Magelang

By plane or train

The nearest airport and train station are in Jogja, away, or in Semarang.

By bus

From Yogyakarta, you can get to Magelang by bus for about Rp35,000. The trip takes an hour.

By taxi

The basic price is Rp5,000 and Rp2,500 per km. You can also get around by bus, mini bus, horse cart, or by pedicab.

• OHD Museum

  phone: +62 293 363420
  address: Jl Jenggolo No.14
  The private collection of modern Indonesian art of Oei Hong Djien. There are two parts to the collection. This museum hosts the changing exhibitions. The permanent collection is housed in a separate building attached to his home, also in Magelang. It may be possible to see the permanent collection by asking at the museum.

• The Chicken Churcha chicken shaped church with a peculiar history.

• Diponegoro MuseumFeaturing Prince Diponegoro, a national hero.

• Kedung Khayang Waterfall

• Merapi Volcano Park and Ketep Pass

• Sekarlangit Waterfall

• Taman Kyai Langgeng

  phone: +62 293 319-2642, +62 293 364142
  address: Jl Cempaka No.6
  An educational-cum-recreational park which features rare plants, dinosaur statues, airplane prototypes. It provides a playground with some facilities. Rafting can be organised (when the nearby Progo River is in full flow).

• Citra Elo Rafting

  phone: +62 0811 2585 011
  address: Borobudur, Magelang
  Whitewater rafting on the Elo river.

• Volcanic stone carvingsMany stalls selling carved stone items, including statues, garden lamps, mortar and pestles.

Pick up some getuk (GUH-took) for the folks back home, a sweet delicacy made from cassava and sugar. Steamed, coloured and topped with grated coconut. Getuk Trio has three differently-coloured layers: yellow, pink and brown.

• Pancoran Restaurant

  phone: +62 293 362688
  address: Jl Daha No.1, Kemirirejo
  Chinese. Serves pork.

• Banaran 9 Coffee

  phone: +62 298 599606
  address: Desa Gemawang, Jambu district
  A roadhouse run by the state-owned plantation company whose coffee plantations flank the road at this point. An acceptable place to pull in for a quick break if on a long road trip or if the road is jammed. Bathrooms are kept clean, food is standard plates of rice and chicken etc served quickly and hot. And the coffee isn't bad either.

If it has been one of those days, and you can't think whether you want to eat rice or noodles, just have both. Nasi Magelangan (NAH-see mah-GUH-lang-an), or rice in the Magelang style, is a mixture of fried rice and fried noodles, for that fried carb on fried carb hit. Widely available across the region, it is also known as nasi ruwet (NAH-see ROO-wuht) or 'complicated rice'.

• Hotel Catur

  phone: +62 293 326 980
  address: Jl Mayjen Bambang Sugeng No.308

• Mesa Stila

  phone: +62 298 596333
  address: Jl Losari, Losari, Grabag, Kalipucang
  Individual traditional Javanese houses serve as villas in a high-altitude coffee plantation landscape. Volcano views and yoga retreats. Hammam and spa.

• Ning Tidar Hotel

  phone: +62 293 314316
  address: Jl Purworejo-Magelang KM 5
  In the middle of nowhere apart from a smoky internet cafe nearby, so it is not the most convenient location. However, it is a good option when the closer hotels are booked out, as they frequently are. It is a nice property for the price, and they can organise taxis to Borobudur. 24-hour restaurant service.

• Hotel Sriti

  phone: +62 293 363347
  address: Jl Daha No.23

• Hotel Trio

  phone: +62 293 365095
  address: Jl Jend. Sudirman No.72

North

• Ambarawa and on to Semarang. If going by car, consider going via Salatiga over the shoulder of Mount Merbabu and the mountain village of Kopeng. Not much quicker but more scenic as the roads climbs up to above sea level.

South

• Yogyakarta.
• Borobudur — an 8th-century Buddhist stupa and temple complex. One of world's truly great ancient monuments, the single largest Buddhist structure anywhere on earth. Few who visit fail to be taken by both the scale of place, and the remarkable attention to detail that went into the construction. Set in the heart of the verdant Kedu Plain, the backdrop of mighty active volcanoes only enhances the sense of awe and drama. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.

East

- Head to Solo via the Ketep Pass between Mount Merapi and Mount Merbabu, and Boyolali.