DAY 02: JAKARTA – YOGYAKARTA (B,L,D)
Proceed by 1 hour morning flight to Yogyakarta
Transferred to the Saptohoedojo Art Gallery, one of the oldest art galleries in Yogyakarta, built by the late Sapto Hoedojo, a prominent local painter. The gallery houses a magnificent collection of high quality hand-painted batik
Lunch at local restaurant.
Check into our hotel.
After a brief rest proceed to visit the Prambanan Temple Compounds, which were built in the 10th century and are the largest temple compound dedicated to Shiva in Indonesia. The temples are an UNESCO World Heritage Site and are decorated with reliefs illustrating the epic of the Ramayana, dedicated to the three great Hindu divinities of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma.
Dinner at local restaurant before transfer back to your hotel
DAY 03: YOGYAKARTA TEXTILE TOUR – PRAMBANAN TEMPLE (B,L,D)
Experience an in-depth batik-making session in a traditional village! We head to the outskirts of Klaten in Central Java, an area that has been a center of batik production for decades. We will attend a workshop that takes to us through each step in the process of making Javanese batik, organized by the Sarwidi Batik Workshop. Sarwidi’s home industry employs many local women who sit and happily chat, as they paint hot wax onto meters of cotton or silk fabrics. Mr. Sarwidi will explain to us the use of natural dyes that are kind to the environment, such as locally grown indigo, mahogany bark, coconut husks, pandan leaves, bixsa seeds and tarom leaves, which are used at his workshop in the manufacture of batik fabrics. We will enjoy a catered traditional Javanese buffet lunch here.
We then visit the village of Cawas, a Lurik manufacturing center which uses jacquard hand weaving looms as its tools. Lurik is a traditional fabric produced in Central Java, and the name comes from the word “lorek,” meaning lines. Made from cotton, lurik is characterized by its rigid texture and strictly vertical and horizontal lines.
In the evening we are treated to a Indonesian dinner at a local restaurant.
Back to your hotel.
Set to traditional gamelan music at Merapi Resto in Klaten.
Day 04: BOROBUDUR TEMPLE TOUR – TEXTILE TOUR (B,L,D)
Our exciting day starts with a visit to the famous Buddhist temple of Borobudur, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that dates to the 8th and 9th centuries, featuring circular platforms containing 72 openwork stupas, each containing a statue of Buddha. After our in-depth visit of this magnificent site we will enjoy our lunch in the Mount Merapi area.
We then visit the Ullen Sentalu Museum to learn about the historical differences between the sultanates of Yogyakarta and Surakarta. The Museum displays artifacts, dating back to the early Yogyakarta Sultanate featuring a rich history of inland batik.
We conclude our day with a buffet dinner followed by an open-air performance of the Ramayana Ballet. The performance combines traditional Javanese dance, drama and music.
DAY 05: YOGYAKARTA – SOLO TEXTILE TOUR (B,L)
Today we drive to the city of Surakarta, also called Solo in the heart of Central Java. Surakarta’s batik has had a long tradition in Java. A typical characteristic of Surakarta batik is its sogan colour (dark yellow). We visit the Surakarta Royal Palace and explore the Integrated Danar Hadi Batik Museum. Danar Hadi is synonymous with Indonesia’s great batik tradition, built around Javanese rituals and ceremonies that reflect the profound symbolic meanings of the many batik motifs, and we will feast our eyes at the magnificent pieces on display.
We will also enjoy a unique Surakartan lunch here.
In the afternoon we visit the traditional batik-making village of Kampung Batik Kauman, famous for its fine quality Javanese batik.
We then return to Yogyakarta, for an evening on our own.
DAY 06: YOGYAKARTA DEPARTURE (B).
We start our day with a visit of the Yogyakarta Kraton, the principal residence of the Sultan of Yogyakarta.
Next visit to Taman Sari Water Castle, a former royal garden of the Sultan of Yogyakarta.
Lunch at local restaurant.
At the appropriate time transfer to the airport for flight to your next destination or back to Japan
