Trans East Java Day 2: Sultan Palace & Taman Sari

6 Jan 2013, Sunday
Sultan Palace - Taman Sari

We reached at Sultan Palace around 12 p.m. At the time we arrived, there's something that attract our attention. Rupanye ade sesuatu yang menarik di atas langit di tengah-tengah waktu panas terik begini. Subhanallah, a perfect circle around the sun. And, tidak salah aku juga bulatan itu adelah pelangi. Pelangi ditengah-tengah panas begini... in circular shape pulak tu... apakah maksud nye... maybe ade saintifik explanation disebalik nye. First time in my life aku saksi kan kejadian Allah sebegini rupa. Maybe it did happened before but to me this is something amazing.

Subhanallah... Cincin Pelangi di tengah Jogja City

Sultan Palace (Kraton) 

Opening Hours: 08:00 - 2:00 p.m 

Our next visit after Borobudur.

Sepanjang kami di Kraton, we were guided by a special lady. So, Pak Budi dapat rest kejap masa ni. Banyak juga lah info yang kami dapat disini sebab she is good about Kraton History.

To more detail about this place, you may read further at this page.

Charge of using camera

Tak banyak gambar yang aku amek kat sini sebab masa ni dah penat sangat dengan perut pun dah start lapar. Penat pulang dari Borobudur pun tak habis lagi, kena melawat tempat lain pulak. Tapi memandangkan it was part of our itinerary for day 2, so, we just follow.

Simbol ini ade kisah disebalik nyer

Gong... alat muzik diraja

This area was Gold plated

Sesuatu yang menarik di sini adelah seorang pewaris pengawal Istana. Si comel yang cute. Kecil-kecil lagi dah diasuh taat & setia. Kagum juga, a 5 years old kid with the warrior spirit.

Pewaris terbilang...

Dua Generasi tapi satu misi mempertahankan Sultan & Istana

Our next visit was Taman Sari.


Taman Sari

Location: Jalan Taman, Kraton, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. 
Opening Hours: Monday - Sunday at 9.00 am - 1.00 pm 
Entrance Ticket: Domestic, IDR 3.000 
                            International, IDR 7.000 
Camera charge: IDR 1.000 

It took less than 10 minutes from Kraton to Taman sari water castle.

Taman Sari also known as Tamansari Water Castle is a site of a former royal garden of the Sultanate of Yogyakarta built by portugese's invisible hand in 18th century. It is located about 2 km south within the grounds of the Kraton Yogyakarta. The Taman Sari had multiple functions, such as a resting area, a workshop, a meditation area, a defense area, and a hiding place.

The name Taman Sari comes from the Javanese words taman, meaning a "garden" or "park" and sari, which means "beautiful" or "flowers". Hence, the name Taman Sari means an area of a beautiful garden adorned with flowers. An old article described it as a "water castle" (Dutch: waterkasteel); as by shutting the watergates, the complex would be completely immersed in water, leaving tall structures standing out.

Taman Sari consisted of four distinct areas: 

• a large artificial lake with islands and pavilions located in the west
• a bathing complex in the centre
• a complex of pavilions and pools in the south and 
• a smaller lake in the east

Today only the central bathing complex is well preserved, while the other areas have been largely occupied by the Kampung Taman settlement.   

You may read further story of Taman Sari at this page.

 (source: Tourjogja)

Main Entrance to Taman Sari Water Castle

View from on top of Taman Sari Castle

Taman Sari Entrance

Too many visitors at this time

The Tamansari bathing areas, where the concubines of the Sultan of Yogyakarta would bathe. The Sultan, standing on top, would then choose one of them to accompany him for the night by throwing a flower to one of them

Nice Pool @ Taman Sari Water Castle

Kena menapak sikit nak ke Taman Sari Tunnel on the other side... passing thru a village

Sudah sampai

The Tunnel

The tunnel looks like a Kubah shape

The elevated platform inside Sumur Gumuling where the four staircases meet in the center

We did not cover the entire area of Taman Sari cause we're too tired to proceed.

We ended the tour around 2.30 p.m and proceed to Kaliurang (as per initial plan).


To be continued.