Yogyakarta is well-known for its historical monuments scattered in its territories such as the magnificent 8th century Borobudur temple, Prambanan temple, and Kraton (The Royal Palace). The center of Javanese culture has gained a reputation as well as a destination nature lovers should visit. It has stunning beaches, caves, a majestic volcano, secret beaches, waterfalls, and many more. But what about its city? Does Yogyakarta city worth visiting for a holiday or perhaps a city break? I’ve heard it’s one of the most livable city in Indonesia and have been curious to prove it. When we had some free time, we then took the train to visit the former capital of Indonesia to enjoy what the city offers.

Yogyakarta or often shorten as Yogya or Jogja is unlike other cities in Indonesia. It has a status as a special region, the last standing monarchy in Indonesia, meaning the province is led by a Sultan that is also taking the role of the governor, and the succession is hereditical. Besides that, The special region of Yogyakarta is also known as a student city and Indonesia’s most popular tourist destination after Bali.

READ ALSO:

5 Temple in Yogyakarta You Shouldn’t Miss Besides Borobudur & Prambanan

5 Places in Yogyakarta, Indonesia You Might Have Never Heard

4 Best Restaurants in Jogja

How to Get to Yogyakarta?

From Bali, we flew to Adi Soemarmo International Airport in Surakarta (Solo), then took the train to Yogyakarta. Between Solo and Yogya there is a commuter line train that is very convenient for both locals and travelers since it’s fast and very affordable. It took us 1 hour and 8 minutes to reach Tugu station, the main Yogyakarta train station using KRL and it cost only 8.000 Rupiah ($53 cents) per trip.

You might be wondering why didn’t we fly directly to Jogja. Well, we have something to do first at around Solo but if I can fly directly to Jogja I’m reluctant to fly to the new Yogyakarta International Airport since it’s far from the city. The old Yogyakarta airport (Adisutjipto Airport) is closer to the city center but it’s no longer serving commercial flights.

If you’re not fancy taking the train to Yogya, there is another option to take Grab/ GoCar or rent a car with a private driver. The travel time will be longer than taking the train, though.

From Yogyakarta station, we took GoCar to go to our hotel and for exploring the city.

Where to Stay in Yogyakarta?

Been curious for a long about this particular hotel, this time I decided to stay at The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta, a 5-stars hotel located in the heart of Yogyakarta city. The main reason why I am so attracted to this hotel is because it has beautiful architecture resembling Kraton (The Royal Palace) and also European style. It seems like a heritage building, fitting with the image of Jogja as a historic city and cultural center.

We’re only staying at The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta for a night but it’s memorable, more than just a staycation. Turns out this hotel has a lot of stories to tell and of course history.

The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta used to be a manor built by a Chinese merchant named Kwik Djoen Eng in 1918. Then the house was sold to another businessman and converted into a hotel until now. The building looks magnificent like a palace and looks very well maintained. Many of the furniture in the hotel is in Javanese as well as European style.

When Yogya became Indonesia’s capital, Bung Karno, the first President of the Republic of Indonesia, had ever worked in the Phoenix Hotel Jogjakarta. His office still exists today, and hotel guests are also allowed to visit the historic room.

I can feel Indo-Dutch nuances almost in every corner of The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta. Not only in the living room/lounge, and courtyard but also in each room since it’s decorated with a classic European style. Many facilities are provided so that guests feel comfy in the hotel such as a swimming pool, spa, salon, gym, and also a sauna.

In accordance with its concept as a heritage hotel, at breakfast guests are also treated to a buffet food menu consisting of Javanese traditional, Indonesian, and Western dishes. It’s no wonder that most of the guests are foreigners who are on vacation in Jogja. To enjoy all this luxury, hotel rates start from 1,100,000 Rupiah per night.

Things To Do in Yogyakarta

1. Malioboro Street

Jalan Malioboro is a major shopping street in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, located at the center of Yogyakarta’s largest tourist district surrounded by many hotels, restaurants, and shops nearby. Sidewalks on both sides of the street are crowded with small kiosks selling a variety of goods, mainly batik and food. In the evening several open-air street-side restaurants, called lesehan, operate along the street. This is also the street of the artists. Street musicians, painters, and other artists exhibit their creations on this road. From our hotel, we walked for 20 minutes to Malioboro Street. It was on a weekend and in the middle of the school holiday, so, of course, the street is crowded with tourists, both locals and foreigners.

It was fun strolling around Malioboro in the evening, especially because the local government has been moving the street vendors from the sidewalk so we’ve got more spaces to walk. There are some attractions as well along the street such as The Royal Palace guards who guard the street and are ready for one or two selfies with tourists, street performances, and a traditional horse cart (andong) that is ready to take you exploring Yogya. If you continue walking until the end of the street, there are some Yogyakarta landmarks worth visiting such as Beringharjo Market, a traditional market known for selling batik; Vredeburg fort, a former Dutch fort; and some well-maintained Indo-Dutch historic buildings. But since I’ve been there and we wanted to chill this time, we prefer to do some shopping in Malioboro Mall and had dinner.

Malioboro Street lies north–south axis in the line between Yogyakarta Kraton and Mount Merapi. This is in itself significant to many of the local population, the north–south orientation between the palace and the volcano being of importance.

2. Had Dinner in Angkringan

The Javanese word for sitting down is “Angkring”. Angkringan used to be a wooden pushcart where people would be able to sit on both sides. In the middle, there would be food. Traditional carts would be able to seat around 8 people. The people that would come to Angkringan were of lower income in the past. But nowadays there are people from different social backgrounds who would come here to enjoy the atmosphere, food, and chatting. Nowadays Angkringan provides artificial light with an LED lamp. Some have abandoned the idea of the wooden pushcart and put chairs and tables or floor mats on the side of the road near a wall or in the corner. Having dinner in Angkringan is not only about the Yogyakarta food but also enjoying the lesehan dining style, atmosphere, and people.

The food in Angkringan is typically served in small portions, consisting of small rice, sambal, dan fish/ tempeh/ chicken. There are a lot of variety side dishes you can choose ranging from tempeh, tofu, satay, corn fritter, and others. You can ask the seller to reheat those side dishes before they serve them to you. Dining in Angkringan is not only a unique experience you can have in Yogyakarta but also authentic since Angkringan originally comes from Yogya and Solo. When you’re ready to pay, most likely you will also be surprised to know that the price is very cheap.

We had dinner in Angkringan Kopi Joss in Jalan Pangeran Mangkubumi, just one block away from Maliboro Street.

3. Tasting Yogyakarta Coffee

Nah, I am not talking about Kopi Klotok, a signature coffee from Yogya, but more about the coffee culture here. As the world’s 4th largest coffee producer, drinking coffee has been part of Indonesian culture, including in Yogya. We went to a coffee shop that seemed to be a favorite among the locals and happen to be located next to our hotel and Yogyakarta Monument (Tugu Jogja), Kebon Ndalem.

The espresso and ice latte served in the coffee shop housed in a colonial-style building are pretty good. We also got to try a traditional snack called Wingko Babat, a traditional Indonesian pancake-like snack made from coconuts.

Our vacation in Yogyakarta was indeed pretty short, just a weekend. We spent more time chilling in the hotel as I am pregnant but nevertheless, it was a nice city break in a nice city also a good way to introduce Yogyakarta to my husband. We’ll be back to visit the historical temples and nature though. What about you, have you been to Yogyakarta?.

Curious about my adventures in Europe and America ?. You can click the following links to see my traveling videos that have aired on Net TV :

1. Desa Hallstatt, Desa dengan Arsitektur Klasik di Pinggir Danau
2. Imutnya Park Guell, Dunia Fantasi Ala Gaudi di Barcelona
3. Ada Turki Mini di Bosnia Herzegovina
4. Nyobain Makanan Khas Bosnia, Kaya Rasa dan Pasti Halal
5. The Bean, Seni Kontemporer yang Ada di Film – film Hollywood

Want to help support my travel? Help me to visit 50 more countries and write more travel stories & guides by donating here

Watch my adventures & subscribe to my YouTube channel: The Island Girl Adventures