Island Hopping Indonesia - Audley Travel

Island Hopping Indonesia : Group TourSunday07 October, 2012Phoenix Hotel,YogyakartaMorning city tour of the old towngroup excursion with lunch in a local restaurantThe tour gives you an opportunity to see some of the cultural sights that Jogja's oldtown is famous for. You will spend most of your time at the kraton (the Palace ofthe Sultans), still the hub of traditional life and the centre of the old town. Thekraton was built by Prince Mangkubumi in 1755 who the following year changed hisname to Sultan Hamengkubuwono (the Universe on the Lap of the King). Thewalled city of the kraton is home to around 25,000 people with over 1,000 of theseserving the Sultan. In the centre of the kraton you will find the Bangsal Kencana(Golden Pavilion) which is an excellent example of the grand elegance that typifiedJavanese architecture during this period.Near to the kraton you will find the Taman Sari complex, also know as the watercastle (or the old Dutch name of waterkasteel). This once served as a pleasurepark of pools for the sultan and his cohorts and was completed in 1765. Althoughmost the site lies damaged from war and earthquake, the bathing pools have beenrestored. Next door to the Taman sari is the bird market which you may findsomewhat chilling due to the many hundreds of birds on sale as pets. There is alsoa smaller section where you will see snakes and other reptiles. Ask your guide totake you up Pasar Ngasem where from the walls of the Taman Sari you can enjoy agood view out over Jogja.Dancer from the Ramayana, JavaFor history buffs, visiting the Sono Budoyo museum in front of the kraton you canadmire the extensive collection of antiques and historical artefacts. As well as thecollection inside, the building itself (designed by Van Kartsen) is another interestingexample of Javanese architecture. The area is also known for its batik, a unique artusing beeswax, paraffin and a multitude of dyes to create the colourful cloth.From the kraton you will walk up Jalan Malioboro where you can see the souvenirshops selling all manner of gifts from Ramayana masks and puppets to 'I Love Jogja't-shirts! It should take around 20 minutes to reach Jogja's main market of PasarBeringharjo. Here you have the chance to explore the two floor building which ispiled high with batik and other clothing as well as huge stalls selling local fruits,vegetables and spices.You will finish the morning with lunch in a local cafe.Ramayana ballet at Prambanangroup excursion with dinner in a local restaurantThe Ramayana story presented in this performance is similar to that engraved onPrambanan temple. The famous Hindu story is summarised in four scenes and theentire story is presented in a series of dance movements done by beautiful dancersaccompanied by gamelan music. You are invited to really plunge into the story andobserve each movement of the dancers to know the course of the story. There isno dialog among the dancers and it is only the storyteller who describes the courseof the story through Javanese songs (there will be a handout given so you can tryto follow).There are two places in Jogja where the Ramayana ballet is performed. First, inPurawisata Yogyakarta where it has been performed for 25 years. The other placeto see the ballet is the open stage (and closed-stage in bad weather) in thePrambanan temple complex. We will try to ensure you see the performance atPrambanan, however the dates can (and do) change at late notice and it is alsoweather dependent.Dinner is included in a local restaurant after the show.Itinerary in detail 15