What to do in Klaten

Visit the innumerable shops, markets, cafés and restaurants of Malioboro Street (Jalan Malioboro), an enthralling and entertaining district. Malioboro Street dissects the heart of Yogyakarta’s city center while its adjoining side streets offer further retail and dining options. During the colonial years, the street was the center for the Dutch government. It was later used as a ceremonial boulevard for the Yogyakarta Sultanate. The name is said to come from the Duke of Marlborough, a prominent figure during the British rule of Indonesia.

Borobudur Temple is an otherworldly Mahayana Buddhist temple compound. The UNESCO site comprises nine layered platforms and myriad shapes that come together to form this astounding complex. Marvel at the sheer invention and variation in the décor and architecture in one of Buddhism’s most prominent and iconic monuments.

With its otherworldly appearance and elaborate décor, the Prambanan Temple is considered a masterpiece of Hindu architecture. The 8th-century spiritual compound consists of many temple buildings that seem to rise from the ground with jagged gray spikes. Admire the spectacular architecture and profound meaning of this exceptional UNESCO heritage site.

The Tugu Monument is an elaborate obelisk in the heart of the city that has special meaning for the people of Yogyakarta. The 18th-century structure was built by the first sultan of the city in a symbolic location between the Indian Ocean, Mount Merapi and the Kraton Complex. Use the monument as a practical gathering point to meet friends and family during your vacation here.

A sprawling complex of over 250 religious structures, Sewu Temple, or Candi Sewu, is the second largest of Java’s Buddhist temples. Although it’s beaten by the Borobudur temple complex in terms of scale, its beauty and detail is on the same level. Come here to feel dwarfed by ancient statues and imagine the Javanese people of many centuries ago wandering among these structures.

The historic Plaosan Temple, or Candi Plaosan, is often overlooked in favor of its larger neighbor, the Prambanan temple complex. But while it may be smaller, it’s no less fascinating, and the relative lack of attention it receives means that it’s less likely to be busy when you come. Explore this lavish temple, which was inspired by a blend of Buddhist and Hindu architectural styles, as you reflect upon the romantic story behind its construction.