cultural discovery
Treasures surround Amanjiwo. Embrace them on foot, by bicycle, on horseback, riding in an andong (Java's horse-drawn carriage) or by car.
treks and tours
The great temples and the glittering arts of Java originated from Central Java. Make your own personal discoveries of art galleries, royal palaces or local kampungs - by car, open-air jeep, bicycle or horse - or trek through the picturesque countryside and its lush terraced rice fields to hidden temples and secluded bales (pavilions). Guests can enjoy the silence of Borobudur at dawn followed by a panoramic picnic breakfast, sundowners in a private bale located high in the Menoreh Hills with a bird's eye view over the Kedu plains and Amanjiwo below, a guided trek up volcanic Mount Merapi at midnight or experience a local market in the early morning. Guests can enjoy the silence of Borobudur at dawn followed by a panoramic picnic breakfast in the cool morning. Sundowners in a private bale located high in the Menoreh Hills with a bird's eye view over the Kedu plains and Amanjiwo below. A guided trek up volcanic Mount Merapi at midnight or experience the lively hustle and bustle of a local market in the early morning.
archaeological tours
From Borobudur and Gedong Songo to Prambanan and the Dieng Plateau, many of the most ancient and important of Asia’s religious monuments and temples are on the plains and volcanic slopes of Central Java. Legend has it that 2,000 temples once graced the plains of the Kedu Valley. Among those that still stand, a few are particularly notable, including Candi Pawon, with its carvings of pot-bellied dwarves dispensing riches. The 8th century Mahayana Buddhist temple of Mendut rises in a park-like setting where guests can enjoy a private semadi meditation session. Guests may also meditate with the monks from the neighbouring monastery. North-west of Borobudur, beyond the volcanic peaks of Sumbing and Sindoro, lies the Dieng Plateau, an area of great natural beauty. The marshy, windswept plateau harbours Java’s oldest standing stone structures, time-weathered Hindu temples from the early 8th century. Only a few kilometres east of Yogyakarta, Prambanan is an ancient Hindu complex containing hundreds of temples strewn across the plains. Its central attraction is the elegant and dramatic Loro Jonggrang temple, with its many courtyards, enclosures, shrines and sculptures.
yogyakarta
Borobudur lies between the cities of Yogyakarta and Solo (Surakarta), dynasties founded in the 18th century, when the Mataram Empire was fast fading. Today, Yogyakarta is the busiest city east of Jakarta. Jogja, as it is often called, is a major university town and a royal capital complete with a functioning palace or kraton. Its main thoroughfare, Jalan Malioboro, is a virtual street fair and a shopper’s delight.
solo
In 1745, the sultan of the Mataram dynasty moved his court to Solo, or Surakarta, as it is formally known. Its first sultan brought with him his silversmiths, musicians, artists, dancers and painters. Today, their descendants carry on Solo’s creative legacy. In the village of Berjo, some 50km east of Solo and almost 1,000m up the volcanic slopes is Candi Sukuh, one of Indonesia's most unusual and striking temples. One of the latest known non-Islamic buildings in the country, its main feature is a large, stepped, truncated pyramid. Remarkable bas reliefs, carvings and cult objects may be found within. Candi Cetho is another temple not far from Candi Sukuh. It sits on top of a steeply sloping Hindu village of the same name. While dating from the same period as Sukuh, it shares many similarities to the temples in Bali.