As a guy who live in Yogyakarta Indonesia for over than 30 years I think I could share useful information to any of you who thinking to go to my city no matter what for studying, working, and holiday. I was born in Jakarta by the way but since my mom and dad got divorce my mom asking my grand mother to keep me safe here in Yogyakarta. My mom visit me once in a month cause she have to work in Jakarta for an oil company and I remember that it’s hurt for a 5 year old kid like me to stay separately with my mom.
I was grow as a friendly guy and got a lot of friends here in my new home town, I’m joining a boy scout, religious discussion in a mosque, till being an easy going guy to talk with somebody who got different religion with me. Yes I love for being unity and not being racism even I choose to study in one of the best Catholic university in Yogyakarta.
No matter who you are or where you come from but I sure that my city Yogyakarta will always welcoming and accepting you to stay in. I know that people may get confuse if they want to move to other different countries so today I wanna share some great information for you.
How to Go to Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta is one of famous city in Indonesia that always visited by hundred thousands of tourist from around the world so if you just asking how to go to Yogyakarta than it will be as easy as making your own omelet. Here we got two international airport called Adisucipto (JOG) for the old one and Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA) for the brand new one but hell yeah it is really far from the city centre.
So if you traveling from overseas than transit in Denpasar (DPS), Jakarta (CGK), Singapore (SIN), or Kuala Lumpur (KUL) will be the best. Generally a lot of airlines that you can use for visiting Yogyakarta Indonesia, from the full services airlines like Garuda Indonesia or Silk Air till the low cost budget airlines like Air Asia. If you want to stumble upon your ticket price than you can browse with Jetradar, let me give you the search form below too:
If you want to take another transportation than I suggest you to go with the train rather than bus, if you not get used to for local transportation in Yogyakarta than you mostly get confuse once you arrive in a bus terminal cause it used to less information sign or people who able to speak English, don’t worry economy train ticket rates will same with executive bus ticket rates so using economy train will also fine cause it provides good Air Conditioning system inside.
If you take a train to Yogyakarta than we got two railway station called Yogyakarta Tugu (for business and executive class) and Lempuyangan (for economy class). Those two stations now is getting great, clean, informative, and the best one is you gonna find somebody who able to speaking English.
Traffic in Yogyakarta
I could say that traffic in Yogyakarta Indonesia is now getting worse, the only reason for this is this city is too famous for become an educational destination from people around Indonesia, in other words a lot of parents who want their kids get a school in Yogyakarta.
This situation even make me stress especially during school and office hour (06.30 to 07.30 and 15.00 to 16.00) and Saturday night (18.30 to 20.30), since I live here and working for own company than I always avoiding going out during that ridiculous hour.
As I said before that a lot of vehicle move around here in my town even when you going out not in those rush hour period than some streets will looks so calm and comfort to walk in. Just be careful with the scooter driver cause they also called as the king of the road, no matter they are a students or local people than they ride so fast over 40km/hour even in a narrow street, don’t asking me how they ride in the main street, must be insane!
Pedestrian are starting better but majority local people use pedestrian ways to run small family business for snacks or food, sometimes it is good if we are hungry but if you walking a lot in your hometown than you could get confuse during your first stay in Yogyakarta Indonesia.
How to Move Around in This City
Since this city is hectic but they provide nice local transportation to take you around, let me explain one by one that I personally use for my daily life.
Trans Jogja – If you got subway or MRT in your town than my city is starting improve for this system, since several years ago we got Trans Jogja bus shuttle that provide nice air conditioning bus to move around. It is really cheap cause you only have to pay for IDR3600 equal to $0.25 for single trip even you have to change with other bus without going out from the bus stop.
I use this bus to go to Adisucipto airport or any other destination like restaurants or mall alone or with my family. All you need to do is entering the bust stop, pay the fee, and asking the officer where you want to go cause they will telling you the bus number that you must step in.
Car – surely you can buy used car here in Yogyakarta cause I think there is no strictly rules to buy used car even for foreigner. If you consider to buy an old 2004 Toyota Avanza 1300 cc with manual transmission which is good for sightseeing around than it cost $5000 to $5500 and it come with great maintenance. I used this car for over than 15 years and really satisfy for city car even if you bring kids (I got 4 kids by the way). I’m a BMW maniac so I sell my Avanza Car and change it into 1997 BMW 528i E39 with automatic trasmission that cost around $4000 to $4700.
Ride with a car in Yogyakarta will comfort depend on the hours, since I use BMW so I’m not using my car for business cause this car consume so many fuel and not so comfort to drive in a traffic jam.
Scooter – I personally suggest you to buy used scooter of Honda or Yamaha here in Yogyakarta Indonesia cause this is the best and fastest transportation to move around the city. I own an old 2008 Honda Beat 100 cc with an automatic transmission and if you browse on OLX (the best platform to search used vehicle and goods) you could own this car for less than $500
I pay annually scooter tax here in Yogyakarta for less than $20/year so it is truly worth it to buy and cost for maintenance will also reliable (I spend less than $30 for every 6 to 7 month daily use)
Old Bike – Yeah I also use this cheap vehicle too here in my town, I you coming from Holland or any other European countries than you will buy a bike for a pricy price but you could smile here in my town. I bought this ugly purple bike for just $11, go to Pasar Sepeda Gappsta in Jalan MT Haryono, right in front of SMA 7 High School and you could choose and buy various old and cheap bike.
Belive me that I let my guest from around the world to use my ugly bike below for free while they stay in my Airbnb House.
Online Transportation Platform – There are two big companies that run transportation, delivery goods, and food delivery business here in my town. You can use Gojek or Grab and these two platform are available both for IOS and Android. Even I owned a BMW but if I want to move around the city with my family by passing the traffic than I use GoCar better (inside the Gojek Platform)
How to Get Food
The best thing of living in Yogyakarta Indonesia is you can get your fully stomach food for less than $10 per person in a day. I live with my wife and 4 kids and spend only IDR100.000/day for my daily meals. Surely you will pay for $3 to $6 for a portion of meals if you going to Mall or restaurant but if you willing to buy it on a local store called Warung than all the price will drop down like a hell.
Sometimes I’m going out to get some food too and pay more for it, for this lovely, tasty, and healthy food that I bought in Sade Tropical Kitchen I think I pay for less than $5 compliment with beef sausage, slice of beef, omelet, whole wheat bread, beans, and baked tomatoes.
Now see this tasty local lunch meal below, I bought this lunch in Kopi Rolas for less than $2 in a Warung local resto so usually they provide various of food and we can take as we want and go to the cashier to ask the price, and it was delicious for sure!
If you installing Gojek and Grab apps than you also can buy food with Gofood or Grabfood, they sometimes got promotional code which take you into 20-30% off and surely my wife love this offer so bad!
Things to See and Visit in Yogyakarta
First time to go to Yogyakarta without visiting temple, palace, or beach will sounds weird cause this is things that you must see. 30 years in Yogyakarta I still love to visit temple and palace cause it was wonderful and if you go there in early morning than you got no traffic at all and this is my best suggestion for you.
5 Most favourite place to visit when you are in your first time in Yogyakarta Indonesia are:
- Sultan Palace or Kraton
- Tamansari Water Castle
- Borobudur Temple
- Prambanan
- PASTY Bird and Plant Market
- NOTE – Artjog, Jogja full month art expo and Ngayogjazz, the free jazz performance are held in specific months so I suggest you to browse in detail more about this incredible attraction in my town
I try to make as easy as I can to all my readers know about my home town so I wrote this 44 Things to Do in Yogyakarta – If You Have Less Than 3 Days in Yogyakarta. I bundle this ebook with other reliable information such as, safety information, hotels, scam info, and other important chapter of traveling in Yogyakarta
- If you using Android and get used to buy on Google Books than you also can buy my ebook on Google Books Store.
I hope this story about live in Yogyakarta Indonesia inspire you as well before you visit my hometown and I would love to welcoming you to come to my hometown and if you got some questions than simply write your comment below.