Yogyakarta Getaway, Day 1 (Prambanan & Boko @ Sunset)

Day 1 : Prambanan & Boko Sunset Tour

Our short getaway to Yogyakarta was in August of 2015.  This is the dry season in Yogyakarta.

We took a morning flight by Silkair to Yogyakarta from Singapore.  Flight was slightly over 2 hours.  Indonesia is one hour behind Singapore.  We arrived in Yogyakarta at around 9.30am.  We had arranged for airport pickup and the guy from Hyatt Regency was waiting for us when we exited from the gates.  The car ride to the hotel was about 20 mins.

The Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta has beautiful grounds and nice swimming pools. It immediately gave a relaxing tropical resort feel when we arrived.  We had booked the club rooms, so upon arrival we were shown to the Regency club lounge for check in.  Check in was efficient. Although it was before 11am. our room was already ready.

The room itself was simple and nothing to shout about. I like the tiled flooring of the room. Feels so much cleaner than carpets. The room deco is pretty old, but nonetheless the room was clean and well maintained. I have no complain.  A day before we left, we asked for late checkout at 2pm and they acceded to our request without a second thought. Not sure if it is because I am a Hyatt Platinum member, but nonetheless, the early check in and late check out were appreciated.

We settled down for a while before going out to explore the hotel grounds.  the grounds were beautiful and they had their own golf course as well.  DH made a mental note to bring his golf clubs the next time.

The Grounds of Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta

We had a 2pm Prambanan and Boko tour.  So we decided to catch lunch at the restaurant.  The Ayam Penyat (fried chicken) and Nasi Goreng (Indonesian fried rice) that we had were quite nice and we felt price was very reasonable.

Lunch @ Kamangi Restaurant, Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta

We met our tour guide at the lobby of the Hyatt at 2pm and started our afternoon and sunset tour of Candi Sambisari, Prambanan and Ratu Boko. First stop that afternoon was Candi Sambisari.  Candi Sambisari is a 9th century Hindu temple.  It was buried about 5 meters underground.  Part of the original temple have been excavated.

Candi Sambisari, Hindu temple

Prambanan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It is a Hindu temple built in the 10th century and is the largest temple compound dedicated to the Hindu God, Shiva, in Indonesia.  The three main temples are decorated with reliefs illustrating the epic of Ramayana, dedicated to the three great Hindu divinities (Shiva, Vishnu & Brahma) and three smaller temples dedicated to the animals who serve them.

Prambanan, Hindu temple
UNESCO World Heritage Site

Prambanan, Hindu temple
UNESCO World Heritage Site

Prambanan was impressive and very crowded. We love taking photos and thus spent longer than expected in Prambanan. As a result, we did not have enough time to catch the mini train to Sewu, as we wanted to catch the sunset at Ratu Boko.

Prambanan is definitely worth a visit if you are In Yogyakarta. But between Prambanan and Borobudur which we saw the next day, I still like Borobudur better.

Prambanan, Hindu temple
UNESCO World Heritage Site

Ratu Boko Palace is an archeological site 3km from Prambanan.  Its origins have not been determined yet and it is names after King Boko from a traditional folklore. The sunset at Ratu Boko was beautiful. Sitting around waiting for the sunset was great. The place was breezy and everyone was just sitting on the ground waiting for the moment. Definitely have to time your visit at sunset.

Ratu Boko @ Sunset

Ratu Boko @ Sunset

Our entrance ticket to Ratu Boko included a drink (coffee or tea) and snack at the restaurant. As we did not want the snack, they allowed us to pick fruit juice instead.  Then it was back to our hotel for dinner. Regency Club Lounge serves cocktail every evening.  It was simple. You can’t make a meal out of the cocktail offerings, but it provided adequate snack/appetitser with our drinks before we head off for dinner. Service of the Regency club lounge staff was always prompt and with a smile.

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