Yogyakarta Palace

Yogyakarta Palace is the symbol of the heart of Javanese cultural civilization centered in Yogyakarta Province, Indonesia. Yogyakarta Palace, or known formally as Kraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat, was built by Pangeran Mangkubumi titled Sultan Hamengku Buwono I in 1755 A.D. following the signing of Treaty of Giyanti. The present ruler of the Yogyakarta Sultanate is Kanjeng Gusti Pangeran Haryo titled Sultan Hamengku Buwono X. Likewise, he is a governor of Yogyakarta Province.

Inside the palace building, numerous historical properties of Yogyakarta Palace are kept well. There you can see some royal heirlooms, ancient books printed during the Dutch occupation, and hundreds of photographs depicting the historical journey of the palace from time by time.

The royal palace complex is often used as the venue for traditional events. Some adat ceremonies as well as public events such as Grebeg Maulud, Jamasan, and many more are held at the palace complex.

So if you take a visit to the palace in a right moment, thus you can have two sensations of travelling to Yogyakarta Palace. You can watch the evidence of Yogyakarta Sultanate`s glory as well as enjoying adat ceremonies organized in the palace complex.

Seldom do we find a palace that is still functioned as the heart of a kingdom or a royal administration in the present. Most of Indonesian palaces are now functioned as museums, no longer as the place for all royal activities. It is because a number of kingdoms in Indonesia cannot exist amidst the inexorable wave of globalization.

However, you can find a palace as well as a kingdom that is able to persist in this modern age. Only in Yogyakarta Palace you can find a palace that is functioned as both museum and the center for Yogyakarta Sultanate`s administrations.

Yogyakarta Palace Location

Yogyakarta Palace is located in the heart of Yogyakarta. It faces directly to the north Yogyakarta square, east of Malioboro Street. You can reach Yogyakarta Palace in ease as it lies in the heart of Yogyakarta City. There are two types of entrance tickets to the palace. To enter Pagelaran Kraton (the palace`s mansion), you need to pay IDR 5000; while for entering the innermost of the palace you get charged about IDR 7000 for the ticket. Hotels ranging from the lowest to the most expensive qualities are available in the location around the palace. Most of them are located in the area along the Malioboro Street as the Yogyakarta business center. There you can find souvenirs shops as well as typical foods of Yogyakarta in very ease with reasonable prices.

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Lake Kelimutu

Visiting Lake Kelimutu

Lake Kelimutu, part of Kelimutu National Park, is situated on the peak of Mount Kelimutu which is at an altitude of 1.631 meters. Kinds of flora that you can find there are Kesambi (Schleichera oleosa), casuarinas tree (Casuarina equisetifoia), and Edelweiss. Moreover, types of fauna living around the lake are deer (Cervus timorensis), pig forest (Sus sp.), red jungle fowl (gallus gallus) and hawk (Elanus sp.).

There are three backwaters in the lake which tend to turn their colours. For instance, the water in one of those, change from red to bottle green then someday it can be pink and in another backwater, the water turn from bottle green into light green. The last one, the water can change from deep brown into azure.

There are three backwaters in the lake

Lake Kelimutu Location

Administratively, Lake Kelimutu is located in three sub-districts, Detsuko, Wolowaru, and Ndona Sub-district. It is in the district of Ende, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia.Administratively, Lake Kelimutu is located in three sub-districts, Detsuko, Wolowaru, and Ndona Sub-district. It is in the district of Ende, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. 

Taking air transportation from Kupang, the capital of East Nusa Tenggara Province, to Ende District, it will be approximately 40 minutes to reach the destination. When you have arrived at Ende City, continue the journey by public transportations to Kaonara Village, about 93 km away or 3 hours. Then you must continue the trip to the location by walk for around 2,5 km. From February 2008 up to now, the entrance ticket of the lake is IDR 3.000. However, on weekend, the entrance ticket will be IDR 5.000.

Shelters, wide parking area and lodgements are some supporting facilities around the location. Hopefully it could make your vacation in the location comfortable.

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