Surakarta

Solo lies some south of Semarang and some east of Yogyakarta. As the 'twin' brother of Yogyakarta, this city looks much like the latter. But because Solo is not a provincial capital, this city has preserved much of its Javanese character. This also means that Solo is less touristy than Yogyakarta. The town is a centre of art and education and offers some good shopping. It is said to be the least westernised city in Central Java. The formal name for the city is Surakarta. Less formal but widely used is Solo. From time to time you may see it written as Sala. This is because of a pronunciation quirk in Javanese that means final and penultimate -a are pronounced -o as in hot. History Historically, the Kasunanan Kingdom was the true heir of the Mataram Sultanate which ruled all of Java from the 16th century to the late 17th century. In 1745 the Sultanate moved its court to Solo. However, by the end of the 18th century it suffered from internal court intrigues, rebellions and foreign manipulation by the Dutch East India Company (VOC). In 1755 the Sultanate split, with the Kasunanan Kingdom ruled by the reigning sovereign (Pakubuwono II) based in Solo and the Yogyakarta Sultanate, led by the rebel prince Mangkubumi (later Sultan Hamengkubuwono I), in Yogyakarta. In 1757, another rebel prince, Raden Mas Said, formed the Mangkunegaran Principality, motivated by disappointment with the king, who had collaborated with the VOC.

The languages primarily spoken in Surakarta are Javanese and Indonesian. Public signs are written in Indonesian, occasionally with English, and occasionally with Javanese script. English is not widely spoken, although hotel and airline staff generally speak an acceptable level of English.

By plane One-way flights from Jakarta cost around Rp 500,000. Up to 20 flights per day from Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma airports operated by Garuda, Citilink, Lion Air, Batik Air, and Nam Air. Getting into the city Bus — the rapid transit bus Batik Solo Trans goes to the city centre, calling at the train and bus stations. It operates daily from 06:00-18:00 and costs Rp 20,000 per trip. It departs about every 20 minutes. Taxi — there is a fixed fare service, booked at the taxi counter. Name your destination, pay, and you will be assigned a taxi. Airport Train — The train goes from the airport to the main station Solo Balapan for 20 minutes. Ticket costs Rp 7,000. By train Surakarta is almost midway between Jakarta in the west, Yogyakarta in the south, and Surabaya in the east. Train from either Jakarta or Surabaya takes 6-8 hours, while a commuter train from Yogyakarta only takes 1.5 hours. Semarang is the northern metropolis from Solo, and it's around twice as far as Yogyakarta. You will arrive into one of Solo's four railway stations: Yogyakarta and Solo are connected by the KRL commuter train. In Solo, it stops at Balapan and Purwosari stations. There are eleven trains every day in each direction. A one-way trip costs Rp 8,000. To ride the train, you can use a refillable multi-trip card that can be purchased at a ticket counter or vending machine at the station for Rp 30,000 (initial balance contains Rp 10,000). The multi-trip card is also valid for KRL commuter trains in Jakarta.

The city's main avenue, Jalan Slamet Riyadi has pavements (sidewalks) courtesy of Mayor Jokowi (who is now the president of Indonesia). On Sundays, it is closed to traffic between 06:00 and 09:00 for various leisure activities for the town's citizens. Many hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and tourist attractions are on this street. At the end of the street is the entrance to the alun-alun (palace square) and the royal palace complex. Because it is still quite small, travelling within Solo is relatively easy, but quickly getting frustratingly slow due to the weight of traffic. By ride-hailing app Go-jek and Grab are all active in Solo. It is worth getting an Indonesian SIM card with data, to allow you to use the apps. It is also good to have a little Indonesian or Javanese, as the driver will normally call you after taking the job, to confirm your location. By taxi Taxis are cheap, and you can book for the whole trip. You can negotiate for the price. Ask at your hotel reception if they can arrange one for you. Taxis are available on the airport and train stations. Flagfall for the first kilometre is Rp 5,500 and Rp 3,750/kilometre. Minimum payment Rp 25,000 for order by phone. Their phone numbers are: By bus By car Driving in Indonesia is rarely rewarding, especially in Java. Either opt with a taxi or rent a driver to easily navigate within the city. Charter with driver By becak, ojek and andong These pedicabs, motorcycle taxis and horse-drawn carriages are found across the city, and used for short journeys.

Kraton complex Pamedan Mangkunegaran, or the Mangkunegara's ground. Museums Historical buildings and monuments Religious buildings Parks Events Solo holds numerous events and festivals every year. Listed below are major, routine events which showcase the city's unique value (exact date and venue may vary, but the information shown would be quite close to assume future events) EventDateVenue Sekaten and Grebeg Mulud Every Rabbi' al-awwal month of the Islamic calendar) Kraton Kasunanan Royal Palace Northern Courtyard (alun-alun lor). A week-long festival to commemorate the birthday of prophet Muhammad. Noted for its distinct Javanese elements and pasar malam. Solo Great Sale February Various stores, shopping malls, and services across the city Imlek and Grebeg Sudiro Chinese New YearPasar Gede Hardjonagoro. A festival to celebrate the new year of lunar calendar.

Mandi lulur A traditional skin-care done by rubbing special spices to the skin to exfoliate it. Very relaxing. Many hotels offer this service. Or ask your hotel reception for a reputable place. Sepoor Kluthuk Ride in an old train, with stops at Loji Gandrung and Kampung Batik Kauman, costs about Rp 100,000. Check the schedule at the Tourist Information Centre. Masangin (masuk antara dua beringin = passing two ficus trees). This simple and fun game is held at South Alun-alun (Sultan's square). The participant is blindfolded and must walk straight to pass two ancient ficus trees. Even though it sounds like an easy task, most participants usually fail. After that, you can go to the food stalls around the corner, relax a bit and have a sip of warm Wedang Ronde (ginger drink). Sunday Morning at Solo Car Free Day (or Solo CFD), every Sunday, the wide main boulevard of Slamet Riyadi in Solo is crowded with thousands of people doing all sort of things. Wake up early at 5-7AM and head to the Slamet Riyadi to do a bit of exercise. After that, you can taste many kinds of foods sold by stalls there. The menu includes Liwet Rice, Bubur Ayam (Chicken Porridge), and Soto. Don't forget to check the batik stalls nearby. Becak or Andong ride, take a short trip around the town using Becak or Andong cart. Shop at Traditional Market, witness local habits by visiting Solo's traditional market such as Pasar Gede and Pasar Klewer.

Batik You can buy anything made with batik in Solo, in fabrics from silk to cotton. Hand drawn batik (tulis) is more expensive than those made using 'stamp' (batik cap). Antiques Ngarsopuro Saturday Night Market, Jl Slamet Riyadi. Night Market with beautiful lamps. Located at the same place with Windujenar above. (Only open every Saturday night) Traditional markets Malls The older malls are in the centre of town: The newer and more upmarket malls are in the southern expansion area for Solo, Solo Baru, including Solo Center Point, Jl Slamet Riyadi 373. Computer Market with Condotel by Aston Singosaren Plaza, Jl Gatot Subroto Luwes Mall, Jl Veteran Ratu Luwes, Jl S. Parman Sami Luwes, Jl Honggowongso Gading Luwes, Jl Veteran

The food of Solo can be typified through the use of frying, coconut milk, and a mix of sweet and savory flavours. Some dishes may be plant-based (e.g. pecel) but being vegetarian cannot be guaranteed due to the widespread use of shrimp paste (terasi). The selection of meat available, and the preparation, will be based on halal precepts. Solo's culinary life is 24 hours, with some stalls only opening at 02:00 and being sold out by 05:00. Nasi Liwet, similar to "Nasi Uduk" from Jakarta or West Java, is rice cooked in coconut milk. Jl Keprabon is famous for it, particularly Bu Lemu. Solo offers a rich varieties of snacks, from dry: (onde-onde ceplus, kripik cakar, kripik paru, kerak nasi goreng) to keleman (fresh snack) (solo, wajik, jadah, kue ku, lapis, cara bikang). Sosis Solo is chopped beef with spices wrapped in a thin egg pancake. You can find many varieties of traditional fresh snacks in Pasar Gede. For those that need it, there are fast food outlets, Kentucky Fried Chicken on Jl Jend A Yani, McDonalds on Jl Dr Rajiman, Pizza Hut on Jl Slamet Riyadi and Oishi Bento in Solo Grand Mall. Budget Soto is a sort-of clear soup made from vegetables, spices, chicken or beef. You can find various kinds of soto in Solo: Nini Thowong, Widuran Mid-range

Because of Islamic dietary laws, most eating places do not offer alcohol, and only few licensed hotels and restaurants will offer national and international brands of beer and wines. Solo's local alcohol is called ciu, a local adaptation of Chinese wine, made from rice. Drink it at your own risk. The folks of Solo love sweet drinks combining natural fruits with coconut water or coconut milk, and palm sugar. Dawet (known as cendol in West Java and Jakarta) adds little green jelly worms into the mix. Usually served with ice. Gempol plered is made from coconut milk with rice flour balls, with a sweet and slightly salty taste.

Budget Mid-range Splurge

The local area code for Solo is 0271. Internet There are many internet cafes which offer access to the internet. Some hotels provide wifi in the lobby. There is free wifi on Jl Slamet Riyadi. The 24-hour Indomarts and Alfamarts sometime offer free wifi and charging points, but can be a little noisy.

Prambanan temple complex is the largest Hindu temple complex in Indonesia. It lies 50km to the west, just before entering Yogyakarta. Yogyakarta (old spelling: Jogjakarta) is a more tourist city located close to Solo. The easiest is by car, or charter a taxi (approx. 90 - 120 min) depending on traffic. Taking the train can also be an option, the KRL commuter train leaves frequently during the day (usually catering for the commuter workers) from Solo Balapan and Purwosari Station. The ticket costs Rp 8,000 one way. The train ride is about one and half hour with around 10 stops in between Solo-Jogja, including to Prambanan. The last stop will be in Tugu Station in Yogyakarta right on the northwestern side of Malioboro. Borobudur Temple Compounds is a series of three Buddhist temples, most famous of them is Borobudur Temple, which is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. The main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa. A particularly scenic route would be to travel through the Selo and Ketep Pass in Boyolali, located between Mount Merapi and Mount Merbabu with breathtaking views of both mountains and directly to Magelang, without going through Yogya.