Jakarta
Sandwiched in-between a Starbucks and modern Novotel hotel is this impressive 18th-century grand residence. The restored structure has a traditional…
Must-see attractions in Java
West Java
Lovely Kawah Rengganis (also known as Kawah Cibuni) is a pretty, isolated river fed by hot springs and surrounded by billowing steam from volcanic vents…
Karimunjawa Islands
A boardwalk leads through the mangrove swamps that typify the coastal fringe of Pulau Karimunjawa and other islands in the archipelago. This unique…
Central Java
The Ullen Sentalu museum is a surprise find on the slopes of Merapi. Set within a contemporary space, it includes extensive gardens and a unique…
Central Java
On the north side of Jepara's attractive alun-alun, this museum is dedicated to one of Indonesia’s most celebrated women. One room is devoted to Kartini…
Central Java
This 100m-high waterfall, about 3km from town, is a favourite playground for monkeys (as is the parking area). It is reached by a long flight of steps…
Central Java
This beautiful old mosque, built in 1549 by Sunan Kudus, is famous for its red-brick menara (minaret). This minaret may have originally been the…
Borobudur
In a pretty neighbourhood of tiled-roofed houses, around 1.5km east of Borobudur, this small solitary temple is similar in design and decoration to the…
Central Java
This impressive museum is located in a striking angular structure that resembles a volcano. Exhibits dedicated to Merapi include a scale model, which…
Semarang
This large provincial museum houses an interesting collection of antiquities, crafts including batik and wayang puppets, and assorted fossils and curios…
East Java
Fringed by mangroves, the sandy cove of Bama is 4km north of Bekol. It’s a popular weekend retreat for local families, but usually peaceful at other times…
Yogyakarta
The 16th-century founder of the Mataram kingdom, Panembahan Senopati, is buried in the small graveyard of an old mosque located in the suburb of Kota Gede…
Yogyakarta
Yogya’s main market is a lively and fascinating place to visit. Batik, catering for tourist tastes and mostly of the inexpensive batik cap (stamped batik)…
West Java
Sulphur mists swirl around the deadened and burnt black trees that line the shores of the acid-water volcanic lake of Kawah Putih (or white lake). It's a…
Semarang
While Jl Pemuda, Semarang's premier boulevard in Dutch times, remains an important artery and shopping street, Simpang Lima is the sociable hub of modern…
Karimunjawa Islands
There's cold beer on the go at the tiny beach bar, or mie goreng (fried noodles) rustled up in a basic warung, at this friendly little beach. Even when a…
Malang
Malang has some wonderful colonial architecture. Just northwest of the centre, Jl Besar Ijen is Malang’s millionaires' row, a boulevard lined with elegant…
East Java
This rarely visited but worthwhile 14th-century, red-brick Majapahit temple is thought to be a funerary site for Majapahit royalty. The base of the 16m…
Jakarta
A village green surrounded by mansions, this area is a preservation zone for the colonial bungalows. Many really qualify as mansions and have the art-deco…
Semarang
This factory, near the bus terminal, is one of two outlets in Semarang that produces jamu, a herbal medicine that has been highly sought-after for…
Merdeka Square & Central Jakarta
The twin towers of this monument with a dodgy provenance soar over grassy Lapangan Banteng and are topped by a sculpture of a man breaking his chains. It…
Central Java
Kawah Sileri, 2km off the main road and 6km from Dieng village, is a smoking crater with a hot lake that makes a fascinating sight from the hill above…
Jakarta
Very much a worthwhile visit if you've any interest in weaving and fabrics, this museum houses a collection of around 2000 precious textiles, including…
West Java
Jl Suryakencana, steps from the garden gates, is a whirlwind of activity as shoppers spill en masse from within the byzantine concrete halls of Pasar Baru…
West Java
Situ Patengan is a pretty lake buried into the folds of mountains carpeted in tea estates and remnant patches of forest. It's a popular stop with local…
Malang
A local initiative to beautify Malang's ramshackle, high-density kampung are these whimsical multicoloured neighbourhoods that have been transformed into…
Yogyakarta
This fun, bohemian space is a key haunt for Yogya's arts community. The gallery curates mixed-media exhibitions and hosts pop-up shops, film screenings…
Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta's premier contemporary art gallery is located within a brutalist concrete block that was built as an art faculty back in the 1950s. Today it…
West Java
Surrounded by other small villages and roads lined with palm trees and paddy fields, the tiny village of Ciokoto is the site of a large wayang golek…
Jakarta
Just before the entrance to the maritime museum is an atmospheric harbourmaster watchtower, built in 1839 to sight and direct traffic to the port. Views…
Jakarta
This fun park has bumper cars, a giant swing ride, a Ferris-style wheel, spinning tea cups, a Hello Kitty adventure, an Ice Age Arctic Adventure ride and…
Kong Co Kong Tik Cun Ong Temple
Surabaya
The highly evocative Kong Co Kong Tik Cun Ong delivers a blast of unfiltered culture. The primarily Buddhist complex (with dashes of Confucian and Taoist…
Jakarta
At the northern end of Kali Besar is the last remaining Dutch drawbridge. Built in 1628, it was originally called Hoenderpasarbrug (Chicken Market Bridge)…
Central Java
Proudly sitting atop its own processional staircase, Candi Bima is unique in Java, with kudu (sculpted heads) peering from each alcove of this elaborately…
Karimunjawa Islands
This hillside viewpoint is a favourite selfie station for locals, complete with a giant love heart framing the view. With a wonderful vantage on the…
Central Java
Part of the nearby Arjuna Complex, Candi Gatutkaca is a small Shiva temple (a yoni was found inside) with a square base.
Jakarta
Be sure to wander down the narrow Kemenangan Market/Petak Sembilan Market off Jl Pancoran, lined with atmospheric temples and crooked houses with red…
Jakarta
Built between 1866 and 1870, the former Palace of Justice building is now a fine arts museum. It houses a vast collection of historic Indonesian and…
Jakarta
Yes, like everything else at Ancol Luar Biasa, it’s big! This water-park complex has eight separate areas, including a wave pool, water slides and a slide…
Semarang
Jamu Jago, 6km south of the city on the Ambarawa road, is a large manufacturer of the herbal medicine for which Semarang is famous. The outlet offers…
