In Reply to: anybody being to jogjakarta (Borobudur) posted by pkt on Friday, 12. November 2004 at 08:33 Bali Time:
Went to Yogya in April and was fascinated by the place and the people, but only stayed three days/two nights. Cliff has it all covered and I agree with every word he says, except some of his spelling!! I found both Borobudur and Prambanan to be fabulous places. Don't be upset by the Admission prices of 80,000 for tourists but only 7,000 for locals - probably fair enough. Met the best/happiest/most persistent Hawker of all time outside Borobudur - wanted some incredible amount (I think 400,000 Rp) for a "copper" statue of an oxen but gradually came down to 30,000, I did not buy. Stayed at Inna Garuda, right on Malioboro, for about 280,000 for a double - nearly half the "normal" rate - but don't waste your money on an upgrade standard and de luxe look the same, just different floors. I knew all about the Batik salespeople but still got sucked in. They are such pluasible conmen - it did not cost us anything except the time we wasted - their manner changed from warm and friendly to openly hostile when they realised we were not going to spend any money and to be honest I did feel a bit intimidated, got out quick. Be prepared for lots of beggars on Malioboro, and help some if you can. Try a Makasan Padang meal - unique! Be prepared for crowds and motor-bike traffic, my wife was a bit over-awed by it. Check out the Garuda website for local airfares - do not book from outside Indonesia. I think the fare Denpasar/Yogya was about 600,000 return local price. The agent said there was no such fare until I showed him the print out from the Garuda Web Page.
Hope you are as enthralled with the place as I was.