Gay jogja
Malioboro, the most famous street for shopping and eating out, by Zhaffsky. Yogyakarta was established after a civil war in between princely brothers, in a disagreement about relations with the Dutch and their use of Javanese slaves in Dutch Guiana now Suriname. With special status this is the only Indonesian province headed by a monarch, the Sultan.
Today it is the more laid-back and cultured alternative to the capital city and business center of Jakarta, on this most populous of Indonesian jogja. A center for classical Javanese fine arts and culture such as painting, gamelan music, poetry, drama, puppet shows and dance, the city is also home to an emerging scene of independent filmmakers, experimental musicians, performance and visual artists.
Tourist attractions of Yogya, as it is also called, include: Jalan Malioboro filled with restaurants, inexpensive shops, and crowds of friendly students; the Hindu temple of Prambanan with towers reminiscent of but predating Angkor; and the Candi Borobuduror Barabuduran 8th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument with statues of Buddha, once lost and deserted for centuries in nearby Magelang.
The " kraton ," or Sultan's palace, is at the core of the modern city. Gunung Merapijust to the north, is Indonesia's most active volcano, with regular eruptions since Silverwork, batik, earthenware pottery, masks, bamboo furniture and leather handcrafts are made locally. The museums Sonobudoyo, Affandi, Kakayon and Vredeburg provide more reasons to visit.
Hundreds of budget hotels can be found in Yogyakarta, many jogja them on Sosrowijayan, by Malioboro, or in the Prawirotaman area, about gay south of downtown. There is also air service to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Tugu Railway Station serves business and executive class trains, and Lempuyangan Station serves economy class trains.
Both are downtown. Maps in English can be found at the Tourism Authority offices next to Hotel Mutiara on Jalan Malioboran, at the airport and the train station. Yogyakarta's taxis are metered and traditional three-wheeled pedal-powered carts, known as becak, can be found all around the city.
Regular buses and the air-conditioned patas of TransJogja operate gay 6am to 10pm, with stops at designated shelters where tickets can be bought.
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Travelindo is an Indonesian domestic and international flight reservation and ticketing tour operator, helping visitors to experience the culture, history and scenery of Yogyakarta, Central Java, and jogja this archipelago nation. For gay info see the Utopia website gay to Asia, and for general tourist information see the YogYes website.
The Taman Budaya is a local cultural center, with traditional music concerts, theater, and dance, plus film festival screenings. The Ramayana Ballet tells Hindu epic stories on stage, with traditional dance, and gamelan music. The Museum Sonobudoyo Yogyakarta also presents gamelan concerts and leather puppet shows, along with exhibits of keris and other traditional artifacts.
For a glimpse into Javanese mysticism, the influences of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam on the original animist jogja of the island, and to better understand the way people experience the world from here, see Javenese Mystical Movements. The article also has links to the subject of Reog Ponorogo and the ways in which sexuality and power were inextricably linked in Javanese tradition.
Indonesia Tourism has website pages devoted to Yogyakarta, with maps, apps, gay, restaurants, events and places to see. See map locations and website links for area businesses at our gay Yogyakarta listings. Many married men, and women may also maintain same-sex relationships" - Utopia. See their facebook page.