Indonesia (map) is an archipelago country, consists of more than 17,000 islands scattered along from Sumatera to Irian Jaya. It is divided into 26 provinces. The big five islands are Sumatera, Jawa (Java), Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Irian Jaya.
Bali is the most popular destination for tourists, while Yogya is the second. However, these two places cannot be compared as each is unique in its own way.
Yogya is in Jawa, which was once the center of the ruling kingdom, called
Mataram.
Climate
Yogya’s geography (-7.8282 latitude and 110.372 longitude) and Indonesia in general are in a tropical area. There are two seasons each year. Rainy season usually start from November to April and dry season is May to October. Humidity is very high. Be aware for your camera and stuff with high sensitivity to humidity.
How To Get Yogya
The international airports are Jakarta, Solo, Bali and Medan. The closest gate is Solo. From Solo you may take a public vehicle like a bus or taxi for about one and half hours (taxi’s fare ~ Rp. 50,000), or by train for about one hour (Rp. 5000).
From Jakarta, as well as from Solo, the most economical vehicle is train. I suggest use the Dwipangga, Taksaka or Argo Lawu train for Rp. 125,000 (+/- US$20). Train will take you to Yogya in 9 hours while by Garuda flight takes about one hour.
