5D4N Yogyakarta Itinerary - The most underrated city of Indonesia for the adventurous

Day 3 for us was all about adventures. Set out in comfy sports attire and clothes you can get wet in!

Witness Heaven’s Light at Jomblang Cave

First stop, Jomblang Cave. Set out early as visitors are only allowed to enter until 10 am. The number of visitors is also limited to keep damage to this natural gem at a minimum. Jomblang Cave is a different world altogether — both metaphorically and literally.

Part of an underground cave system, Jomblang is the result of a giant sinkhole in an ancient forest a few thousand years back. If the initial abseil into the ancient forest did not wow you enough, the lush vegetation that greets you 40m down below will surely leave you speechless.

Hike for another 10 minutes on muddy grounds and you’ll see another cave opening. Walk into the pitch-dark cave, before another surprise awaits in front.

Mesmerised. Everyone stopped in their tracks the moment light hit their eyes. Dubbed “Heaven’s Light” by the locals, there is really no other name more apt to describe this breathtaking sight.

Locals say the best timing to view Heaven’s Light is between 11.30am – 12pm when the sun rays are the strongest.

This is one of the priciest activities on the itinerary, but I can assure you the views and experience is so worth it; I would gladly do it all over again. That aside, the abseil pulley system is 100% by manpower, so part of the ticket fee goes to the men who use brute force to lift us up from the bottom of the cave.

Address: Pacarejo, Semanu, Gunung Kidul Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta 55893, Indonesia
Opening Hours: Registration opens till 10 am daily.
Price: RP450,000 per pax (~S$45.60), includes insurance and lunch box given after the cave tour.

Tubing at Goa Pindul & Sungai Oyo

After Jomblang, most visitors will head to Kalisuci for tubing activities. However, our local driver suggested Goa Pindul as a better alternative — cheaper and we got to explore caves!

At Goa Pindul, there are several packages which vary from locations and activities. We purchased the package that included two spots, Goa Pindul and Sungai Oyo at RP 110,000 per pax. A rubber tube and life vest will be provided before starting your lazy river adventure.

The ride begins by going through a pitch dark cave filled with bats, swallows and giant Stalactites which were pointed out by our Bahasa speaking guide. There’s a short 3m high rock you can jump off in the cave — a good warm up for what’s coming up!

This is where the adventure really begins. After reaching the end of Goa Pindul, hop on a pick-up truck to Sungai Oyo 2km away. Mid way through, your guide will stop where there are a 5m bridge and a 9m waterfall and edge you into jumping off one of these platforms.

Soon we found ourselves standing at the top of the 9m platform. And as though irresponsibly running away from adulting, I took a leap of faith, huddled my fears and jumped into the river below me. I hit right into the chilly waters, feeling refreshed. It didn’t surprise me when I found myself climbing back up the slippery rocks for a second leap. No wonder people say extreme sports are addictive!

Address: Wirawisata, Gelaran 2, Bejiharjo, Karangmojo, Gunungkidul, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta 55891, Indonesia
Opening Hours: Starts at 8 am till sunset, not available on rainy days.
Prices: Rp110,000 per pax (~S$11.20). Covers Goa Pindul + Sungai Oyo

*Pro-tip: Bring along booties if you have them as climbing up the rocks barefooted can be slippery from moss and algae growth.

Dinner at Gudeg Yu Djum

Gudeg Yu Djum, as the name suggests, is famous for the traditional Gudeg dish — a Javanese cuisine made from young unripe jackfruit boiled for several hours with palm sugar, and coconut milk. I’ve read about people using jackfruit as mock pulled pork, and I won’t be surprised if Gudeg was the inspiration behind it!

Address: Jln Wonosari, Jogja Km. 7 Gading, Playen, Kabupaten Gunung Kidul, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta 55861, Indonesia
Opening Hours: 7am – 5.30pm
Price: Rp15,000 – 40,000 (~S$1.50-4), depending on what you add e.g. Egg + Chicken wing

Sunrise at Borobudur Temple

Catching the sunrise at Borobudur Temple is pretty popular bucket list item. This activityis so sacred and exceptional that local and foreign tourists would reach Borobudur as early as 4:30 am just to get a good spot within the temple compounds to view the rising sun.

As Borobudur is a grand historical artefact and also the top tourist attraction in Yogyakarta, there are high-security measures along the way leading up to the actual Borobudor site. From the entrance of Manohara Hotel where admission tickets are sold, there are three bag searches.

After your tour at the temple, remember to head over to the restaurant for some light refreshments — included in the ticket to Borobudur.

Address: Jl. Badrawati, Borobudur, Magelang, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia
Opening Hours: 6am – 5pm (however, you can enter at 4.30am if you purchase the Borobudur Sunrise package).
Price: Rp450,000 per pax (~S$45.60). Borobudur Sunrise package that has to be bought from Manohara Hotel.

*Pro-tip: While the sunrise looks pretty amazing, it looks just as good during sunset and there’s close to no one at that time.

Bukit Rhema (Chicken Church)

Affectionately known as “Gereja Ayam (Chicken Church)” to locals, this gigantic dodo of a bird is a lot more amusing than we thought. Can you believe that there is an actual building the shape of a humongous chicken? Bizarre as it seems, the creator of this place of worship said he had a vision from God to build a prayer house on a hill. Once dilapidated, the Chicken Church is now refurbished thanks to increasing tourism in the area.

As Borobudur is a grand historical artefact and also the top tourist attraction in Yogyakarta, there are high-security measures along the way leading up to the actual Borobudor site. From the entrance of Manohara Hotel where admission tickets are sold, there are three bag searches.

Lunch at Jejamuran (Mushroom Restaurant)

Mushroom lovers rejoice! There is a restaurant in Yogyakarta with its entire menu focused on only one main ingredient — mushrooms.
Jejamuran specialises in mushroom and almost every dish you find in their menu has some kind of mushroom in it.

There are even mushroom growing kits sold so you can grow them at home!

Recommended dishes:
– Mushroom satay, Rp16,000 (~S$1.60)
– Mushroom tom yam soup, Rp30,000 (~S$3)
– Deep fried king oyster mushroom, Rp25,000 (~S$2.50)

Specialty drinks:
– Es Dawet Jejamuran, a traditional Javanese drink with coconut milk, palm sugar, jelly, and of course, mushrooms. Rp12,000 (~S$1.20)
– Summer Breeze comes with enoki mushrooms in the drink! Rp12,000 (~S$1.20)

Address: Jalan Pramuka No.53, RT.01 / RW.20, Niron, Pandowoharjo, Kec. Sleman, Kabupaten Sleman, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta 55512, Indonesia

Opening Hours: 9am – 9:10pm

Sandboarding at Gumuk Pasir

After lunch, another round of adventure awaits. We headed southwards to Gumuk Pasirfor some fun sandboarding! Rent a sandboard at Rp100,000 (~S$10.20) and hit the sand dunes!

Sandboarding was new to me, and thankfully there was a local guiding us. He would follow us around polishing the bottom of our boards and showing us steeper slopes to conquer.

It was immense fun, I have to say, although I spent most of my time sand-tumbling instead. Best time for sandboarding is actually an hour or two before the sunset, when the temperatures are cool. Stay on for sunset and nightfall, and reward yourself with the sight of a sky full of stars. We were lucky and spotted the milky way with our naked eyes!

Address: Jl. Pantai Parangkusumo, Parangtritis, Kec. Kretek, Bantul, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta 55772, Indonesia
Opening Hours: 6am – 7pm
Price: Rp100,000 per sandboard rental (~S$10.20)

*Pro-tip: Request for your taxi driver to wait by the beach for you while you sandboard, as taxis are extremely difficult to get at this part of town!

Pinus Pengger

If the idea of getting sand on your butt and face isn’t your cup of tea, a nearby sight might be of interest! Pinus Pengger — A favourite among locals, is a forested area filled with sculptures and artistic instalments by local artists. Catch the sunset and stay through the night for great views of the city.

Each sculpture and art instalment is a unique photo point, and there are donation boxes next to each photo point. Donations are highly encouraged as a form of support for the local artists. We recommend visits at the late afternoon when there’s still enough sunlight to take pictures and also to catch the sunset.

Address: Terong, Dlingo, Bantul Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta 55783, Indonesia
Price: Free entrance, but carpark fee of Rp10,000 (~S$10) per car applies.

Jurang Tembelan

En route to Pinus Pengger, we also stopped by Jurang Tembelan. As if a secret hideout, this small and quiet lookout seems to be known only to locals. Jurang Tembelan is actually a small pit stop with restrooms and snack stores. A quick picture spot overseeing a river, you can enjoy panoramic views of mountains too. Another notable area to look out for is Puncak Becici, also a lookout where people can enjoy outbound activities. Puncak Becicirecently gained attention after former US President Barack Obama’s visit in June 2017.

Address: Mangunan, Dlingo, Bantul Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta 55783, Indonesia
Price: Free. Donation basis.

Dinner at Omah Dhuwur Restaurant

End your day with a great meal at Omah Dhuwur Restaurant. Besides serving traditional Javanese cuisine, Omah Dhuwur also has a Western menu that caters to tourists.

Address: Jl. Mondorakan No.252, Prenggan, Kotagede, Kota Yogyakarta, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta 55172, Indonesia

Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm