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Java

The heart of the nation, Java is a complex island of great antiquity: this, after all, is where ancient Java Man stood upright and walked abroad. As such the island, home today to 140 million people and the most populated island on earth, is defined primarily by people.

Best Places to Visit

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Borobudur Temple

Borobudur

Dating from the 8th and 9th centuries, and built from two million blocks of stone, Borobudur is the world's largest Buddhist temple and one of Indonesia's…
Kraton

Yogyakarta

Beside the southern alun-alun (main square), Yogya's enormous kraton (palace) is the cultural and political heart of this fascinating city. Effectively a…
Kebun Raya

West Java

At the heart of Bogor are the fabulous botanical gardens, known as the Kebun Raya; the city’s green lung covers 87 hectares. Everyone loves the Orchid…
Ujung Kulon National Park

West Java

On the remote southwestern tip of Java, this Unesco World Heritage–listed national park has remained an outpost of prime rainforest and untouched…
Old City

Semarang

Semarang’s atmospheric old quarter, often referred to by its Dutch name, the Outstadt, is well worth investigating. Until recently, most of the area’s…
Sangiran Museum of Ancient Man

Solo

With the largest collection of Homo erectus fossils in the world (the bones of 70 individuals), Sangiran is an important archaeological excavation site…
Taman Sari

Yogyakarta

This once-splendid pleasure park of palaces, pools and waterways, built between 1758 and 1765, functioned as the playground of the sultan and his…
Mendut Temple & Monastery

Borobudur

This exquisite temple, around 3.5km east of Borobudur, may look insignificant compared with its mighty neighbour, but it houses the most outstanding…