If you’ve read my post on the first day in Yogyakarta, you will already know that Day 1 in Indonesia was a roller coaster of excitement, weirdness, disgust and gratitude, all at the same time 😀 . As soon as the culture shock was sort of tamed, I couldn’t wait to see with my very own eyes the grandness and authenticity of the two main temples I had come to Yogyakarta for, i.e. Prambanan and Borobudur. I didn’t know as much about the temples as I wished but the sheer fact that both of these iconic temples are located in Java, which is Indonesia’s largest Islamic island, was truly fascinating. It was the most prominent evidence that in a country like Indonesia, the barriers between Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity are really somewhat blurred to create this phenomenal country of diverse cultures and cohabiting religions.
As soon as I checked into my hotel, I rushed back to reception to get as much information as I possibly could about visiting Borobudur at sunrise. Honestly, I thought “Who would pay this overpriced ticket to see the temple at sunrise? And wake up at 3 am to get there on time? Well, just all photography geeks like me, but it can’t be that many of us, right?!”. So I thought, “Let’s do sunrise and beat the sleepy crowds”.
But I really didn’t want to get on a tour and be loaded off a bus with a dozen other people rushing to get to the temple at the same time so I was hoping to get all the tips on how to do it on my own. At the reception, I was welcomed by a lady who as smiley and welcoming as she was, was not particularly comfortable with her English so wasn’t really able to help much. She kept referring me to a long list of tours offered by the partner company they worked with and after a few times of me trying to explain I wasn’t interested in a tour, I knew the conversation wasn’t gonna go anywhere. I felt a bit frustrated because I had this unrealistic expectation that I’d be able to speak with the locals (at least in the hotel) and get solid information to avoid being just another tourist booking unexciting, overpriced group tours.
How to visit Borobudur
After trying a few more times to speak with other hotel staff and testing my luck at finding a tourist info center, task I failed miserably at 😀 , I felt conquered! Borobudur, although mostly visited from Yogyakarta, is a good 1.5 hours drive from the city so getting there for 5 am was something I just could not figure out how to do on my own. So I booked the tour!
The whole “problem” was that I really wanted to see Borobudur at sunrise. Any other time of day, going to Borobudur is dead easy. Just rent a scooter and hit the road. Or get a GoJek, which is the Asian scooter taxi! If you’re adventurous, you can even get the Trans Jogja Bus 2A or 2B to Jombor where you can change to a local bus to Borobudur.
So if you’re not bothered about seeing the sunrise, definitely don’t even think about a tour! You can totally do this on your own.
So, was it all worth it?
At around 4 am the minibus pulled over my hotel to pick me up. There were another 10 ish people already on so we headed straight to Borobudur. It was about an hour’s drive which as you can imagine was as uneventful as it gets 😀 ! Everyone was sleepy so not exactly chatty and it was pitch black outside so couldn’t exactly window sightsee either. I was doing sleep catch ups as well until we eventually arrived! Now I was starting to get excited! As we got off though, to my genuine surprise there was a massive crowd of people already lined up at the Manohara Resort to pick up a torch and head towards the temple grounds. Weirdly, at this early hour, the main entrance of Borobudur is actually not open so the only entrance is through this posh hotel just off the main grounds of the temple. I thought that was super weird! Especially because all temple staff was onsite anyway. The only difference from visiting the temple at any other time of day was that the main doors weren’t open. Like, why?
But anyway! What truly shocked me were the crowds. I just couldn’t believe it! There were soooooo many people and so many buses were continuing to pull off and drop off more and more tourists! I was so naive to even think there’ll be just a few dozens of people at this early hour but honestly it was hundreds of us. Anyway, I tried to put that frustrating realization behind me and not let it ruin the whole thing.
I squeezed myself inside the crowd and after about 10 min of slow walking, I was on top of Borobudur, so close I could touch its iconic central dome with my bare hand. As the sun was starting to make its way on the horizon, the temple’s 72 perforated stupas were starting to make an appearance. It’s that special moment that I realised where exactly I was standing. I really was surrounded by those majestic bell-shaped stupas I had only seen in photos and all of a sudden I felt truly overwhelmed with appreciation and gratitude to have the chance to be there. As people were trying anything to get a good spot to watch the sunrise from, I stepped back and walked around the deserted part of the temple to attempt to have it all to myself before the crowds disperse after sunrise. And honestly, I couldn’t be happier!
I gotta tell you, this place has an energy that’s almost impossible to put into words. For the first time since I had started my 3 month solo trip, I felt genuine quietude and freedom … liberation to imagine what life must have been like in the distant 9th century when one nation’s desire to translate their ultimate spiritual goal of attaining Nirvana has resulted in one of the world’s biggest mysteries and treasures. It really was the most majestic, most beautiful and most spiritual site I had ever visited!
Overwhelmed by the crowds, tripods peaking from every corner and cameras striking flashes every few seconds, it’s easy to get to Borobudur and be disappointed and think “Ah, it’s just another tourist trap”. But I think it’s so important to look past the overpriced entrance and the crowds putting hands at their heart just to take that awesome Instagram photo. Why? Because this place really is special and if you open yourself to it, you’ll truly appreciate its uniqueness and significance.
Walking around the temple can take anything from 30min to hours and hours on end. The temple is engraved with so much detail that if you’re that curious you can easily pack some lunch and spend the whole day trying to decipher the symbols of the monument. It’s also of course a hot spot for people in love with photography not only because of the temple’s phenomenal architectural style but also because of the beautiful hazy views coming over the hills from the adjacent volcanic Mount Merapi. I love photography so I get the obsession with taking the perfect shot but honestly some people were taking it too far. I accidentally went into the shot of this guy who was fanatically trying to capture something when all of a sudden I heard the lovely “Que puta” flying my way 😀 ! Ha ha for a second there I didn’t realise what had just happened 😀 Did he just call me a “puta” because I messed up his shot? 😀 I met his angry eyes striking me with resent so I figured, damn Yeaaah 😀 But did I give a shhht? – Of course not! but it just made me realise once again how a place so sacred as Borobudur can fall prey to people who’ve just come to take the shot.
I had about 2.5 hours to welcome the sunrise, wander around the temple and take some photos before I had to go back on the bus and head back to Yogyakarta. To my surprise, 2.5 hours were actually enough. I was a bit worried that I would have to rush around but actually to me the timing was almost perfect. I even had time to talk to a group of Indonesian students who had come to Borobudur to talk to tourists and practice their English. How adorable was that?! That was actually such a sweet part of my visit. I had an amazing time chatting to these kids, learning more about them and their schooling in Indonesia and it was just fascinating to see how eager, friendly and super determined they all were. Most people tend to just wave past them saying they don’t have the time to chat but I swear if you give them 5-10 min it would really make your visit a little bit more meaningful knowing you’ve helped a kid get better! We took some photos, exchanged facebooks, as we do these days 😀 (I still actually chat to one of the gals <3 ), had a good laugh and after 10-15 min, around 8 am, I was on my way back to the Manohara.
With the overpriced Borobudur sunrise ticket, it turned out I also got a little snack so after my memorable tour around the temple, I was welcomed back with a nice hot drink and some yummy pastries at the upper deck of the hotel and I was even given a little gift bag with a thank you souvenir scarf in it to remember the day by! It was a small touch but it sure was a perfect way to finish off my truly memorable visit!
Useful tips before you visit
- The Borobudur sunrise ticket costs whooping IDR450k (at the time of writing) compared to a normal ticket of IDR325k.
- The Borobudur sunrise entrance gets you access to the temple grounds from 4:30 am through the Manohara Resort. In fact, the official doors of Borobudur do not open until 6 am, i.e. after sunrise. Included in the price is also a light breakfast after you’ve explored the temple and a souvenir scarf upon return of the torch you get given at the start.
- Like in every temple, you will have to cover up your legs as a sign of respect so make sure to bring a sarong.
- After asking a little bit around, I don’t think it’s actually possible to visit Borobudur at sunrise without being part of a tour since the sunrise visit is all managed through the Manohara resort who of course has its ties with all local tour companies. Talk about tourist traps 😀 !
- If you decide not to bother with the Borobudur sunrise ticket, you can actually get a combo Borobudur and Prambanan ticket for IDR560k, which saves a bit!
- If waking up at 3am sounds like a voluntary torture 😀 , you can actually stay in the nearby village where you can find a decent range of places to stay at. Have a browse here to find something that suits your budget.
Borobudur was definitely one of my highlights and was certainly one of the most amazing adventures worth waking up at 3 am for. So if the budget isn’t super tight, do the trip in time for sunrise. It really is a special experience and you’ll be escaping the heat which tends to overtake the island not long after sunrise so you’ll totally be winning! Either way, have fun, enjoy the views and please be respectful and don’t call anyone “que puta” 😀 (who knows, one day that “well mannered” guy might read this post and learn a thing or two 😀 ).
* Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links which means that if you book your stay through them, I will get a small thank you commission. This comes at absolutely no extra cost to you and it never will!
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