[Travel] Yogyakarta | On Arrival

Last Christmas, my brother and I decide to visit the Special Region of Yogyakarta, also known as the city of education (Kota Pelajar) because it’s the center of the Javanese cultural learning and it has one of the top university in the country, Gadjah Mada university.

We fly with Citilink on one early Saturday morning and go directly to our hotel, Tjokro Style Yogyakarta hotel. Both are booked via Traveloka for Rp.5.692.783 (around USD$408.74); 5 nights hotel room for two (including breakfast) and return flight ( Jakarta – Yogyakarta – Jakarta).

Geographically, Yogyakarta is located at central Java, Indonesia. Their history went back to the 15th century when the land was under the rule of the Mataram Sultanate. The Mataram Sultanate capital was in Kotagede under the reign of Sultan Agung Hanyokrokusumo (1613 – 1645).

However, after the capital was moved twice, VOC (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie – United East Indies Company) and the British came knocking on the door, the Sultanate enter some form of civil war during the reign of Pakubuwono II (who sided with the foreign dignitaries) and his younger brother, Prince Mangkubumi (who was against the invaders).

As the result, the Sultanate was divided into east and west sides of Mataram Sultanate with the Treaty of Giyanti. The East land then ruled by Pakubuwono III (crowned as Susuhunan of Surakarta – 1732 – 1788) with Surakarta as the capital city and become Surakarta Sultanase. The Western half ruled by Prince Mangkubumi (later crowned as Hamengkubuwono I – 1717 – 1792) with Yogyakarta as the capital city and become the Yogyakarta Sultanate.

After the occupations, Java war and Republic of Indonesia’s independence, Hamengkubuwono IX (1912-1988) as the Yogyakarta Sultan at the time, declared Yogyakarta as a part of Republic Indonesia. As a result, the Republic Indonesia’s first president, I.R Soekarno, decree Yogyakarta as a Special Region with autonomous ruling. More on the life of the royalty story from our first stop: Kraton Yogyakarta.

Yogyakarta Travel: