Borobudur

Every guidebook waxes lyrical about Borobudur, which is already the most visited site in Indonesia, so there's no need for me to go on about the site - you already know it's worth seeing. So here are some photos from my visit (mostly close-ups, as the temple is so big, and so surrounded by trees, that it's very difficult to get wide shots without a drone), and a few practicalities.

Many people choose to visit Borobudur on a day trip from Yogya, and you can certainly do that. But to my mind, the best time to visit is the quietest time, and that takes a little planning. The site opens at 6:00am, but visitors can elect to pay more to come in at 4:30am, called the "sunrise visit." One important thing to keep in mind is that many, many visitors head straight up to the top of the temple, without walking the levels first. 

So my plan was simple - get there at 6:00, and walk the levels to slowly make my way to the top. The levels were very quiet for most of this time, with only a few others passing me. By the time I reached the top, about 7:30, all of the sunrise guests had already left, and many of the other early-birds who arrived at 6:00 or soon after had finished and left as well. I can't say that I had the top all to myself, but it certainly wasn't crowded, and I spent about an hour at the top level of the monument, taking photos and enjoying the views.

After that, I climbed back down as the first of the I-can't-get-up-that-early hordes were arriving at the site, and spent the rest of the morning exploring the grounds around the temple, and the onsite museum.

Unless you've got your own wheels or are happy hiring a taxi for the trip, and leave Yogya very early, getting to the site at 6:00 requires staying nearby - there are plenty of small hotels and guesthouses in the streets surrounding the temple complex. 

On public transport, buses go to Borobudur Terminal from the Yogya's northern (Jombor) bus terminal. You can get to Jombor from the town centre on public bus 2B (although I was running a bit late when I did the trip, so I just took at taxi to Jombor). In Borobudur, the terminal is within walking distance of the temple complex and all the nearby guesthouses and hotels.