48 hours in Yogyakarta?

Got 48 hours to explore Yogyakarta, the cultural heart of Java?

Reuters correspondents with local knowledge give tips on how to get the best from one of Indonesia’s most vibrant cities.

FRIDAY

6pm Tuck into a delicious nasi goreng, or Indonesian fried rice, at the charming little Via Via cafe as a local band plays foot-tapping jazz in the background. Have a cup of robust Javanese coffee and don’t forget to check out the notice-board for information on special batik lessons. Book now for Saturday or Sunday.

Public transportation isn’t great in Yogyakarta so hire a car and driver for the next two days.

SATURDAY

5am Fight that urge to lie in late and see the sun rise at Borobudur temple, the world’s biggest Buddhist temple that rises from the Central Java plains, about an hour’s drive from Yogyakarta.

If you want to avoid being harassed by souvenir shop owners and tourist guides, use the Manohara hotel entrance. A short audio-visual show prepares you for the magnificent monument topped with stupas and hundreds of reliefs depicting Buddhist thought and the life of Buddha.

9am Give your aching feet a rest over breakfast at the tranquil Amanjiwo resort, nestled between grand limestone hills and four volcanoes. Walk up the steps of the bell-shaped rotunda to enjoy a sumptuous breakfast in the luxurious boutique resort’s terrace cafe overlooking Borobudur.

10.30am Drive past emerald-green paddy fields back into the heart of Yogyakarta and explore the 200-year-old palace complex, known as the Kraton.

Wander through its performance pavilions, or pendopos, and stop to listen to traditional gamelan musicians before you enter the museum galleries to look at old photographs and other royal paraphernalia.

The palace, built in 1790, also houses a collection of ancient Javanese daggers called Keris (Javanese dagger) and horse-drawn chariots.

1.00pm Not far from the Kraton is a restaurant built in the traditional Javanese style known as Bale Raos that sells the sultan of Yogyakarta’s favorite dishes. Be warned: typical Yogyakarta cuisine liberally uses palm sugar in everything from chicken dishes to dessert.

2.30pm For the not so faint-hearted, a trip to the nearby bird market is a must-do. Though called a bird market, it’s more of a pet market: apart from a huge collection of exotic multi-colored birds, you also find rabbits, puppies, owls and even bats. It may not be the most exotic tourist spot, but it gives you a peep into Indonesia and its passion for birds.

3pm Need a break from the tropical heat? Drive to Silver Town, or Kota Gede, for a wander through the little alleys packed with typical filigree silver jewelry and a leisurely coffee at Omah Dhuwur, a restaurant in a 150-year-old colonial mansion that serves both traditional and international cuisine. Tom’s Silver has a workshop where visitors can see a silversmith at work.

7pm Spend the evening at dinner, watching a performance of the Hindu epic Ramayana at the Purawisata open air theatre. The Javanese dance performance tells the story of the abduction of Hindu goddess Shinta and her rescue by the monkey god Hanuman and his army.

Dinner is an elaborate Indonesian feast with special Yogya delicacies such as gudeg or jackfruit cooked in palm sugar.

SUNDAY

9am Head for batik-making lessons arranged at Via Via with a local painter at her house in a little kampung, or village. Spend the morning splashing around with colored water and hot wax to create your own little batik masterpiece.

11.00am Step into a becak, a three-wheeled rickshaw, and ride around the streets of Yogyakarta. Weave through little roads — called “jalan tikus” or “mice roads” — and stop at antique shops, batik showrooms and silver galleries on the way before you end at Yogyakarta’s main drag: Jalan Malioboro.

Dotted with several warungs, or streetside food stalls, the crowded street is crammed with shops. Pasar Bringharjo, a warren of little shops, is a fun stop for things like cheap batik, pottery, and spices.

1:30pm Have lunch at Gudeg “Yu Jum”, famous for Yogyakarta’s signature dish, gudeg, soybean cakes or tempe.

2.30pm A quick lunch and your batteries are recharged for an afternoon at Affandi’s art museum on the banks of the Gajah Wong river, browsing through the works of one of Indonesia’s best-known painters.

The museum is the former house of Affandi, known for his technique of squeezing pain directly out of a tube on to a canvas. The museum with its banana leaf-shaped roof stores at least 1,000 paintings of other famous Indonesian painters such Basuki Abdullah and Popo Iskandar.

3.30pm If you manage to finish on time and still have some energy, watch the sunset at Central Java’s biggest Hindu temple of Prambanan, barely 30 minutes from the city. The 10th century stone temple — which has elaborate reliefs illustrating the Hindu epic, the Ramayana — was badly damaged in an earthquake in 2006, but has been restored since.

6.30pm Wrap up the day with a traditional Indonesian dinner to the strains of gamelan music at Gajah Wong restaurant. A blend of modern and traditional Javanese architecture, Gajah Wong is best known for its grilled duck with nasi kuning or turmeric rice, and Indonesian chicken curry.

A Report by The Mole from Reuters