Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sekaten
Central Java. March or April. The celebration of the
birthday of the prophet Muhammed includes a month-long
festival of fairs, gamelan recitals and performances.
least for the sunrise walk to its summit.
But there are plenty more volcanic
landscapes to explore, including the
turquoise lake of
Kawah Ijen
, the ancient
temples and coloured lakes of the
windswept
Dieng Plateau
, and the world's
most famous - and destructive - volcano,
Krakatau
, off the west coast of Java.
Aside from Yogyakarta, Java's cities are
somewhat less enticing to travellers,
although
Jakarta
, the chaotic sprawl that
is Indonesia's capital, boasts interesting
museums, a host of gargantuan new malls,
and the best nightlife on the island.
Moving on to Java's neighbouring islands
is easily done - Bali is just a forty-minute
ferry from Banyuwangi in the east, as is
Sumatra from Merak in the west.
Java
One of the most densely populated places
in all of Asia,
Java
is also characterized by
great natural beauty. his island's central
spine is dominated by volcanoes, over
forty of which remain active, their fertile
slopes supporting a landscape of
glimmering rice fields dotted with
countless villages. To the south of this
mountainous backbone is the homeland
of the ethnic Javanese and the epicentre
of their arts, culture and language,
epitomized by the royal courts of
Yogyakarta
and
Solo
. Still steeped in
traditional dance, music and art, these
two cities are the mainstay of Java's
tourist industry, providing excellent bases
from which to explore the sublime
Buddhist temple of
Borobudur
, as well as
the equally fascinating Hindu complex of
Prambanan
. To the east, the volcanic
massif of
Gunung Bromo
is another major
stop on most travellers' itineraries, not
JAKARTA
Bounded to the north by the Java Sea
and to the south by the low Bogor Hills,
JAKARTA
is Indonesia's unrivalled
megalopolis. Home to over ten million
(almost thirty million including the
greater, o
cial metropolitan area known
as Jabodetabek), it comprises almost 700
square kilometres of concrete sprawl, an
amalgam of glamorous shopping malls,
4
JAVA
JAVA SEA
Pulau Madura
Dieng
Plateau
Bandungan
Surabaya
Gunung
Merapi
(2914m)
Sangrian
Wonosobo
Kaliurang
Gunung Lawu
(3265m)
Surakarta (Solo)
Borobudur
Probolinggo
Prambanan
Tosari
Yogyakarta
Malang
Parangtritis
Gunung Bromo
(2329m)
Banyuwangi
Bali
G-Land
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