Indonesia’s Borobudur: World’s largest Buddhist temple and a work of marvel

It ranks with Burma’s Bagan and Cambodia’s Angkor Wat as one of the greatest archaeological sites of South East Asia. It is Indonesia’s most visited tourist attraction. It is a UNESCO world heritage site. It is influenced by Mahayana Buddhism, indigenous Indonesia ancestor worship and Hinduism. It is the world’s largest Buddhist temple and a true work of marvel. I am talking about Indonesia’s famous Borobudur temple that is home to one of the largest and most complete ensembles of Buddhist reliefs in the world.



Built in the 9th century under the reign of the Sailendra dynasty, Borobudur is a giant of a temple. It consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped a central dome. It is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. Built using Javanese Buddhist temple architecture, this place for Buddhist pilgrimage is a treat to the eye and tells many stories.



The journey starts at the bottom of the massive temple and goes all the way to the top through stairways and corridors, each decorated with beautiful relief panels on its walls and balustrades. Out of the 9 floors, the bottom three represent desires, the middle three represent forms and the top three represent formlessness. And beyond these nine floors are the volcanoes of Merbabu and Merapi and the lush green cover in between. All making for a fantastic climb to the top of Borobudur.



This journey through the city of Buddhas tells you many stories – Buddha’s past lives, Buddha’s path to enlightenment, the birth of Buddha, the jatakas and avadanas, the law of Karma, the three realms of Buddhist cosmology, the 6 different postures of Buddha and more. These stories can be seen through the wall reliefs that adorn this nine floored temple. It is best to go in the company of a knowledgeable guide in case you wish to understand the wall reliefs completely.



Everything about Borobudur’s epic proportions scream awesomeness. It is built as a single large stupa, but when looked from the top, it looks like a giant tantric Buddhist mandala. The bell shaped stupas that adorn this monument at each of its floors are designed using ancient megalithic traditions incorporated with Mahayana Buddhist ideas and symbolism.



The entire monument was laid without mortar and it stands tall today due to its knobs, indentations and dovetail joints. It enjoys excellent drainage through its beautifully designed channels and gargoyle spouts. And it has been designed with precise mathematical calculations.



And then there are the bas reliefs that were carved onto the temple once the entire structure was ready. Everything about it – its design, its size, its location, its ideals and philosophy and its stories make it a dream for anyone who loves civilizations, history, art, design and architecture.



Borobudur is a marvel that has to be feasted with ones own eyes. Photographs and videos hardly do any justice to its grandeur. One has to climb its steep flight of stairs, admire the bas reliefs while catching their breath, soak in the views in the yonder and keep repeating the process till they are one with the temple, the sky and the surrounding landscape.



Borobudur is a place that one has to see in their lifetime and a must visit if you are planning a holiday to Indonesia. It is a beautiful mix of spirituality, architecture, nature, history and the rich principles of Buddhism. I love this temple wonder and would return to it in a heart beat.



Best season to visit:

Borobudur is accessible all year round. Days can get warm, but nothing worth worrying about.

Rains can add a new dimension to the overall temple experience and they also bring with them vibrant sunrises and sunsets.

Do watch out for any eruption from Gunung Merapi as that can disturb the environment in and around Borobudur temple.



How to reach there:

The nearest airport  and railway station would be Yogyakarta. Yogyakarta has daily flights from South East Asia, Jakarta and Bali. And it is well connected by the trains that ply the island of Java. Basically lots of options to reach here from Jakarta, Bali, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.

From Yogyakarta, Borobudur temple is about 40 kms or 75 minutes away. You can either rent a motorcycle or car, hire a taxi or take the public bus from Yogyakarta to Borobudur.



Timings and entry formalities:

Borobudur is open from 6 AM through 5 PM. The tickets can be purchased at the counter either at Borobudur or Prambanan. If you only want ticket to Borobudur temple, it costs USD 22 per foreign national. If you are planning to visit both Prambanan temple and Borobudur temple, it is best to opt for the joint ticket that costs USD 40 per foreign national and that is valid for two days.

One is required to wear a sarong over their clothes. Such sarongs are given free of cost along with the purchase of a entrance ticket and needs to be returned while exiting.



Where to stay:

The best option with the widest range of accommodation would be Yogyakarta city, about 75 minutes away. Hotels, hostels, homestays and more can be found here thus catering to travelers with all kinds of budget.

If you wish to catch sunrise at Borobudur or if you wish to reach early to avoid the crowds, then may be, you can stay at the homestays and hotels located near Borobudur campus.



Where to eat:

There are food stalls just outside Borobudur campus for a quick bite. The nearest restaurants would be near the bus station and the best choice of restaurants would be in Yogyakarta city. It would be best to carry a snack and some water with you when you visit Borobudur.



Other nearby tourist attractions:

1) Prambanan: The capital of Hinduism in Indonesia

2) Gunung Merapi: One of the deadliest volcanoes in the world



3) The cultural city of Yogyakarta

4) The black sandy beaches of Parangtritis

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Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park: Once in a Lifetime Spectacle

There is something about volcanoes that pulls me to it. Even right now, I cannot stop myself from following the activity of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano that has been erupting and spewing lava, smoke, ash and gases for over 2 weeks now. I find this raw, violent side of earth to be massively thrilling and to see it in real is immensely galvanizing for my soul. May be, that is why I absolutely love climbing and exploring the volcanoes of Indonesia.



In case you did not know already, Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago, lies on the famous ring of fire and thus is home to a stunning array of volcanoes. Some blow like clock work every few years, some keep bellowing smoke all 365 days of the year and there are some that are quiet from the outside, but there is a rumble or two in their insides from time to time. Whatever the kind of volcano and on whichever island it is located in, there is never a paucity of thrilling active volcano phenomenon when you visit them.



And that is precisely why I adore climbing the volcanoes of Indonesia. Add to it the spectacular panoramic sunrises and vistas, the experience of negating the sea of sand, the sight of that lava river flowing down below and that of the volcano mountain smoking all day long like a hippie and you have a once in lifetime kind of spectacle.    
    


Out of all the volcanoes of Indonesia, the one that oozes special appeal are Mount Semeru, Mount Bromo and many others from the Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park in Eastern Java. Just watching the volcanoes appear from the cloud mist during the early hours of the morning is surreal enough. To climb them is an altogether out of the world experience.



Mount Semeru, locally referred to as Mahameru or the great mountain is my favorite in this national park. Standing at 3, 676 metres tall, this mountain is the tallest on Java island and is one of Indonesia’s most volcanoes. If you stand at any of the view points for a long while, you will notice that this Mount Semeru blows up smoke every 20 or 30 minutes. From far away, it looks like someone is exhaling smoke, but when you get closer to the mountain, you can hear the rumble and can feel the stones being thrown in the air along with the acrid smoke.



Mount Bromo on the other hand, offers a much superior panorama courtesy its blown up top. One can either climb up its sea of fine volcanic sand or pay to be carried on top of horses and ponies to reach the mountain top and enjoy the view of the crater that constantly belches white sulphurous smoke and that commands a stunning view of the green-brown-black tones of this national park spectacle.



This national park is named after these two active volcanoes and the Tengger people who inhabit this area. One of the few significant Hindu communities living on the island of Java, these people consider the Mahameru to be the abode of the lord. As visitors, you will come across the Tenggerese people if you stay in their village homestays and/or when you are visiting the tourist circuit of Bromo where you will see these sunburned individuals wrapped in poncho-like blankets standing next to their ponies and horses and asking you if you wish to avail their tourist guide or pony services.



There are about three established routes to enter this national park: Probolinggo –> Ngadisari route that takes you via the Cemoro Lawang village where you can stay in a rural homestay, the Pasuran –> Tosari route and the Malang-> Tumpang route. While the Probolinggo –> Ngadisari route is the most common and the most popular, I personally prefer the offbeat route from Malang, especially if you have a 4x4 jeep. Not only does this route allow you to indulge in some off-roading, but it takes you into remote corners of this national park and gives you unique perspectives of this stunning landscape. Just remember to carry a handkerchief, scarf or bandana to protect yourself from the fine black sand that will find its way into your nostrils.



The Bromo sunrise is possibly the most famous thing to experience here and could be the most iconic image to photograph in the entire country of Indonesia. So if you are a photographer, do not miss out on this iconic spectacle.  Climbing Mount Semeru is possibly the most enriching experience, but this requires a strenuous trek, a lot of planning and many permits to be taken along with availing the services of a knowledgeable local guide who understands the volcano behavior well. And good solid gear as well to protect you from the volcanic elements (masks, cold weather jacket, boots, etc.).



The Mount Semeru trek is the way to go if you have a lot of time at hand. For those who wish to experience this national park on a limited timeframe, I would recommend the Bromo viewpoint, Bromo crater climb and the Poten Hindu temple, Mount Penanjakan viewpoint, Madakaripura waterfall, Mount Batok and a stay at Cemoro Lawang for a true local experience.



For those who wish for a luxurious stay, but don’t mind the bumpy commute, Malang and Surabaya are two different options. My personal favorite is the cultural gem of Malang that is known for its cool weather, delicious food and laidback lifestyle. And plus, it allows you go on a 4x4 off-road adventure.



View of smoking volcanoes, the acrid smell of sulphur, the periodic rumble you feel when you walk, hospitable locals, a remote landscape that has a myriad shades of green, brown and grey, the joy of continuously slipping in the sea of sand and stunning panoramas, the volcanoes of Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park are bound to stupefy and thrill you to the core. Such places are rare and hence offer you once in a lifetime kinda experience. Don’t miss it on your next holiday to Bali or Indonesia.



Note of Caution: This thrilling place is full of dangers, especially during explosions. Hence, do ensure that you look up the volcano explosion activity or other possible dangers before you plan a trip here. And carry with you a mask or some kind of protection for your nose and mouth in case you are prone to any breathing difficulties. And remember to carry proper winter clothing as temperatures usually drop below zero here especially in the night and the pre sunrise hours. For photographers, wear hunter gloves to help you press the shutter in the freezing temperature.

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My Kawah Ijen story featured on a TV Show

Last week, I wrote an article about Kawah Ijen and the story of its sulphur miner. This story and the video that I took of these miners has been featured in a television show called RightThisMinute and the video can be seen here. I am very happy to see my story being pushed to a larger audience as this will help more of the world support the cause of these sulphur miners and may be help them with care, food and/or money.



Thank you RightThisMinute.com team for featuring my video and supporting these Sulphur miners who desperately need all the help they can get.

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Trains of Java, Indonesia: Perfect for Budget Travelers

A lot of budget travelers to Indonesia prefer to spend more time in the Java island when compared to the other islands mainly because of its superior public transport infrastructure and the ability to travel long distances for a very small price. Trains and buses forms the bulk to the public transport system while there are taksi (taxi), ojek (motorcycle taxi), becak (3 wheeler cycle rickshaw), bajai (3 wheeler auto rickshaw), angkot (mini van) and more. Out of these, the trains offer the most comfort and are ideal to commute long distances.

During my last 3 weeks in Java, I have taken the train 4 times. I took the Executive class from Jakarta to Yogyakarta, the Executive class again from Yogyakarta to Malang, the Economy class from Malang to Banyuwangi and the Bisnis Class from Banyuwangi to Surabaya. For me, all classes were comfortable even though each journey was a minimum of 6 hours.

The thing to understand with the trains in Indonesia is that the cost of the trains vary with train type and class type. The Executive trains are the fastest, but also cost the most. All the compartments on the Executive trains are the Executive class, which is the highest class. There are no sleeper berths on the trains in Indonesia. All of them are seat type like the airplanes.

The Executive class has individual seats with push back option, pillow, blanket, and lots of leg room (I am a 191 cm guy and I was very comfortable). The Executive compartments are completely air-conditioned. The Bisnis class is also air-conditioned, but the seats are shared and the leg room is slightly lesser. Pillows are provided upon request. There are 2 types of economy class. One is economy with AC and the other is Economy with fan. Both of them are shared seats with very less leg room. Pillows are provided in this class too, but for a price. The cost decreases as you move from Executive to Bisnis to Economy AC to Economy.

Most of the trains have an attached pantry car that serves food. In the Executive trains, pantry attendants come to take personalized food and beverage orders, but in other trains, they just sell the wares. In economy trains, local vendors get into the train at each station and sell the wares. All the train compartments have attached toilets that are always maintained very well. While most of it is squat style toilets, some Executive trains have WC style toilets too.

The Executive trains take the least time to travel between 2 destinations because they either don’t stop at all destinations or stop only for a very brief period of time. They also get premium treatment over the other trains. The economy trains are much slower, but they stop at stations where the Executive trains do not stop. They get much longer than the Executive trains to ply between 2 destinations.

The thing to keep in mind is that in Indonesia, the Executive trains leave from a different station, while the economy ones leave from a different one. To ensure you have a comfortable train journey, carry a jacket and/or blanket with you if you are traveling in an air-conditioned compartment. The trains in Indonesia love to keep the AC very cold. Also, buy water and food as required from a supermarket before entering the train. Even though food is available on the train, it may or may not be fresh and is slightly more expensive than the supermarket.

The best thing about the trains is the ease of booking. One can either book the tickets directly at the train station, online at Kereta API train booking website and/or book at the nearest Indomaret supermarket (you pay 7,500 rupiah more for using this option). Unless it is a holiday, you should be able to book a train ticket one day in advance. Sometimes you can also get the ticket at the train station just before the scheduled departure of the train.

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Trek to Gunung Merapi: One of the deadliest volcanoes in the world

Gunung Merapi! This name is pretty much unknown in the tourist world, but it is almost one of the top 10 names in the list of the deadliest volcanoes in the world. A lot of tourists who visit the central Java region of Indonesia do not even know about this active volcano. Even if they do, they give it as miss, as unlike the Gunung Bromo and its easy views, one needs to do a 3 to 4 hour trek to reach the top of Merapi.


It is only those tourists who either have local friends or are couchsurfing who end up climbing this mountain of fire. This mountain is very popular with the local Indonesian people and attracts hundreds of trekkers every weekend. In line with this Indonesian trend, I joined my Indonesia friend and his group of friends to climb Mount Merapi last weekend.


About 12 of us left Yogyakarta at about 2 pm on Saturday and reached the base camp (spot for parking and has some small shops) after sunset. The drive should have taken us just 2 hours, but the weekend traffic and the heavy rains ensured that we reached late. A glass of the the tawar panas (hot sweet tea) woke us up and gave us warmth at the nippy base camp.


It took a while for everyone to assemble as everyone seemed to have gotten delayed due to the rain. Once all of us were together, we started climbing in what was a steep climb. There were hardly any flat stretches as the climb was continuously a steep ascent. Some of us reached our camp site in 3 hours while the other slow ones reached in 4 hours. The ground was slippery, some people got cramps and the weather was giving everyone a chill.


By about 1 AM, we had pitched our tents and were brewing a much needed cup of hot tea to warm us up. I was one of the few you came very badly prepared for this trek. First, I had no warm wear with me as a backpacker travels light and doesn’t expect to be cold in tropical south east Asia. Second, I had no trekking shoes, but my sandals. The worst was no sleeping bag. Hence, I had to sleep on the floor of the tent for close to 2 hours.


In the end, all I managed was 40 minutes of sleep. It was more or less the same that everyone else got. Some could not sleep at all. We were all terribly tired, but the excitement of seeing sunrise from the peak was beckoning all of us to start walking. In a short while from our camp site, the forest cover ended and the walk was through black stones and rocks.


Between the peak and the campsite, there is a place that is somewhat like a memorial to pay respects to the kids who lost their life during a trek when Merapi exploded. From the campsite to the peak was about 2 hours and as we were approaching the top, I got heady due to the sulphur gases and could not proceed any further. It was also the sunrise time so I went to quickly find a spot to perch myself and my camera. Some folks proceeded further to the peak to see the crater and the lava flowing underneath and the others made themselves comfortable in their own sweet spots.


The sunrise was sharp at 5:05 AM and it was beautiful to see the sun rise beyond Gunung Lawu and the city nights below were still twinkling. Slowly, you could see Mount Merapi, Mount Merbabu, which is opposite Mount Merapi and the two mountains that are situated a bit far away. The views were surreal as the weather stayed really clear. The colors of the sun, the landscapes and the views of the mountains kept all of us dumb struck for a long while.


As the sun rose up from behind the mountains, the clouds also seemed to rise with it making the entire world below seem like a maze of clouds. Once the maze of clouds dispersed, you could see the greens that covered these volcanic mountains. The slopes of Mount Merapi was a contrast of sorts with the top slopes being black while the slopes below were fresh green.


In a couple of hours, the cold winds of the night died down and the sun started warming up the entire place. Soon, all the warm clothes got replaced with summer clothes. By about 8 AM, all of us were back at the campsite and looking at the pictures.


While some of us were looking at each other’s photographs, some of the others were kind enough to brew some hot kopi (Indonesian coffee) and start with the breakfast. After a hearty breakfast, we started our descent back to the base camp.


Descent was quicker, but was very slippery with slimy mud and lots of pebbles and rocks. I fell on my backside 3 times, but it was part of the fun and the overall experience. The descent is actually tougher than the ascent as it has stretches all your leg muscles completely. After reaching the base camp, all of us celebrated with iced tea, some bananas and a group photograph. Then, we sleepily drove back to Yogyakarta.


If you wish to do this trek, do ensure you have a guide to help you guide as you might get in the upper stretches and especially in the night, when you have no sense of direction. Plus, it is good to have a local who is aware of the latest activities in the volcano and knows which side of the mountain is safe and which is not. There is also a permissible limit in certain parts of the peak as the sulphur gases might cause trouble if you breathe them for a long while. If you wish to visit an active volcano and/or explore Central Java like a local, Gunung Merapi has to be on top of your bucket list.

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