Yogyakarta Travel Forum

Hai, 2 of us will be travelling to Yogja on 29/1/2008 for 3D/2N. We prefer to do more sight seeing than shopping, at the same time enjoy the local food. Can anyone suggest:
i) a good budget hotel (not more than USD30 per night)in a convenient location, preferably near the train station.
ii) we would like to go to Borobodur and Prambanan. Is it worth staying at Manohara hotel near the temple ground or is it cheaper to travel on a day trip from Yogja.
iii) Is it convenient and safe to use the local bus service to make day trips to Borobodur and Prambanan, especially if coming back late at night.
iv) How much should I pay (reasonabele ?) to rent a car (incl. driver and all extras) for a day tour ?
v) We will be flying from Solo to KL in the evening. Is there anything interesting to do or see in Solo ?

i) u can stay in Hotel Garuda or Hotel Ibis, the price around 30USD per nite, but u have to book it first through local travel agent so u can get cheaper price

ii) better take one day trip to Borobudur and Prambanan, from hotel, it cost 20USD per person

iii) im not suggest u to take local bus if u coming back late at nite

iv) if u rent a car it cost like 30-40USD for one day

v) u can see the Sultan Palace in Solo..worth it :)

Thank you for the useful info. But I read in a forum, it is cheaper to stay in the Borobodur temple grounds so you can save on the entrance fees and enjoy both the morning and evening sights. Is it true ? Can we make very early trip to catch the sunrise in Boro if we stay in Yogja. Is it good to see Prambanan in the evening ?

Both temples are no problem with public transport, generally.
You can go to Boro with the first bus and be there among the first people to enter the complex - when we did that sun was already up for about two hours though. Sorry, I have no info about staying at the complex.
I do not know if they still do it, but if so I recommend the Ramayana ballet at the Prambanan Temple in the evening, open air, temple in the background, great atmosphere. tickets can be bought at the tourist office, getting there and back after the ballet by bus is no problem.
Solo's Sultan's palace is nice to visit and the area around it is very nice.
No idea about car and driver.
There are a few budget hotels near the train station with different standards, unfortunately do not remembe the name of the one we stayed in 2003.

Do stay at the Manohara Hotel in Borobudur Park. The rooms are small and basic but adequate. The hotel staff is very friendly and helpful. I believe the cost is about 30,000 RP a night. Staying here allows you to visit Candi Borobudur at 4:30 AM before the park opens to the public at 6:00 AM. It is nice to visit Borobudur at dawn before the buses arrive and again at sunset. The contryside around Borobudur is wonderful and the people who live there among the friendliest I've ever met anywhere in the world. For me, sights near Borobudur are much nicer than in Yogya which is a congested, dusty, hot city.

Look at http://wikitravel.org/en/Borobudur

We used a driver, Rohmad Hidajat, from Borobudur Tour and Travel and can recommend him very highly. He can pick you up at the train station and take you to the Manohara and to Prambanan. The cost is very reasonable - about US$25 a day I think. Do not rent a car yourself as the laws in Indonesia can result in fines and/or jail even if an accident is the fault of someone else. I would not recommend buses as they will take too much time and will require transfers. Rohmad maybe able to pick you up in Solo also.
Rohmad Hidajat
www.borobudurandtravel.com
Phone/Fax (62) 293 789039
Hp (62) 813 2818 0180

Hai, thank you for the advice. Will consider staying at the Manohara.

The website url I gave above is not correct.
The correct url is
www.borobudurtourandtravel.com