Basking in Yogyakarta’s artsy, studenty glow.

We eventually ventured out to see what the city was about and to get our bearings on the place. The city’s atmosphere was incredibly relaxed, not overly loud or overly trying to be something it was not, it simply existed how it should. No pretentions, no delusions.

One of the things which surprised me was the quaint and colourful back streets surrounding the city. They were quiet, with local’s homes throughout, featuring many plants and wildlife, such as lizards and too many plants I didn’t know the name of, adding to the natural look. Ideal for a charming mooch-around. It certainly didn’t feel like we were in a big city. I would say for me, it was opposite to Bali as the backstreets had a more residential feel, not built up for tourists.

The most popular area of Yogyakarta is Malioboro, a bustling shopping street and hub for restaurants and markets. I didn’t know what to expect from this street because it wasn’t as busy and buzzing as every blog post had described. The street was beautifully designed, with intricate benches and manicured greenery, reminding me of the roads in Paris. I loved the street’s maintenance and how the city didn’t let tourism, or the local population ruin it. The street did offer a diverse range of shops, from local clothing shops to trinket shops and markets scattered throughout.

We noticed many locals would come to us and urge us to visit the Batik art galleries nearby. I wasn’t aware of this type of art before arriving here and felt obliged and intrigued to see what it was. Batik is an Indonesian technique to create art; they use a wax-resistant dyeing technique on cloths. We did fall into the tourist trap and visited a couple of galleries (to have ignored the galleries would have been rude and, well, ignorant) but there was no obligation to buy anything. The locals working there gave us a free talk about how they create the art, and then we browsed around both galleries. There’s evidence that Batik art originated in the Far East, Middle East, Central Asia and India over 2,000 years ago with examples on caves and linen grave cloths in as far away as Egypt. The process of Batik art involves using melted wax on fabric. The wax is painted on in a certain design and then the fabric is dyed. The areas which have been waxed won’t be penetrable by the dye, leaving a pattern.

I did love how unique the art appeared as it was nothing like anything I’d previously witnessed at a gallery. Batik art had more heart and realism, with a colourful impact. I probably would have bought a piece if I found one which matched my style (earthy and minimalistic). It would have been interesting to do a class in the city because we saw many art tutorials and sessions, from batik art to jewellery making.

I got excited for dinner that night as I found some cheap street food and an incredible meal too – nasi gudeg. This dinner dish, local to Java (the region Yogyakarta is in) and sweet, is made with jackfruit and coconut sugar. Surprisingly, it’s a hot meal, not a dessert or salad. I was sad I tasted this meal on my last few days in Indonesia because I wanted to eat it more than once! The street market, Teras Malioboro, had a couple of stalls selling various local Javanese and Indonesian dishes. It was quiet and local with no other tourists in sight – that’s how you know the food is good. We also found a fancy-looking ice cream shop, The Original Gelato to finish off the meal. You could either sit in or take away and it was pretty cheap, only the equivalent of £1. The selection was simple: chocolate, strawberry and vanilla.

The next day began with a healthy breakfast at Akkar Juice Bar, featuring a smoothie bowl and pressed juice…the preferred breakfast of choice for health-conscious backpackers all over SE Asia! Then, we ventured to the Prambanan Temple, one of the most popular reasons to come to the city. There are two main temples to visit, the Prambanan and Borobudur. We decided to visit the Prambanan as Borobudur was partially shut off due to Covid, and the temples aren’t cheap to visit, around £20 each. The Prambanan seemed more value for money as it was a whole site rather than one temple. It lived up to dreamy expectations as the area was stunning. A ‘dreamy expectation’ meaning something I couldn’t even have thought up as it’s so wonderful!

As Yogyakarta was more residential, it felt slightly more religious than Bali because it wasn’t only for tourists, but mainly for locals. Whereas, I would say Bali was “spiritual” in a hipster-backpacker type way, more about natural living, crystals, tarot reading, and other similar fads.

The Prambanan Temple was built in the ninth century and is the largest Hindu temple complex in Indonesia. The grounds were perfectly manicured, and all the temples reminded me of Angkor Wat in Cambodia; they had that level of majesty with similar design. The main temple impressed me the most as it was iconic, grand and bold, standing out for miles. In terms of specific points of the temples standing out, Within the temples were various statues including the statue of the bull, Nandi. It stood out because it was the only thing, I could see in the pitch black! I couldn’t believe how well-kept the temple was, considering its age. I loved walking around the grounds as the history of these temples always amazes me. I appreciated the age of the property but also how its design is linked with the religion. The plan of the temple complex is a Mandala, a symbol of the Hindu cosmos and it’s divided into three parts. These three parts consist of the base of the temple, the body of the temple and the roof of the temple. The division of these building structures are in harmony with the ancient Hindu Buddhist traditions. As temples go, it has to be up there with one of the favourites I’ve seen across Indonesia, such as Pura Gunung Lebah and the Ululwatu temples in Bali. I also loved how quiet the temple grounds were; it felt like the temples were ours to enjoy fully and in no rush. It also helped us appreciate how serene seeing a temple is supposed to be.

Heading back into the city, we were feeling pretty knackered from the heat and decided to visit Roaster and Bear, a restaurant we read about on many blogs, famous for their ‘bear’ coffee art. We were originally going to have a drink, however, we’d worked up an appetite and needed food. The menu was vast but also specific in the particular dishes they offered. I chose a classic nasi goreng, whilst my partner picked an Asian fried chicken dish. This had to be one of the best nasi gorengs, especially as I’d never had the meat kind and the portions were huge. It’s hard to pin point when a nasi goreng is perfect but for me, it’s a perfectly cooked fried egg, good-sized portion, tomato garnishing and the moreish flavour of the dish. Plus, the hot chocolate with bear art was a lovely addition to the meal. As a fancy-looking place, it wasn’t as expensive as I expected. The décor was very modern, similar to a typical upmarket restaurant in the UK with velvet seating, wooden tables and bear decorations everywhere. The crowd was mostly locals of a younger demographic, lots of girl groups chatting over lunch. The service was lovely, attentive and friendly, an ideal addition to the meal. Outside, the views weren’t what I’d imagine however, as the neighbourhood was a combination of residential and commercial with many work establishments, but not much else going on.

I paid around £2.50 for my meal and my partner the same with drinks costing around £1-2 each. I can imagine if that restaurant was in Bali, it would have been double the cost considering its aesthetic.

Roaster and Bear was attached to the Harper hotel and downstairs featured the exquisite Pistachio Bakery, serving indulgent treats. I couldn’t resist grabbing some cookies for later on, which must have cost around £1-2 each. Sometimes you need some English treats when travelling around! We ventured back to Malioboro to scout the markets. We spent the rest of the day strolling around and browsing, soaking up typical market items, such as souvenirs, handbags, lightweight clothing, jewellery and more.

Our last day in Yogyakarta greeted us with blue skies, something we’d only been blessed with in the mornings during our time there, with heavy rainy afternoons. Generally during the afternoons, we either chilled in local cafes or visited the art galleries and markets. Travelling in the rainy season doesn’t always have its perks! We wandered over to a heavily reviewed breakfast place, Water Castle Cafe and I immediately loved it before I even entered the cafe. Tucked away in the quaint back roads, the cafe was surrounded by (urban) nature. Inside, the artwork was a mix of vintage paintings and framed photography. It reminded me of a junkyard heaven with random antiques and mismatched furniture. The owners had the friendliest smiles and an infectious energy as they prepared everything themselves. I had some light fruit pancakes with juice and my partner, a fruit bowl. The freshness of the food was incredible, made with love and a great start to the day. Also, the prices were insanely cheap, under a pound for drinks and breakfast each.

Our last day in Yogyakarta was also our last in Indonesia and we decided to take it slow, preparing for the long travel day back to the UK the day after. We spent the morning seeing the last few sights, including Tamansari Water Castle, where the royal garden of the Sultanate of Yogyakarta once was. Although the grounds were worn away, the charm remained intact. We also didn’t realise how these grounds connected to many other monuments nearby in the city. A local found us wandering around and took us along all the ruins once connected to this site.

The Tamansari Water Castle was built in 1765 for Hamengku Buwoo, the sultan of the kingdom of Yogyakarta. Spread over 12,600 acres, the castle includes various water gardens, artificial lakes, pools and 59 buildings. Its landscape also includes a meditation space, fort, mosque and underground tunnels connecting all the features together. I did walk past the mosque but as it was underground, and there was no public access. I peeked through a gap to try and see the mosque but, to be honest it was a mass of stone and pretty dark inside.

Other notable sights included the Sultan Palace and Jogja National Museum. I expected more from the Sultan Palace as there wasn’t much to see within the grounds, and we were in and out incredibly quickly. Although, the Jogja National Museum was a lovely surprise and a unique experience. I thought it would be a historic place, explaining the city’s history. However, it was an abstract, contemporary art gallery with thought-provoking pieces spread across a few floors. The art was contemporary and quite a few pieces caught my eye as this type of art always makes me wonder the mindset of the artist and the symbolism of the creation. One piece had a splatter of paint on it in a giant white room and that was it, and the simplicity really stroked me. I probably should have taken note in the artist, but I was too busy in thought about the piece. The museum was also vacant, with only a few students looking around.

With sightseeing ticked off and feeling knackered, we resided in Couvee, a modern cafe popular with local freelancers and online workers as we were the only ones without a laptop. The café was clean, modern and white with typical Ikea-ish furniture, with a random menu from drinks to pasta and some baked goods I have to shout this place out purely for its scrumptious iced chocolate and distance from our hotel.

The hotel I stayed in was called Ayaartta Hotel Malioboro. As the last destination in a three-month backpacking trip, we wanted a luxurious stay to enjoy a truly serene experience before jetting back to the UK. The hotel had to be one of the fanciest I stayed in across Asia, costing £55 for three nights and reminded me of an ultra-exquisite Premier Inn. This hotel featured an all-you-can eat breakfast, pool onsite and a hub for local events.

We finished our time in the city at Kesuma restaurant. Located along a tiny alley, it had a humble family environment and served plenty of specific and traditional Indonesian meals The decoration I can only describe as cluttered, it felt like I was sitting in my grandparents’ house, full of all their belongings with tables laid out with white tablecloths. But I liked that as it held the traditional, family appeal throughout. The crowd of people were limited as it was a small restaurant, but they were all tourists, who, like us, must have read about this place on Trip Advisor or blog posts. The meals varied from noodle dishes, curries and nasi goreng of course. The starters here such as fried tempe were incredible, although the nasi goreng let me down as my final meal because it didn’t taste the same, was spicy and had no egg.

Yogyakarta was a local experience and one of the reasons I enjoyed it in the few days we had. We immersed ourselves in the city’s everyday routine whilst visiting the famous sights and sampling the notable Javanese dishes. I also loved how many students talked with us and interviewed us as part of their school project because it allowed us to communicate with new people. They asked us who we were, where we were from, our age and how long we’ve spent in the city. Also, what our thoughts were of Yogyakarta and what we did during our trip there. The girls who asked the questions even gave us a bracelet to say thank you! My partner and I had lots of things to say as we loved the city and wanted to share the feedback with them.

Another aspect I also noticed about Yogyakarta was the lack of integration of tourists within the local population. Generally, most tourists you could tell were only there for a few days as they were hitting up the main sights. When I saw people in coffee shops working or roaming around, they were mainly locals. Also, in comparison to Thailand, I found a lack of tourists with long-term partners from Indonesia. Whereas, in Thailand, integrated relationships are much more common.

With great shopping opportunities, inexpensive and delicious food and wondrous sights, spending three days in Yogyakarta was a winner in my books.