Three years ago, we spent our mid-semester break vacation with my children who were still in junior high school. We left home at five in the morning to avoid Jakarta's traffic and head towards the tourist areas in Tegal, Central Java.
The Journey to Guci, Tegal
The Journey to Guci, Tegal
The journey to the Guci tourist area was quite tiring. After exiting the toll road, we traveled through rural roads and hilly areas until we finally arrived in Guci, the hot spring tourist area. From Jakarta to Guci, Tegal 5 hours 25 minutes (334,6 km) via Jl. Tol Cikopo - Palimanan.
The Guci tourist attraction can be reached by two-wheeled or four-wheeled vehicles. The distance between Guci Tegal and the Tegal Regency square is approximately 43 kilometers, with a travel time of about 1 hour and 39 minutes. After a seven-hour journey, we finally arrived at the Guci Hot Spring area. Since we were staying at a Guci inn, after a short rest in our reserved room, we took the children to bathe in the hot spring until Maghrib prayer time.
The entrance ticket prices for Guci Tegal tourist attraction vary depending on the specific place to be visited by visitors. Inside the Guci tourist attraction, there are many interesting spots.
The entrance ticket for the Guci hot spring is priced at Rp. 40,000 per person.
The entrance ticket for Pancuran 13 is priced at Rp. 4,000 per person.
The entrance ticket for Baron Hill is priced at Rp. 15,000 per person.
The entrance ticket for the glass bridge is priced at Rp. 10,000 per person.
The entrance ticket prices for Guci Tegal tourist attraction vary depending on the specific place to be visited by visitors. Inside the Guci tourist attraction, there are many interesting spots.
The entrance ticket for the Guci hot spring is priced at Rp. 40,000 per person.
The entrance ticket for Pancuran 13 is priced at Rp. 4,000 per person.
The entrance ticket for Baron Hill is priced at Rp. 15,000 per person.
The entrance ticket for the glass bridge is priced at Rp. 10,000 per person.
The opening hours of the tourist attractions in Guci vary. Generally, the tourist attractions open from 08:00 to 17:00, except for the camping area and accommodation area.
Guci Tegal tourist attraction is usually open every day for one week under normal conditions.
In the evening, we looked for a nearby restaurant near the Guci hot spring area. There are many restaurants near the Guci hot spring area, such as ;
A Brief Overview of Borobudur Temple
Borobudur Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Borobudur, Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The temple is situated approximately 100 km southwest of Semarang, 86 km west of Surakarta, and 40 km northwest of Yogyakarta. It was built by the followers of Mahayana Buddhism around the 9th century AD during the reign of the Syailendra dynasty. Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple or shrine in the world, as well as one of the largest Buddhist monuments in the world.
The temple consists of six square-shaped terraces with three circular platforms on top. Its walls are adorned with 2,672 relief panels and there are 504 Buddha statues. Borobudur houses the most complete and extensive collection of Buddhist reliefs in the world. The largest main stupa is located in the center and is surrounded by three rows of 72 perforated stupas, each containing a seated Buddha statue in the perfect lotus position with the Dharmachakra mudra.
The temple was constructed as a sacred place to honor the Buddha and also as a pilgrimage site to help humanity transition from worldly life to enlightenment and wisdom according to the teachings of Buddhism. Pilgrims enter the temple from the eastern side and perform a ritual by walking clockwise around this sacred structure, ascending to the next level through three realms in Buddhist cosmology. These realms are Kāmadhātu (realm of desire), Rupadhatu (realm of form), and Arupadhatu (realm of formlessness). During the journey, pilgrims pass through corridors and stairways adorned with 1,460 beautiful relief panels on the walls and balustrades.
In the evening, we looked for a nearby restaurant near the Guci hot spring area. There are many restaurants near the Guci hot spring area, such as ;
Ayam Gepuk Top Markotop
is located at Jl. Raya Baturaden No.174 Dusun II Karangmangu, which is
15.9 km away from the Guci Hot Springs.
Another dining option nearby is Rumah Makan Taman Watujajar,
situated at Jl. Raya Bojong Taswan, Bojong,
which is 6.3 km away from the Guci Hot Springs.
If you're looking for a cafe and villa, you can visit ;
Guma Landscape Cafe & Villa
located at Q79j+4j7, Gerdu, Serang, Kec. Karangreja, Kabupate Desa Wisata Serang,
which is 13.4 km away from the Guci Hot Springs.
After having dinner, we returned to our accommodation. The air was extremely cold, reaching 5 degrees Celsius. Despite wearing jackets, we were still very cold. It was difficult to sleep until morning, although eventually we managed to fall asleep due to exhaustion from the morning journey.
From Guci, Tegal to Magelang, exploring Borobudur Temple
From Guci Tegal to Magelang, we headed towards the Borobudur Temple tourist area. After having breakfast, we continued our journey to the Borobudur Temple tourist area in Magelang through hilly rural roads. The journey took us 5 hours and 4 minutes (180.5 km) via Jl. Campur Salam.
Upon arrival at the Borobudur Temple, we took some time to have lunch before exploring the temple area.
Borobudur Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Borobudur, Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The temple is situated approximately 100 km southwest of Semarang, 86 km west of Surakarta, and 40 km northwest of Yogyakarta. It was built by the followers of Mahayana Buddhism around the 9th century AD during the reign of the Syailendra dynasty. Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple or shrine in the world, as well as one of the largest Buddhist monuments in the world.
The temple consists of six square-shaped terraces with three circular platforms on top. Its walls are adorned with 2,672 relief panels and there are 504 Buddha statues. Borobudur houses the most complete and extensive collection of Buddhist reliefs in the world. The largest main stupa is located in the center and is surrounded by three rows of 72 perforated stupas, each containing a seated Buddha statue in the perfect lotus position with the Dharmachakra mudra.
The temple was constructed as a sacred place to honor the Buddha and also as a pilgrimage site to help humanity transition from worldly life to enlightenment and wisdom according to the teachings of Buddhism. Pilgrims enter the temple from the eastern side and perform a ritual by walking clockwise around this sacred structure, ascending to the next level through three realms in Buddhist cosmology. These realms are Kāmadhātu (realm of desire), Rupadhatu (realm of form), and Arupadhatu (realm of formlessness). During the journey, pilgrims pass through corridors and stairways adorned with 1,460 beautiful relief panels on the walls and balustrades.
From Guci, Tegal to Borobudur Temple, Magelang
After exploring the Borobudur temple, we continued our journey towards Yogyakarta. The distance from Borobudur to Yogyakarta is approximately 39.0 km and it takes around 1 hour and 11 minutes to reach our destination via Jl. Magelang - Yogyakarta.
Upon arriving in Yogyakarta, we went straight to our accommodation to rest for a while. As evening approached, after sunset, we went to find a place to eat in the Malioboro street area. Malioboro street was bustling with visitors, some were shopping for souvenirs, some were enjoying street food at Lesehan stalls, and others were simply strolling around at night. After dinner, we took a short walk and came across street musicians playing the angklung and several guitars, singing popular Indonesian songs. Some of the visitors even joined in the dancing. After that, we returned to our accommodation, which was not far from Malioboro street, and rested.
Here is a glimpse of Malioboro street at night.
Also known as Kraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat. It is the official residence of Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono, the Sultan of Yogyakarta. The palace was established by Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwana I in 1755 as the new palace of Yogyakarta after the split of the Islamic Mataram Kingdom due to the Giyanti Agreement. The palace is a branch of the Surakarta Hadiningrat Palace of the Islamic Mataram Kingdom in Surakarta (the Surakarta Kingdom). As a result, the Mataram dynasty was continued by two kingdoms, namely the Yogyakarta Sultanate and the Surakarta Sunanate. The total area of the Yogyakarta Palace is 144 hectares, including the Baluwarti fortress area, the Lor square, the Kidul square, the Gladak gate, and the Gedhe Mosque complex in Yogyakarta. The core area of the palace, known as the kedhaton, covers an area of 13 hectares.
Despite the fact that the Yogyakarta Sultanate officially became part of the Republic of Indonesia in 1945, this palace complex is still used as the residence of the sultan and his royal family, who continue to uphold the traditions of the sultanate to this day. The palace complex also serves as one of the tourist attractions in Yogyakarta. Part of the palace complex functions as a museum that houses various collections belonging to the sultanate, including gifts from European kings, replicas of palace heirlooms, and gamelan instruments. In terms of architecture, this palace is the finest example of Javanese palace architecture, with luxurious halls, spacious courtyards, and beautiful pavilions.
After exploring the palace, we visited the Taman Sari tourist area, which also has a long historical connection with the Yogyakarta Sultanate.
Despite the fact that the Yogyakarta Sultanate officially became part of the Republic of Indonesia in 1945, this palace complex is still used as the residence of the sultan and his royal family, who continue to uphold the traditions of the sultanate to this day. The palace complex also serves as one of the tourist attractions in Yogyakarta. Part of the palace complex functions as a museum that houses various collections belonging to the sultanate, including gifts from European kings, replicas of palace heirlooms, and gamelan instruments. In terms of architecture, this palace is the finest example of Javanese palace architecture, with luxurious halls, spacious courtyards, and beautiful pavilions.
After exploring the palace, we visited the Taman Sari tourist area, which also has a long historical connection with the Yogyakarta Sultanate.
Taman Sari Yogyakarta
Taman Sari Keraton Yogyakarta is the former garden or palace grounds of the Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat Palace. This garden can be compared to Taman Sari Surakarta and Bogor Botanical Gardens as the palace gardens. The construction of this garden was carried out during the reign of Sultan Hamengku Buwono I (HB I) from 1758-1765/9. Initially, the garden covered an area of more than 10 hectares with 57 buildings such as pavilions, bathing pools, suspension bridges, water canals, artificial lakes with artificial islands, and underwater passages. The garden was effectively used between 1765-1812 and stretched from the southwest of the Kedhaton complex to the southeast of the Magangan complex. However, what remains of Taman Sari today is only located in the southwest of the Kedhaton complex.
Legend has it that Taman Sari was built on the site of the old palace, Pesanggrahan Garjitawati, which was established by Susuhunan Paku Buwono II as a resting place for horse-drawn carriages heading to Imogiri. Tumenggung Mangundipuro was appointed as the project leader for the construction of Taman Sari. The entire construction costs were borne by the Regent of Madiun, Tumenggung Prawirosentiko, and his people. In return, the Madiun region was exempted from tax collection.
After thoroughly exploring Taman Sari Yogyakarta, we prepared ourselves to return home. During the journey back, we took frequent breaks, almost every 2 hours, as we were tired from visiting several places in Yogyakarta.