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| Java, Indonesia Map of Java
Map of Indonesia
Map of Bali
Island of Java
A journey to Java can be the trip of a lifetime, taken without foresaking the comforts of home. Young or old, Louis Vuitton luggage in hand or a pack on your back, visitors to Java will come away with an immensely rich and rewarding
experience of a profoundly exotic land and culture. Java is more than a feast for the eyes it is food for the soul.
When traveling across Java, every day will bring a new experience for the intrepid voyager. Geography, climate and culture change every few kilometers, the only constant the smiles of the people who place hospitality above all other concerns.
Brooding volcanoes and verdant rice fields, regal splendor and captivating dance are all apart of Java. An endless tropical garden on the shore of an azure sea, Java is an incredible mosaic of sights, sounds and impressions: a pleasurable form of
sensory overload.
Indonesia is a full participant in Southeast Asia's economic boom, modernization and a burgeoning affluence have brought the highest standards of accommodation, transportation, communication, health and hygiene to Java's shores. Facilities in
Jakarta rival those of any world city, while a dense network of road, rail and air connections bring all of Java within easy reach. Although the modern world has come to Java, it has not conquered the Garden of the East. A few steps away from any
hotel lies all the charm and enchantment of Java. Dance, art, drama and the ageless rhythms of daily life are unchanged or adapted to the contemporary world in new and interesting ways.
Jakarta
Contemporary and dynamic, Jakarta is Indonesia's capital, the cosmopolitan heart of a growing economic power. But Jakarta is also one of Asia's oldest cities, for centuries an important crossroad of commerce and a centre of political influence.
The city was originally Sunda Kelapa, a trading port at the mouth of a major river leading from the populated highlands. Renamed Jayakarta - 'glorious victory' when conquered by a neighboring coastal state, this settlement attracted the attention
of the Dutch who were looking to consolidate their monopoly of the spice trade. The Dutch soon conquered the settlement, renaming it Batavia and establishing an important way-station on the long haul between the Spice Islands of the eastern
archipelago and Europe.
This commercial and military stronghold attracted settlers from throughout Asia. Indonesia declared independence from the Dutch in 1945. Now, as the Indonesian economy booms, Jakarta is once again attracting fortune seekers from around the world,
giving rise to the complex polyglot culture of this fascinating city. The National Monument (MONAS), with its pure gold flame, is the symbolic hub of Jakarta. Built in the Soekarno era in the afterglow of Independence, it rises above the clamour
and congestion of the city into the unbounded skies, capturing the aspirations and dynamism of a newly emerging nation.
The harbour area, with the remains of old Sunda Kelapa located at the mouth of the Ciliwung River, is the location for standard sightseeing. Though the main harbour has moved several kilometres east to Tanjung Priok, Sunda Kelapa is still a major
port of call to sight the remnants of the once great sailing fleet that connected the remote islands of the archipelago.
A short walk to the south, the city Centre of old Batavia, Taman Fatahillah, has been converted into a museum complex showcasing both the history of Jakarta and the aspects of Java's sophisticated artistic culture. As a break from the somber
didacticism of the museums, Cafe Batavia, a faithful reproduction of a 1930s chic cafe, has become a popular Jakarta nightspot, open 24 hours. Continuing southward, Jakarta becomes a city of spacious, traffic-choked boulevards and striking
monuments. The best way for short-stay visitors to appreciate Jakarta's many attractions is to take a city tour; longer staying guests will also benefit from a quick orientation before setting out to discover Jakarta's idiosyncratic charms in
detail.
This 120-hectare (300-acre) open-air cultural/amusement park, 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) south of Jakarta, is a window on the cultural and environmental complexity of Indonesia. Pavilions built in traditional style exhibit artifacts, customs and
lifestyles of the peoples of each of Indonesia's provinces. |
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Yogyakarta
After a long land dispute in 1755, Prince Mangkubumi established Yogyakarta in defiance of his brother, the Susuhunan of Surakarta; Mangkubumi, the Rebellious Prince built the 'Kraton' Palace and took the title of Sultan, and the name of 'Hamengkubuwono',
literally 'the universe on the lap of the king'. Hamengkubuwono's reign flourished, creating the most powerful Javanese Kingdom since the 17th Century. His son, Hamengkubuwono II, however was not as competent; British rule during his reign saw much
of the Kraton ransacked and Hamengkubuwono II exiled to a remote corner of his empire.
For the Javanese, Yogya remains a symbol of resistance to Colonial Rule. It was the Republic's capital in 1946 where, under Dutch Rule, Indonesian Rebels used the Palace as an open haven to plot over their colonial masters. The Dutch were fully
aware of the plotting behind closed doors at the Kraton, but were afraid to directly move against the Sultan, fearful of incurring the wrath of the Javanese people who viewed him as a God. Now, however, Yogya remains as a cultural stronghold,
filled with the artifacts of an awe-inspiring era. The Sultan is still to be found in the Palace, which is now open to visitors, surrounded by his traditionally garbed Court and Courtesans. If this is not enough, Yogya's cultural heritage makes it
an excellent area to shop for antiquities and authentic Javanese crafts and jewelry.
Borobudur Temple
Believed to have been derived from the Sanskrit words "Vihara Buddha Uhr", (Buddhist Monastery on the Hill), the Borobudur Temple was built in the eighth century by the Cailendra dynasty and is located at Magelang 90-km southeast of Semarang or
42 km Northwest of Yogyakarta. One of the world's most famous temples, it stands majestically on a hill overlooking lush green fields and distant hills. Borobudur is built of grey andesite stone. It rises in seven terraces, each smaller than the
one below it. The top is the Great Stupa, standing 40 meters above the ground. The walls of Borobudur are sculpted in bas-relief, with a total length of six kilometers.
It has been hailed as the largest and most complete ensemble of Buddhist stone relief carvings in the world, unsurpassed in artistic merit, and each scene an individual masterpiece. The monument has been completely restored and was officially
opened by the President on 23 February 1983. The restoration took eight years to complete, funded by the Government of Indonesia with aid from UNESCO and donations from private citizens and foreign governments.
Surabaya
Up until the turn of the century the East Javanese capital of Surabaya was the largest and most important seaport in the archipelago. It still ranks second (after Jakarta's Tanjung Priok), and with more than 400 years of colorful history behind
it, one would expect to find much of interest here, though unfortunately, this is not so.
Surabaya's rise to prominence began around 1525, when her rulers converted to Islam and then rapidly subdued all neighboring coastal states. However, in the final years of the 16th Century, the central Javanese kingdom of Mataram expanded
eastward and joined a bloody and protracted struggle with Surabaya for control of the area. Dutch descriptions of the city in 1620 paint her as a formidable adversary surrounded by a canal and heavily fortified bastions measuring some 37 kms (23
miles) in circumference. And her army is said to have numbered 30,000. In the end, Surabaya succumbed (in 1625) only after Sultan Agung's armies had devastated her rice-lands and diverted her mighty river.
In the mid 18th Century, Surabaya was ceded to the Dutch, and soon developed into the greatest commercial city of the Indies becoming the chief sugar port and rail head on Java. Immortalized in many of Joseph Conrad's novels, this era was
characterized by square-riggers in full sail, wealthy Chinese and Arab traders, eccentric German hoteliers and lusty seamen brawling over the likes of Surabaya Sue (who really existed). Today's reality is mundane by comparison. Surabaya is a hot,
sprawling city of almost 4 million. It is known as the "City of Heroes" because of the momentous first battle of the revolution, fought here in November 1945. Though the ragtag Indonesian rebels were driven from the city at this time by better
equipped and trained British troops, they inflicted heavy casualties and proved to the world (and themselves) that independence could be and would be, fought for. |
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