Saying “if you’re in Yogyakarta, you have to see Borobudur” is kind of like saying “if you’re in Paris, you have to see the Eiffel Tower.” Duh.
But seriously: if you’re in Yogyakarta, you have to see Borobudur. It’s amazing.
It’s about 40 kilometres outside of the city, but getting there is relatively easy. You can go the Uber / taxi / private tour route, or if you’re a cheapo like me, you can take the bus.
A lot of guides online make it seem like taking the bus is for locals only, and difficult to navigate as a foreigner. That’s not particularly true (and I saw at least one other tourist on the bus on the way there and back, so it’s not quite as rare as some might think).
All you have to do is get to the Jombor bus station, which is very easily accessible via city bus. From there, people will immediately direct you to the Borobudur bus. You won’t even have to ask — everyone knows why you’re there.
The bus is quite old and rickety and isn’t air conditioned, but it’s the cheapest way to get to Borobudur by far.
I took a short video on the ride home. Yes, the door is open the whole time; it’s a bit off-putting at first, but then the breeze coming in actually makes the AC-free bus fairly tolerable, so it’s actually a great idea.
As for the temple itself? It’s mind-blowing. It was built in the 9th century, and it’s something you really have to see in person. It’s pretty majestic.
I think I’ll just let the photos/videos speak for themselves.
