I went late last year.
How many days do you have? To be honest, I didn't find Solo interesting. I was there for 3 days and apart from the palace, there really aren't really many attractions. Yogja was far better, so if you are pressed for time, just focus on Yogja. Of course if you have time to spare, then go ahead and spend 2 days in Solo. I stayed at the ibis hotel in Solo, and it was very comfortable and cheap (I think around SGD30-40). One of my highlights of Solo was dinner at the excellent Soga Restaurant (on the major street Jl. Slamet Riyadi). High end restaurant and food for a reasonable price (compared to Sg prices).
I took a train from Yogja to Solo and a mini van (Joglosemar bus company) for the return trip. You have to buy the train ticket on the spot (no online or advance booking). When I went to the train station, the next 2 trains were full, so I had to wait almost 3 hours for the next available train, which turned out to be a very hot, stuffy, and uncomfortable ride in dusty, run-down train. I guess it's OK just for the experience, but it wasn't a nice ride at all. To make things worse, the windows were so dirty I couldn't see the scenery at all.
The Joglosemar bus (actually a minivan) ride was way more comfortable as the minivan was clean and comfy, but it slows down considerably after it enters Yogja due to the bad traffic, and it took a total of 1.5 hours ( it took only 1 hour to reach the border of yogja, but took another 30 mins driving to the bus company's HQ in a ulu part of town). Then had to grab another cab to my hotel.
The bus also makes a stop at the airport (roughly at the 1 hour mark), so you could alight and grab a cab directly to your hotel. There are only a few buses a day, but you can call them to make a reservation.
Yogja is way more interesting. the town itself has the Palace, the Dutch Fort, Alun Alun Selatan, Malioboro Rd, the Water palace, etc. I spent an entire afternoon just wondering around the maze of alleys around the water palace. Residents have moved into the area over the last few centuries, so you'll see a mix of residents' houses and carvings or structures from the past. Very cool.
For Borobudur, I suggest you see it at sunrise. NOT the sunrise tour where you see Borobudur from a distance, but actually BE THERE ON TOP OF BOROBUDUR before 5am to see the sun rise. It's awesome. So peaceful and beautiful, and the mist on the surrounding countryside makes it even nicer. If you like taking photos, the photo opportunities are amazing. After 7:15am, the crowds pour in and Borobudur becomes a noisy crowded madhouse fully of chatting school kids and tourists.
You can either set off from Yogja at 4am, or just stay the night before at the Hotel Manohara which is right at the entrance of Borobudur. I did the former, but if I could do it again, I'll do the latter.
For Prambanan, I suggest you take a bus. The transjogja bus goes to Prambanan( I think about 40 mins ) from Malioboro street for less than 50 cents. The temple complex is a short 5 mins walk from the bus station, so don't listen to the becek drivers trying to con you that it's too far to walk.
Going on your own allows you the freedom to spend as much time there as you please, and you can also rent a bicycle to see the other smaller temples in the same complex. There are also other temples nearby that you can reach via becek (trishaw). The temples are especially nice during sunset as they are lit a golden orange by the setting sun. Your foreigner entrance pass allows you multiple visits on the same day, so you can check out Prambanan, exit to see other temples, and return again for the sunset.
Prambanan is very near the Ramayana ballet (highly recommended). Give the ballet company a call to reserve a good seat, and also ask them about arranging transport back to Jogja after the ballet ( the public bus service would already have ended). After the ballet, a shuttle bus sends you back to your hotel doorstep for a fee.
All in all, Jogja + Borobudur + Prambanan makes a good trip. You can do this comfortably (without Solo) in 3 full days without having to rush like crazy.
was thinking of planning for a trip to make use of Silk Air's promotion to claim flights at half the required KF miles. if anybody is wondering what is this about,
https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/ppsclub_krisflyer/silkairpromo-apr14/
identified this Yogyakarta & Solo City and after reading up, i realized that they are pretty near each other.
have the option of flying in to either cities as the kf miles and tax are the same.
anybody tried doing both this places before and can offer advice such as duration of stay? thanks!
