To the point info
- Genuinely friendly locals but friendly can also mean scam.
- Prawirotaman Street is the bohemian place to stay – 30 mins walk to the city.
- Otu Hostel was great – (£5-7 a night)
- Via Via Restaurant had a variety of food that tasted really good. – Low to Mid range price.
- Sultan’s Palace – 15k Rupiah plus 1k per camera. (£1.76 for 2 people and a camera).
Read below for more details.
Otu Hostel
The Otu Hostel was a great place to stay. The bathrooms were shared but for the four nights we stayed there we never had that moment of needing to wait for the facilities. Overall, the bathroom and shower was clean but other guests seemed to disregard the shared space by pissing on the floor and toilet seat.
The staff were always friendly and wanted to know what we had planned or been up to. Prior to arriving a young lad, called Opal, messaged us via WhatsApp for info on our arrival and asked if we wanted picking up from the train station. Due to us staying 4 nights the pick up was free, which was an added bonus as usually it would cost 50,000 rupiah.
Saturday, another young lad, was a charismatic welcome who took the time to take us through attractions, key locations and map for the local area.
I would recommend staying at the Otu Hostel.
The City
Yogyakarta is not a traditional city like Jakarta with it’s sky scrappers, public transport, traffic and size. Yogyakarta was charming, fresh and bohemian.
The city aspect is stripped back and instead you’re given a taste of real Indonesia, with it’s traditional buildings and shops.
Sultan’s Palace
Located at the centre of the city the palace gave us an insight into the history of Indonesian monarchy. Unlucky for us we did not get to see the king of Indonesia, who is known to be a frequent visitor, but instead we were treated to a puppet show.
Great Eats: Via Via
After the 9+ hour journey we were starving on arrival and we’re recommended by Otu hostel to visit Via Via – just down the road. On arrival we were greeted by lovely and friendly staff.
They have a substantial menu with a variety of options for all traveller appetites, whether carnivore, pescitarian, vegetarian or vegan. There’s certainly something that could tempt anyone! Over the two nights that we dined here we had a vegetarian Indian curry, Balinese chicken, chicken and fish skewers with satay sauce and spinach and feta ravioli with tomato sauce. All of which were stunning! So fresh and tasty.
They have daily specials which can also be read ahead of schedule as they are listed in the menu for every day of the week. They also have a regular all you can eat BBQ night which unfortunately we didn’t have the chance to try but looked so good!
Via Via also had an amazing artisan bakery next door but one. They sold fresh bread, healthy snacks and naughty but nice desserts daily. Similarly to the restaurant they had different things to offer each day.
We tried the dragonfruit bread which was a beautiful pink colour, extremely tasty too. If you want to know how it tastes, the best thing I can compare it to was a buttery croissant flavour. In keeping with the dragonfruit theme we also treated ourselves to the dragonfruit cheesecake – it was delicious!
Via Via also has a fair trade shop which aims to maintain sustainable tourism respectful of nature and culture. They had quirky jewellery, clothing, books, soaps and food on offer – a lovely souvenir or two if we weren’t heading to at least another 5 countries. It was nice to see an eco-conscious business in a country whereby there seems to be little care for the environment.
Scam Fact
- There are some genuinely friendly locals. However, friendly can also mean scam.
- One scam we encountered was talk of an ‘art festival’ run by a ‘school’, by which we were always led down a side street.
- There was always 2 individuals; one would tell you about the ‘art school’ and then suddenly another would appear to tell you the same.
- Apparently they are trying to sell you crappy, often fake batik, goods.
Travel to the Point 