Lonely planet guide describes Yogyakarta as Java's soul. "Central to the island’s artistic and intellectual heritage, Yogyakarta (pronounced ‘Jogjakarta’ and called Yogya, 'Jogja', for short), is where the Javanese language is at its purest, the arts at their brightest and its traditions at their most visible. " This is hogwash. I would not recommend you go. Yog is a stressed out, crowded third world city with nothing to offer. We spent two days there to see Borobudur (which was great) but were shocked at LP's description of the city. Its a hell-hole. dont go if you can avoid it.
1
lucapal
You obviously haven't visited many cities in Indonesia ;-)
Compared to most of them,Yogya is...not exactly a paradise,but at least an improvement.
2
Laszlo
I am no great fan of Yogya either, and consider it something of an overrated tourist trap. Many Javanese cities are more relaxed and pleasant, however Yogya does have more sights than most.
3
cuscus
The first time I went to Jogja I was a bit underwhelmed but as time went by and with longer time spent, a little deeper exploration, it starts to grow on you. I can think of other places in Java that are more pleasant to visit, including Solo which is only an hour commuter train ride away.
4
linda.sybrand.582838
hi all jogja commentators: thanks for the responses. my bottom line is: why bother when there are so many great places in the world to visit? seriously pissed off with LP and what they said about jogya, though. always trusted them....
5
lucapal
I prefer Solo too.
Compared to most cities in the country though,I'd choose Yogya over them any day.Certainly including Jakarta and most of the other cities on the main islands (esp Java).
Ugly,concrete,noisy,dirty,no real 'sights',heavy traffic.....
6
thelawnet
I think it depends on your interests tbh. I recently met a group who found Indonesian cities more interesting than the countryside, for architecture, history, museums, etc.
If you have a strong aversion to noise or want something deliberately preserved then maybe Indonesian cities are not for you.
7
Thorn Tree
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