Yogyakarta Travel Forum

Hi,
I have some questions

1.Are Klaten and Kaliadem the same place? Are they places destroyed by earthquake and anything to see.
2. How far are they from Jogja and how to go there?
3. How far is GUNONG Merapi and how to go there.


Thanks

Chan

Hi Chan,

1. No, Klaten is a city halfway between Yogya and Solo. Thriving, but not much to see for tourists. Too far from Yogya to have suffered from the eartquake. If you want to see destruction by the earthquake, you have to go south of Yogya, around Bantul.
Kaliadem is a village on the southern slope of Gunung Merapi, 5 km south of the top at 1000 m. It was already a tourist destinaton, but has become famous because the tourist area was destroyed in a recent outburst of the volcano (June 2006), and now it is a destination for a 'lava tour'.
2. Kaliadem is about 2 km east of Kaliurang, a mountain resort village. Both are about 20 km north of Yogya, counted from the ringroad. There is public transport (minibus) going to Kaliurang, but I'm not sure about Kaliadem. Should be possible to hitch an ojek (motorbike taxi) going there.
3. Answered in the previous.
Regards,
Theo

Hi,
I went to Klaten in July 2006 just after the earthquake with a Welsh guy Mark on the back of a motor bike and I can tell you it had been very badly damaged by the earthquake.
Mark wanted to see what progress had been made there after the quake because he had been there a week before with the 'Off Road' guys from Jakarta to distribute blankets, food etc.
Mark and I spent the afternoon talking and laughing with the locals amongst their tents with their tv's and the rubble.
It was an amazing experience to see how these Indonesian people could still laugh and joke after experiencing such a terrible earthquake.
Not sure how they are now as I have not been back there since.
One passes by Klaten by train on the way to Solo.
Any guides in Yogjakarta will be able to arrange transport to see Gunung Merapi.
I went out with two Slovenian women travellers and a guide in a car to see Merapi when she was erupting one morning at 2 am in July 2006.
It was an incredible experience because one did not really know if she would totally erupt and we could be killed. Exciting and frightening at the same.
By me writing this it is evident she did not erupt that early morning.
Sadly the photos of the red lava pouring down the side of the mountain did not come out in the photos but I do have some nice early morning shots as the sun was awakening.
Pamela.