Things to do in Solo
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Street Food
Indulging in Solo's Street Food should on be everyone's list of things to do. Roaming hawkers pack the streets at night advertising their wares by screeching, striking buffalo bells or clattering cutlery. Of the plethora of dishes on offer, try nasi gudeg (unripe jackfruit served with rice, chicken and spices), nasi liwet (a local speciality incorporating rice cooked in coconut milk and eaten with a host of side dishes) or srabi (mini rice puddings served on a crispy pancake with banana, jackfruit or chocolate topping).
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Istana Mangkunegaran
Dating back to 1757, the Istana Mangkunegaran is in good condition and is rewarding to visit. Technically a puri (palace) rather than a kraton (a kraton is occupied by the first ruling house), this is the home of the second house of Solo. It was founded after a bitter struggle against Pakubuwono II launched by his nephew Raden Mas Said (an ancestor of Madam Tien Suharto, the late wife of the former president). Also offers decent guided tours (in English). Members of the aristocratic family still live at the back of the palace.
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Radya Pustaka Museum
The small Radya Pustaka Museum, next to the tourist office, has good displays of gamelan instruments, jewelled kris, wayang puppets from Thailand and Indonesia, a small collection of wayang beber (scrolls that depict wayang stories) and Raja Mala, a hairy puppet figurehead from a royal barge. Offerings must be made regularly to Raja Mala; otherwise, it is said, it will exude a pungent odour. The museum often closes earlier than the official closing time listed here.
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Danar Hadi
This is a small museum big on batik, with a terrific collection of antique and royal textiles from Java, China and beyond. It occupies a stunning whitewashed colonial building. Entry includes a guided tour in English, which explains the history of the many pieces (10,000 in the collection), though no photos are allowed. There’s a workshop where you can watch craftswomen at work creating new masterpieces. There’s an upmarket storeroom and souvenir shop too.
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Bicycle Tours
Bicycle Tours to sites outside the city limits are a perennial favourite in Solo. A full-day tour takes you through beautiful countryside to 15 destinations, including stops to watch batik production, gamelan making, and tofu, arak (colourless, distilled palm wine) and rice-cracker processing. Warung Baru, Istana Griya, Mama Homestay, Westerners and Miki tours all offer such tours.
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Galabo
Galabo is a kind of open-air food court with around 90 stalls – tuck into local specialties like nasi gudeg (unripe jackfruit served with rice, chicken and spices), nasi liwet (rice cooked in coconut milk and eaten with a host of side dishes) or the beef noodle soup timlo solo here. It’s very sociable, though you’ll have to bring your own Bintang.
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Kraton Surakarta
Once the hub of an empire, today the Kraton Surakarta is a faded memorial of a bygone era. It’s worth a visit, but much of the kraton was destroyed by fire in 1985. Many of the inner buildings were rebuilt, but today the allure of this once-majestic palace has largely vanished and its structures left bare and unloved.
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Pujosari
If you're looking for a quick fix head to Pujosari, a collection of warungs next to the tourist office. The best of the bunch include Lezat, which stays open 24 hours and does a mean ayam kampung (village chicken), Rada, which specialises in dim sum, and Oriental, which dishes up some fine Chinese.
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Mas Mul
At the southern entrance to the kraton is this, one of Solo's snake restaurants. You can select a live cobra for sauteing or frying, and can take the skin home as a gruesome souvenir. Those wishing to booster their virility can then opt to drink the snake's blood with wine or Red Bull.
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Jl Dr Rajiman
Jl Dr Rajiman, which runs along the southern edge of the alun-alun, is the goldsmiths street. Buy gold in the Chinese shops and have its weight and purity verified by the streetside gold testers along Jl Dr Rajiman and the side street of Jl Reksoniten near the kraton.
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MM
MM is popular with students for its cheap, good hot-plate steaks, relaxed air, live music on weekends, and open setting. If you've got the runs, it's not the place to head, though - the toilet is just a bare floor with accompanying water tap.
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Glossy
This small and easy-going eatery close to Solo's backpacker quarter is big on hot-plate steaks, coffee and freshly squeezed juices; the menu has extensive lists of all three. Glossy also supports local artists by moonlighting as a gallery.
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Sriwedari Theatre
At the back of Sriwedari Amusement Park, Sriwedari Theatre has a long-running wayang orang troupe – it’s well worth dropping by to experience this masked dance-drama; you can come and go as you please.
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Adem Ayem
An ever-popular rumah makan (eating house), this place has a large dining room with swirling fans and photos of ye olde Surakarta. Everyone is here for the chicken – either fried, or served up gudeg-style.
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Meditation
Traditionally, Solo is well known as a meditation centre, but the number of courses offered have been dwindling of late. The tourist office still lists a couple of places on its books for interested parties, though.
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Batik Keris Factory
In Lawiyan, west of the city, this is one place to see the batik process up close. Its shop (Jl Yos Sudarso 62) has icy air-con, a cafe and two full floors of fixed-price batik bags, skirts and shirts.
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Westerners
Bicycle tours (from 75,000Rp) to sites around the city are popular in Solo, taking in gamelan and batik-making, arak and rice-cracker processing. Westerners offer such trips.
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Street Vendors
Kris and other souvenirs can be purchased from Street Vendors at the eastern side of the alun-alun near Kraton Surakarta. The gem sellers have a mind-boggling array of semiprecious stones.
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Bizztro Saraswati
A stylish, upmarket new European-owned place with an open-air lounge area, dining rooms and elegant furnishings. Serves good snacks, meals (try the NZ beef ribs), cold beer and superb coffee.
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Café Gamelan
With outdoor seating, constant entertainment from busy Jl Slamet Riyadi, and staff willing to sit and chat a while, Gamelan is a good bet for a beer in the evenings. Just avoid the food.
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Warung Baru
A long-time travellers’ hang-out, the Baru bakes great bread, but the rest of the enormous menu can be pretty mediocre. Still, the friendly owners arrange tours and batik classes.
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Balai Agung
On the north side of the alun-alun you can see high-quality wayang kulit puppets being made (and put through their paces). Gamelan sets are also on sale too.
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Sriwedari Amusement Park
Solo’s Sriwedari Amusement Park has fair rides and sideshow stalls. Nightly wayang orang performances (and other cultural shows) are held here.
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New Legenda
Popular city-centre club playing dangdut (popular Indonesian music characterised by wailing vocals and a strong beat), techno and Indo chart hits.
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Miki Tours
Run tours to Candi Sukuh, Gunung Merapi and Gunung Lawu. Prices depend on numbers, but a day trip for two people with a car and guide starts at around 500,000Rp.
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