Central Java: the temple, the old port and the plateau

Central Java is the heartland of Javanese culture, and it contains the single most visited monument in Indonesia. Borobudur, a ninth-century Buddhist temple of ten terraces and 504 Buddha statues, sits in a valley ringed by volcanoes about an hour from Yogyakarta. It is the reason most travellers come to the province, and it deserves the reputation.

But the province is not a single temple. Semarang, the capital, is a former colonial port with a beautifully decayed old town and one of the best Chinese-Indonesian food scenes in the country. Solo, an hour east, is a court city of batik, gamelan and conservative Javanese tradition. And the Dieng plateau, at 2,000 metres, is a landscape of crater lakes, sulphur vents and the oldest Hindu temples in Java.

Semarang and the old port

Semarang grew as the port for the sugar and tobacco trade of the colonial period, and its old town, Kota Lama, is a compact grid of Dutch warehouses, churches and offices around a canal. Much of it was derelict for decades and is now being restored as cafés, galleries and co-working spaces. It is still rough around the edges, which is part of the appeal.

The other landmark is Lawang Sewu, a huge art deco building that was the headquarters of the Dutch railway company and later a Japanese prison. The name means thousand doors, and the stained glass and long corridors are genuinely atmospheric. Guided tours are available and worth the small fee.

Semarang's food is the real reason to stay a night. Lumpia Semarang, a spring roll with bamboo shoots and prawn, is the signature, and soto Bangkong, a beef and offal soup, is the local breakfast. The Chinatown around Jalan Petudungan has been there for centuries.

Borobudur: how to see it properly

Borobudur was built in the eighth and ninth centuries by the Sailendra dynasty and abandoned sometime in the fourteenth century, when the population of central Java shifted east. It was buried under volcanic ash and jungle until Stamford Raffles had it cleared in 1814. A major restoration by UNESCO in the 1970s rebuilt the structure, and it is now a World Heritage site.

The monument is a mandala: ten terraces representing the stages of enlightenment, with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. You walk clockwise from the base to the summit, and the narrative reliefs tell the life of the Buddha and the Jataka tales. A guide makes an enormous difference; without one, it is a very large pile of stone.

Sunrise entry is sold separately and lets you in before the general public, but it is expensive and often foggy. The more reliable plan is to arrive at opening time, spend two hours on the terraces, and leave as the tour buses arrive. The adjacent Mendut and Pawon temples are small, quiet and worth 30 minutes each.

Solo: batik, courts and conservative Java

Surakarta, known as Solo, is an hour by train from Yogyakarta and a world away in temperament. Where Yogyakarta is a tourist city with a sultan who trades on his image, Solo is a court city with a longer, more austere cultural tradition. The Mangkunegaran palace has a remarkable collection of gamelan instruments and Javanese manuscripts, and the kraton of Surakarta is a quieter alternative to Yogyakarta's.

The batik market at Pasar Klewer is one of the largest in Indonesia, and the nearby Kampung Batik Laweyan is a neighbourhood of workshops where you can watch the wax-resist process and buy directly. The food is sweeter and more herbal than in Yogyakarta: nasi liwet, sate buntel and the drinks made from ginger and palm sugar.

Solo is also the gateway to the Dieng plateau and to the Solo-Semarang railway, which is one of the most scenic train journeys in Java.

The Dieng plateau

Dieng sits at 2,000 metres in the crater of an ancient volcano, about three hours from both Semarang and Yogyakarta. It is cold, often foggy, and covered in potato fields, sulphur vents and the oldest Hindu temples in Java, dating from the eighth century. The name comes from a Javanese phrase meaning abode of the gods.

The main sights are the Sikidang crater, where you walk on a boardwalk over yellow sulphur deposits, the Telaga Warna lake, which changes colour with the mineral content, and the small temple complex at Arjuna. Sunrise from the Sikunir hill is the classic photograph, and it requires a 4am start and a 30-minute climb.

The plateau is also home to the last communities that practise the ancient Javanese rites of the Dieng culture, including the dreadlock-cutting ceremony that takes place once a year. Accommodation is simple homestays, and the food is highland vegetables and hot drinks.

Karimunjawa and the north coast

Karimunjawa is an archipelago of 27 islands about 90 kilometres north of Jepara, reachable by ferry in two to four hours or by a small plane from Semarang. The reefs are in good condition, the water is clear, and the main island has homestays, a few resorts and a very slow pace.

This is the best snorkelling and diving in Java, though it is not in the same league as Raja Ampat or Komodo. The attraction is proximity: you can leave Semarang in the morning and be on a reef by the afternoon. The ferry is weather-dependent and cancels in the monsoon, so build in a spare day.

Jepara, the port, is also the centre of Javanese wood carving, and the carving workshops are worth an hour before or after the boat.

What it costs

Central Java is one of the cheapest provinces in Indonesia. A mid-range hotel in Semarang or Solo costs IDR 300,000 to 600,000, and a homestay in Dieng is IDR 200,000 to 350,000. Borobudur entry is around IDR 400,000 for foreigners, with a separate and much higher fee for sunrise access.

Trains are the best value in the province: Semarang to Solo takes about two hours and costs less than IDR 100,000 in economy. A car with driver for a day trip to Borobudur or Dieng is IDR 700,000 to 1,000,000 plus fuel. Bring cash for Dieng and Karimunjawa; ATMs are scarce.

When to go, and a route that works

The dry season runs roughly May to September. Borobudur is at its best in the early morning during those months, when the valley is clear. The wet season brings afternoon storms and a much greener Dieng, but the plateau roads can be foggy and slippery.

Central Java is also the most earthquake and volcano-prone part of Java. Merapi, on the Yogyakarta border, is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, and Dieng has occasional gas releases. Follow local advice and do not ignore evacuation orders.

• Day 1: Semarang — Kota Lama, Lawang Sewu, lumpia for dinner.
• Day 2: train to Solo — Mangkunegaran, Pasar Klewer, batik workshops.
• Day 3: Borobudur at opening time, Mendut and Pawon, overnight in Magelang or Yogyakarta.
• Days 4 and 5: Dieng plateau, or the ferry to Karimunjawa if the weather is good.

Questions people actually ask

Should I stay in Yogyakarta or Magelang for Borobudur?

Yogyakarta has far more hotels, food and transport, and Borobudur is about an hour away. Magelang is closer and quieter. If you want sunrise entry, staying in Magelang or the village of Borobudur saves an hour of driving at 4am.

Is the Borobudur sunrise ticket worth it?

Only if the sky is clear. It is significantly more expensive than normal entry and the temple is often fogged in. Check the forecast the night before and skip it if cloud is likely.

Can I do Borobudur and Prambanan in one day?

Yes, but it is a long day. Borobudur in the early morning, Prambanan in the late afternoon, with a rest in between. Both are about an hour from Yogyakarta in opposite directions.

How do I get to Karimunjawa?

Fast ferries leave Jepara in about two hours, slower ferries take four, and small planes connect Semarang in about 30 minutes. All are weather-dependent, and the monsoon can cancel services for days.