Find peace in Yogyakarta

Head to the Indonesian city for a calm experience and to explore Borobudur Temple

- Mavis Teo

YOGYAKARTA - I sit cross-legged on a straw mat on a lush bank of the Progo River, which courses through central southern Java in Indonesia and flows into the Indian Ocean. The mat is full of fruit and flower offerings, said to be for spirits that roam the earth.

An elderly Indonesian man dressed in a traditional Javanese costume snips off about 3cm of my hair and places the lock in a bowl made of banana leaves. After chanting over it, he passes the bowl back and motions for me to cast the hair into the river.

I watch my hair float downstream before disappearing under ragged rocks.

This ruwatan ceremony, a Javanese ritual, is said to cleanse one's energy and dispel bad luck. It is one of the spiritual and cultural experiences offered by Amanjiwo, the resort near Yogyakarta where I am staying in May 2023.

Though Bali receives more international visitors, around 45 per cent of tourists to Indonesia in 2023, many looking for a calmer experience head to Yogyakarta instead.

Four Unesco World Heritage Sites are located in Java, including Borobudur Temple, which spans 2,500 sq m and is the world's largest Buddhist temple, and Prambanan, a 10th-century Hindu temple. Both temples are accessible from Yogyakarta.

Amanjiwo is well-placed to explore these historic sites. By car, Borobudur Temple is eight minutes away, while Prambanan Temple is about 90 minutes away.

Scoot flies from Singapore to Yogyakarta in 2½ hours. If, as I am, you are taking the Aman luxury train from Jakarta to Yogyakarta, arrive in the Indonesian capital the night before, as the train departs at 6.40am from Pasar Senen railway station.

At 6am, the platform where the Fajar Utama Yogyakarta train is waiting is a hive of activity. The exterior of the carriage is painted a regal maroon with thick gold bands. Inside, batik tapestries, paintings and books on Indonesia adorn the carriage.