Must dos other than Borobudur when in Yogyakarta: Part Two

In one of my earlier posts, I covered two other locations I thought was a must do while in Yogyakarta: Jomblang Cave (Goa Jomblang) and Timang Beach. I cover another attraction in this post that is often left out from itineraries overly focused on the temples of Borobudur and Prambanan.

This other must see in Yogyakarta is Mount Merapi. This attraction should be included as part of your Borobudur and Prambanan itinerary and is an excellent interlude between the two temples.

Mount Merapi is an active stratovolcano located on the border between Central Java and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548. It sits at 2,965 metres above sea level.

Depending on your schedule, Mount Merapi offers a great opportunity for a jeep tour along the mud and gravel paths leading close to the volcano. The experience can last between 90 minutes to almost a half a day depending on how long you rent the jeep together with the driver. I found the price to be affordable and well worth the trip. The jeep itinerary varies with the length of time you are renting and you typically cover more if you take the longer packages. However, if you just want a flavour, the shortest package would suffice as you not only get to have one hell of a bumpy ride but also the chance of visiting a few attractions along the way: The alien head; the museum of sorts that is the leftover relic of a village destroyed by the previous eruption; Bunker Kaliadem where you will have quite a close up view of the volcano.

The ride itself was bumpy but exhilarating. I was hanging on to dear life while trying not to be flung out of the jeep on parts where the path became extremely bumpy. The views were amazing especially coupled with the bright sunny weather. Although sunny, the ride was surprisingly cool given the elevation and also the wind that blowing against your face as you zoom about in your rented jeep. There were at times sobering moments like when you visit the museum converted from a village destroyed during the 2010 eruption and get to witness the power of mother nature. There were also times where you are intrigued by the odd Alien head and also amazed at the views of the volcano. This activity definitely contrasted against my visit to Borobudur just hours before and offers a nice break against any possible temple monotony.

Below are some of the shots I took while on my jeep tour. I can’t seem to find the video clips I took =(

At the depot

Views along the way during jeep tour of Mount Merapi

Museum – The relic of a village destroyed by the eruption on 5 November 2010

Alien Head and surrounding view, Mount Merapi

Bunker Kaliadem, inside Bunker Kaliadem and surrounding view, Mount Merapi

All in all, the ride was pretty awesome and I definitely recommend that you make a mental note to include this attraction into your Borobudur itinerary. I definitely did not regret including this into my own itinerary!

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