Yogyakarta travel guide

Getting around

While Yogya is not a small town by any means, exploring the city on foot, or a combination of foot and becak, is not beyond the realms of possibility. Becaks can be chartered by the hour or by the trip. Town buses (pick up a route map from the tourist office), bemos and colts offer cheaper local transport options. Note that becak and bemo drivers have an unerring tendency to take their passengers on extended tours of shops and art galleries. Self-drive car and motorbike hire is also easy to come by in Yogya. Bikes are also available, and taxis for hire by the trip or charter by the hour, half-day or day.

Local

Becaks

7000-10,000Rp per trip. Bargaining hard is essential. Jl Prawirotaman to Jl Marlioboro and back should cost no more than 20,000Rp. Drivers are happy to wait for a few hours. Beware of drivers who offer a very good price; they will almost certainly take you to batik or silverware shops.

Bicycle hire

Along Jl Pasar Kembang or Gang 1 or 2, and hotels on Jl Prawirotaman for approximately 15,000Rp per day.

Bus

Yoyga town buses (bis kota) travel 17 routes criss-crossing the town (3000Rp); the tourist office sometimes has bus maps available. Minibuses leave from the Terban station on Jl C Simanjuntak, northeast of the train station.

Car hire

Self-drive from Annas Jl Prawirotaman 7, T0274 386556. Vehicles are in good condition and vary from US$27 to US$38 per day depending on the size of the car; Yus T0852 9282 0222, yoes_pnd@ yahoo.co.id, is a knowledgeable Yogya-based driver who drives tourists to Pangandaran and can offer tailor-made tours to most places in Java.

Motorbike hire

Along Jl Pasar Kembang and at Annas , 35,000-40,000Rp per day depending on bike size and condition. Check brakes, lights and horn before agreeing; bikes are sometimes poorly maintained.

Taxi

The great majority of taxis in the city are now metered. Flagfall and 1st km, 5000Rp. Taxis/cars can be chartered for the day from Annas , or for longer trips to Borobudur, Prambanan. Taxis can be ordered, call Ria Taxi, T0274 586166, or Progo Taxi, T0274 621055.

Long distance

Air

Adisucipto Airport is 8 km east of town, along Jl Adisucipto (aka Jl Solo). Transport to town: minibuses from the Terban station on Jl Simanjuntak, travelling to Prambanan, pass the airport (10,000Rp), a taxi is 45,000Rp. (Taxi desk in arrivals hall.) Domestic departure tax is 30,000Rp; international is 100,000Rp.

Daily connections with Kuala Lumpur and Singapore on Air Asia and 3 flights a week with Malaysian Airlines.

There are plenty of daily flights to Jakarta and Denpasar as well as as daily flights to Mataram, Padang and Surabaya. Merpati fly to Ambon 4 times a week. Domestic airlines flying out of Yogyakarta include Garuda, Mandala, Merpati and Lion Air.

Airline offices

Garuda, Hotel Inna, Jl Marlioboro, T0274 483706. Mandala, Jl Raya Solo Km 9, T0274 557736. Merpati, Jl AM Sangaiji, T0274 583478.

Bus

Yogya is a transport hub and bus services are available to most places. As it is a popular tourist destination, there are also many a/c tourist buses and minibuses. Agents are concentrated in the hotel/losmen areas. The Umbunharjo bus station is 4 km southeast of the city centre, at the intersection of Jl Veteran and Jl Kemerdekaan. Fastest services are at night (bis malam). Check times at the bus station or at the tourist office on Jl Malioboro. Regular connections with Jakarta (9 hrs) and Bandung (6 hrs), as well as many other cities and towns. To get to Solo (1½-2 hrs), or north to Semarang (3½ hrs), it is better to take a local bus, (hail on the main roads). A/c buses along Jl Sosrowijayan (board bus here too) or from Jl Mangkubumi to, for example, Jakarta US$19, Bandung US$19, Surabaya US$12, Malang US$12, Probolinggo, US$17.50 and Denpasar US$22.

Colt

Offices on Jl Diponegoro, west of the Tugu Monument. Rahayu, Jl Diponegoro 9, T0274 561322 is a repuatable company. Seats are bookable and pickup from hotels can be arranged. Regular connections with Solo US$2, Jakarta US$14 and Surabaya US$18.

Train

Thieves are notorious on the over- night train between Jakarta and Surabaya via Yogya. The railway station is on Jl Pasar Kembang. Regular connections with Jakarta’s Gambir station as well as Jakarta Kota and Pasar Senen (10 hrs – the Gajayana night train leaves at 2352 and arrives at 0826). Costs depend on class of train, between US$19 (eksekutif) and US$12 (bisnis). A useful connection is the Fajar Utama Yogya, which leaves at 0800 and pulls into Jakarta’s Pasar Senen at 1658. 5 daily trains to Bandung (US$17/US$8, 8 hrs), Solo (bisnis 7000Rp, 1 hr), 7 daily trains to Surabaya (US$10/US$9,7 hrs) and 1 daily train to Malang (eksekutif only, US$11). There’s a hotel reservation desk at the railway station.

To Bali via Gunung Bromo

A popular way to get to Bali includes a night in Cemoro Lawang, Gunung Bromo, before heading onto destinations in Bali including Lovina and Denpasar. A night’s accommodation at the Cafe Lava is included. Prices start at US$30.50. Most travel agencies on Jl Sosrowijayan and Jl Prawirotaman sell this.

Banks

There are many banks in Yogya, rates are good and most currencies and types of TC are entertained. Good rates are especially found along Jl Prawirotaman. BNI, near General Post Office, on Jl Senopati. Money changers next to the Hotel Asia Afrika, Jl Pasar Kembang 17 and on Jl Prawirotaman. ATMs on Jl Prawirorotaman and Jl Marlioboro, including inside Marlioboro Mall.

Embassies and consulates

France, Jl Sagan 3-1, T0274 566520.

Emergencies

Police :Jl Utara, on city ring road, T0274 885494. Tourist police: Tourist Information, Jl Malioboro, T0274 566000, for reporting robberies and seeking general information.

Immigration office

Jl Adisucipto Km 10, T0274 486165 (out of town on the road to the airport, close to Ambarrukmo Palace Hotel).

Internet

Queens Internet, Jl Pasar Kembang, T0274 547633, 24 hrs, 7000Rp per hr. 1+1=1, Jl Parangritis, 24 hrs, 4000Rp per hr.

Medical services

Hospitals: PKU Muhammadiyah, Jl KHKA Dahlan 14, T0274 512653. 24 On-Call Doctor, T0274 620091.

Post office

General Post Office, Jl Seno-

pati 2. Post Office Jl Pasar Kembang 37 (for international phone calls and faxes).There are also small post offices by the ticket office at the kraton and along Jl Sosrowijayan.

Telephone

Jl Yos Sudarso 9. Open daily, 24 hrs. IDD international calls.