonesia’s most important turtle-spawning grounds, where several species…
Malang
Malang’s most impressive museum isn’t actually a museum at all, but a hotel: the boutique, four-star Hotel Tugu Malang, a showcase for its owner, arguably…
Surabaya
Perhaps the most impressive modern mosque in Indonesia. You'll probably get a glimpse of Masjid al Akbar's magnificent array of bulbous watery-turquoise…
East Java
Rumoured to have been established in the 18th century by a group of runaway Scots (hence the name), the Glenmore Plantation, which is a few kilometres to…
Merdeka Square & Central Jakarta
The striking, modernist Masjid Istiqlal is adorned by patterned geometric grates on the windows. Completed in 1978, it's the largest mosque in Southeast…
Jakarta
One of two bank museums within a block of each other might have you scratching your head, but it's worthwhile popping in to explore the behind-the-scenes…
Central Java
One of the oldest Buddhist temples on the Prambanan Plain, the 8th-century Candi Kalasan stands just off the main highway, 13km east of Yogyakarta en…
East Java
A few kilometres north of Lawang on the road to Surabaya, the Kebun Raya Purwodadi are expansive dry-climate botanical gardens. The 85 hectares are…
Central Java
This royal tomb is a major focus of pilgrimage, but visitors are welcome to join pilgrims at specified times. To enter the tombs, which are accessed via a…
West Java
In business for around 200 years, this family-run operation is one of the few remaining gongsmiths in Java, where you can see gamelan instruments smelted…
Merdeka Square & Central Jakarta
The presidential palace (one of six in Indonesia) stands to the north of Merdeka Square. It was built in 1879 and was Sukarno's official residence during…
Central Java
This Shiva temple, possibly the latest temple at Prambanan to be erected by the Mataram dynasty, was discovered by a farmer in 1966. Excavated from under…
Central Java
This 8th-century temple has the three-part design of the larger Plaosan temple but is probably slightly older. Some experts believe that its 2nd floor may…
Central Java
South of Dieng village, the main attractions are the sunrise viewpoint of Gunung Sikunir, 1km past Sembungan village, and the shallow lake of Telaga…
Central Java
The five main Shiva temples that form the Arjuna Complex are clustered together in the middle of the Dieng Plateau. In common with other temples in the…
