Yogyakarta

With its interesting and tasteful assortment of batiks (the characteristic fabric of the country) and knick-knacks, it's a one-stop-shop for souvenirs. Hundreds of street stalls on Jl Malioboro, and within Pasar Beringharjo are good for low-priced batiks, but often compromising quality. Yogyakarta is also famous for silver, and Jl Kemesan in Kota Gede, is the central hub of silversmiths' studios and shops.

Why go?

Yogyakarta (Jogja), the centre of Indonesia's culture and learning, is a beautifully laid back city. Despite having previously been the country's capital, Jogja couldn't be more different from Jakarta. Here you can enjoy the urban atmosphere at a much slower pace, and that doesn't mean sitting in traffic jams. The city combines historical sites, a thriving art scene and a lively student culture. Using Jogja as your base, you can take daytrips to discover the celebrated sites of eastern and central Java.

Where to stay

Budget guesthouses and hos are clustered around Jalan (Jl) Sosrowijayan, and Jl Prawirotaman. Many have swimming pools and despite their central location are still very peaceful. Airlangga (6-8 Jl Prawirotaman; 371 427; 200,000Rp for ac-doubles) offers simple, spacious rooms and lovely interior courtyards crowded with stone-works and shady places to relax. Dusun Jogja Village Inn (5 Jl Menukan, Karangkajen, 373 031; from 550,000Rp), central Jogja's boutique ho, is a cut above others in the area, providing deluxe rooms with balconies overlooking gardens and a gorgeous pool. Bathrooms are open to the elements, too, so you could find yourself showering under a rainstorm.

Northern Jogja is a sensible place to stay as it's near the airport, for trips to Borobudur and Prambanan, and only 20-minutes' drive from the centre. Those with more money to spend might enjoy Ho Yogyakarta Plaza (Corner of Jl Affandi and Gejayan, 584 222, double rooms 560,000Rp), which is worth the extra. Not far away, Ho Puri Artha (36 Jl Cendrawasih, 563 288, doubles with AC 400,000Rp) exudes charm and character, with extremely friendly but slightly inefficient service.

Where to eat

Jogja's signature dish is gudeg, a concoction of stewed Jackfruit and coconut sauce with chicken, egg, or tofu. Nowhere is better than Jl Wijilan, a street offering one gudeg stall after another. Bu Wiwik's (167 Jl Wijilan, 380 418; Open 7am-9pm; 20,000Rp), gudeg comes served on banana leaves, and is beautifully sweet, albeit extremely rich.

Early every Sunday, the University Gadjah Mada (UGM) (1 Jl. Nusantara, Bulaksumur) has a bustling morning market, which students head to at about 6am to enjoy a leisurely breakfast. Roadside warung (food-stalls) serve gado-gado (mixed vegetables with peanut-sauce) and nasi kuning (saffron-rice), which are consumed on rattan mats. Sit down and wait for the array of buskers, from groups of young students and wailing ladyboys to old men with homemade guitars. Keep small change handy, either to congratulate or get rid of them.

For mealtime music that's less in your face, try Gadjah Wong's (79D Jl Gejayan, 588 294, open 6pm-10pm, meal for two 300,000Rp.), where the Gamelon is as sublime as the ambiance. Elephant statues surround this traditional Java-style bamboo lodge, which serves a fabulous selection of French, Italian, Indian and Indonesian cuisine.

16km west of Jogja, Mang Engking (Sendagrejo, Minggir, Sleman, 748 9732. Open 9am-8pm, meal for two 60,000Rp) is located in lush countryside. Diners sit in bamboo huts surrounded by stunning views of water-drenched paddyfields, and on a clear day, views of Mt Merapi. Expect no-frills bamboo mats and a tranquil atmosphere interrupted occasionally by a croaking frog.

Where to drink

Bintang Café (54 Jl Sosrowijayan, open noon-late) Every Friday, local band Brown Sugar draws a large crowd of locals and travellers to this scruffy, character-filled joint. Their classic reggae, with distinct Indonesian flavours, gets everyone up and dancing.

Via Via (30 Jalan Prawirotaman, 386 557) packs with travellers most evenings and offers a good selection of beer and wine.

What to see

Borobodur (42km north-west of Jogja, US$11. Open 6am-5.30pm) is the world's largest Buddhist stupa and one of Indonesia's most celebrated sights. Today's Borobodur is the result of many restoration attempts, impressively undertaken considering the site was bombed in 1985 and shaken by Jogja's massive 2006 earthquake. Climb the stupa's steep steps and wander around the relief panel-lined platforms. While many statues are broken and hard to decipher, more are intact. Their intricacy and sheer numbers explain why Borobudur took over a hundred years to build.

The Museum Affandi (167 Jalan Solo, 562 593; www.affandi.org; Open 9am-4pm Monday-Saturday. 20,000Rp), a former residence of renowned painter Affandi is a quirky house designed by Affandi himself to resemble a banana leaf. With a staircase of hands and a mosaic swimming pool with a shark jutting out the side, the house also displays his paintings and others.
Kraton (Open 8.30am-2pm; 12,500Rp plus a donation for guides. Cultural performances 9am-noon) has housed Jogja's Sultans since it was built in 1756, and despite no access to the current Sultan's (number ten) living quarters, you still feel as though you're in a living palace. The Sultans have always been popular, especially number nine, famous for defeating the Dutch, to whom a four-room museum is dedicated.

Prambanan (17km east of Jogja. Open 6am-5pm. Entry US$10. Guides 50,000Rp), the Hindu answer to Borobudur, dates back to 850AD. Sadly, earthquake damage means the condition of some of the temples is not good. Restoration attempts are in progress, so there's a fair amount of scaffolding up at present. Many legends surround Prambanan, so consider hiring a guide as most are full of lively anecdotes. After dark, the Ramayana Ballet (Wednesdays and Saturdays at 7pm, 45,000-150,000Rp) tells the story of Rama and Sita in the complex's open-air theatre, especially impressive against the backlit temples.

Where to shop

For hassle-free shopping, head to Mirota Batik (9 Jl A Yani; 588 524; Open 9am-9pm). With its interesting and tasteful assortment of batiks (the characteristic fabric of the country) and knick-knacks, it's a one-stop-shop for souvenirs. Hundreds of street stalls on Jl Malioboro, and within Pasar Beringharjo are good for low-priced batiks, but often compromising quality. Yogyakarta is also famous for silver, and Jl Kemesan in Kota Gede, is the central hub of silversmiths' studios and shops.

When to go

With two seasons, rainy and dry, the dry season arrived in May so it should be dry until October, whilst still beautifully green and lush.

Getting There
Fly via Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur. Air China and Garuda fly to Jakarta from Beijing (direct, with a technical stop-over) for around ?????RMB. Alternatively fly Air Malaysia or Air China to Kuala Lumpur to pick up an Air Asia (www.airasia.com) flight for around 150 MYR.

Essentials

Currency: Indonesian Rupiah (IDR/Rp). 1RMB - 1,314Rp

Time zone: Jogja is an hour behind China.

Visas: One-month visas costing US$25 can be obtained upon entry for most nationalities

Calling code: +62(0)274