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_{Enjoying the view @ Punthuk Setumbu –} 

When I asked Dave what more he wanted to experience on our Central Java Trip, he said that he wanted to be woken up by the chickens every morning 😀 

Therefore, we opted to stay in the Borobudur village for 5 days instead of exploring it from Yogyakarta just for one day. 

_{Our pick up from Terminal Borobudur to hostel, a nowadays Tuk Tuk}

And how was it? It was such a relaxing experience! Staying just beside a whole rice terrace and surrounded by simplicity was apparently a luxury in life that a city person might not even know he misses. 

_{Almost sunset @ Borobudur Village}

Where did we stay? 

Lotus 2 Guest House

_{Our room} 

Pro – Nearby Borobudur area, great included breakfast, free bicycle rent, green guesthouse, friendly personal, overall great value 

_Breakfast

_{Back guest house area}

Con – Quite near to the mosque, so you need to bring your earplugs for dawn prayer

_{View in front of room – notice the mosque in the background}

How to get there?

We went there from Yogyakarta by Damri bus for approximately an hour ride. We booked our trip here. 

What did you do? 

DAY 1 

We explored Desa Wisata Wanurejo and were spoiled by the greenery. 

_{Fresh chillies} 

_{Otw to Dwanu Eatery}

_{Happy hubby @ Desa Wisata Danurejo}

We ate at Dwanu eatery & artisan steak and enjoyed the grilled meat with a view. 

_{Finally there}

_{Stick kebab with mixed rice}

DAY 2

If you haven’t done any pottery in life and wanted to try it for the first time, you should do it during your stay here. There is a village specializing in pottery making nearby and it has been there for generations.

_{Desa gerabah or the nearby pottery village}

Where? We tried ours at Gerabah Arum 2 

How much? 2 USD per person & they will deliver your potteries to your accommodation with no extra cost.

_{Pottery learning with a view}

_{Pottery in the making} 

Punthuk Setumbu is famous for its sunrise which offers a mystical dreamy view of Borobudur in the hour. But, since we are not early birds, we went there after pottery and were the only people there 😀

_{This is the sign that you have climbed near your goal}

How much? 2.70 USD per person 

_{The place offers you a swing with no extra cost}

_{View from Punthuk Setumbu}

After that we just walked to Bukit Rhema or what is known as the chicken church. Fun facts are this place is not a church, but a prayer house for all religions & it actually has the shape of a dove not a chicken. 

_{This is a white pigeon folks} 

_{The concept is so peaceful} 

_{View from the crown} 

How much? 1.30 USD per person 

_{The ticket also came with fried cassava, which can be enjoyed in the outdoor cafe setting} 

_{Or inside} 

After that we stumbled upon a nice ambience Dutch themed restaurant, Van Bloemen 1881. 

_{Otw to Van Bloemen} 

_{Van Bloemen setting} 

_{If you miss Bali, you can have Nasi Bali @ Van Bloemen} 

DAY 3

Of course one stays in Desa Borobudur to go to Borobudur one day. So, this is the day 🙂 We have booked our tickets a month before arrival on the actual website since we wanted some security to be able to do some planning. 

_{Borobudur from down angle} 

How much? 24.30 USD per person with the option of going up with sandals to preserve the temple, shuttle and guide included. 

_{Included Upatan, traditional sandals made of pandan leaves to preserve Borobudur floor temple structure better} 

_{One corner @ Candi Borobudur}

DAY 4

Candi Pawon is the smallest temple in the Borobudur area. It wasn’t spectacular, but a good comparison after seeing a temple as huge as Borobudur. We saw the temple from outside, so we didn’t feel the need to buy any tickets. 

_{This shot was taken from outside}

Kopi Luwak is the most famous coffee from Indonesia and also the most expensive one, since it is produced by Mongoose in the process. We educated ourselves and tried ours at Pawon Luwak Coffee just for 1.40 USD for a cup of espresso. 

_{It started with an education about the coffee}

_{Plus point was because we could actually interact with the animal itself}

_{And then we could enjoy the coffee in a chill ambience with Congklak, a tradtional Javanese game} 

Candi Mendut is another temple that you can visit in the area for 2.70 USD per person. It is way bigger than Pawon temple, but still way smaller than Borobudur temple. It is worth a visit and you can walk in the area. There is a Buddhist Monastery nearby and thousands of sellers. 

_{Mendut Temple} 

_{Temple ruins beside Mendut Temple}

_{Entrance @ Buddhist Monastery} 

_{Buddha statue @ Buddhist Monastery}

After strolling around, we were hungry and went to Puunee Wild River Restaurant. There, you can eat with a river view in a lush environment. 

_{We chose not sit not directly beside the river since it was loud}

_{When you are in Central Java, try soft coated Tempe tempura, which is called by Tempe Mendoan}

_{We also found that the restaurant has a guest house with “Balkondes” (traditional Java) style} 

DAY 5

Museum Wayang Sasana Gunarasa is located  just nearby our accommodation and in an inn. We went there to learn more about Javanese traditional puppets. But, the museum is only open by request. So, you need to talk to the security guard who works at the inn to open it for you with an appreciated tip. 

_{Entrance of the museum – since it is located at a guest house}

_{While learning about Wayang or leather puppet @ Museum Sasono Guno Roso}

Edukasi Gula Jawa or learning how to make Javanese palm sugar is something that you can experience while being there for 1.50 USD per person. Make sure to make reservations to secure your spots. 

_{This village nearby specialized in making the Javanese coconut sugar since centuries}

_{The sugar after all the long making process}

_{Hubby in trying to climb the coconut tree with an instruction from one of the villager} 

_{Cute sheep from a neighboring house}

Jamur Borobudur was our last stop during our Borobudur trip. We went there because I wanted to eat some fresh mushrooms from the source 🙈 In the end, we bought the LingZhi or the everlasting power mushrooms which could only be plucked once per 8 months as a souvenir. 

_{They have a lot of mushrooms to sell, chips, tea, fingerfood, you name it} 

_{Three sorts of the offered dry mushrooms: Lingzhi, ear and oyster mushrooms} 

_{Oyster mushroom after one month growth} 

For our last day, we ate Baso Aci & Seblak Bossman for spicy & savoury indulgences and closed it with Martabak Wong Top, a sweet tasty but super sinful delicacy. 

_{Seblak or cooked prawn chips with spiciness level and fillings that you can individually choose}

_{A total sinful baked dessert on an iron pan made of flour, a lot of butter, sugar, cheese, chocolate and nuts}

_{Note – This article is based on personal experience and not legal advice. There are no ads nor promo. All prices are based on May travel 2025.} 

_{Thank you for reading! May you be blessed wherever you are 🙂}