I’ve came across one interesting article By Maree Peters that talks about his 6 months stay in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Check his culture shock out at http://www.acicis.murdoch.edu.au/hi/shock.html .

If you are in the mood for cross-cultural experiences, Yogyakarta is the right place to be! As the heart of Javanese culture, there are many festivals lined up throughout the year.

If you visit Yogyakarta either December, January or February, you’ll get to experience the Greberb Syawal Ceremony. A celebration by the Muslim, often at the end of Ramadhan (fasting) month.

Garebeg Besar is a Muslim festival celebrated with splendour and show in March. This festival is held to commemorate Idul Ad’ha which is also the Muslim Day of Sacrifice.

A sacred ceremony held to clean and purify the ancient heirlooms such as royal coach, keris (dagger) and lances. Siraman Pusaka held in April every year.

A ceremony called Labuhan Ceremony is to celebrate the birth of Sultans of Yogyakarta - held at Parangkusomo beach (West of Parangtritis). It’s often done with a royal touch by ‘throwing’ food, cuts of fingernails and the hair of the Sultan into the South Sea as an offering to Kanjeng Ratu Kidul (The Goddess of the South Sea).

Waisak Day is celebrated by Javanese on every 20th May of the year to remember birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha. The celebration takes place at Mendut Temple and Borobudur Temple, the world’s largest Buddhist monument.

Sekatan ceremony is held in the month of June, this one week long celebration is to honour the birth of Prophet Mohammed. Performance of traditional Javanese dances and folk songs are abundant during the celebration.

Yogyakarta Arts Festival is really something you shouldn’t miss! It is held annually in the month of June and July - the art festival offers wide range of traditional dances, music and puppetry performances.

Interested to know what others have to share about their travel experiences in Yogyakarta? Then, you shouldn’t miss some of the blogs below:

Yogyakarta has numerous tourism objects, mostly are great heritage of old palaces and natural tourism objects, such as Sultan Palace and Borobudur Temple, the one of world’s miracle. Other than that, there are so many interesting places to be visited in Yogyakarta.

1. Affandi Museum
In this city of artist and painters, no art museum is more famous than the Affandi Museum, located between the airport and the city centre on ji. Laksda Adisucipto al.Solo). Until his death in 1990. Affandi was one of the Indonesia maestros, best known painter internationally.

2. Banyu Nibo Temple
This Buddhist temple is quite small, but the view of its exotic scenery makes this temple offer great vista.

3. Baron Beach
Baron Beach is found some 55 kilometers south east Of yogya and it is connected by a fairly good road paved with limestone rocks.

4. Beringharjo Traditional Market
Yogya’s central market has been established in the same location north of the Kraton since its founding in the 18th century.

5. Borobudur Temple
Borobudur is a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site with 7 levels and 1460 carved stone reliefs telling the story of Bhudda and representing the steps from the earthly realm to Nirvana. Located 42 kms from Yogyakarta, Borobudur is best seen in the early morning or at twilight.

6. Cerme Cave
It is famous as the meeting place used by Wall Songo’ (Islamic preachers) to spread and teach the lslam religion in Java in previous centuries.

7. Gembiraloka Zoo
Many kinds of animals from all over places in Indonesia and overseas can be found in this zoo including veranus Komodoensis(the giant Komodo dragon lizard from Komodo island), the tapir and the scaly ant-eater

8. Imogiri Royal Cemetery
This cemetery was built in 1645 and perched on a beautiful hill about 12 km from Yogyakarta.

9. Kalasan Temple
It is the oldest Buddhist temple in Yogya and Central Java, and dates from 778 AD.

10. Kasongan
It has became famous for its many pottery workshops. Dozens of pottery workshops produce a wide range of pots as well as animal figurines.

11. Kids Fun Park
It is the Recreation Park with international standard, provides recreational service both for the kids and adults.

12. Kota Gede
Its’ street are lined with busy silver workshops where visitors are welcome to wander around and watch the silversmiths at work.

13. Krakal Beach
It is a flat area without cliffs but the rocky bottom and coral bed is alive with swift moving fish of every hue and multicolored marine growth.

14. Malioboro
It is the main shopping street.

15. Mount Merapi
lt is Java’s most active volcano, and a careful watch is kept on Mt Merapi by government monitoring stations to ensure nearby villages are warned in case of eruption.

16. Ngasem Bird Market
Here you can watch bargaining over prized songbirds and racing pigeons.

17. Pakualaman Palace
It is a site to host official state guests visiting Yogya

18. Parangtritis Beach
Currents and undertow are very strong here and tradition says it is the realm of the Queen of the Southern Ocean, Kanjeng Ratu Kidul, who has a mystical relationship with the reigning Sultan in Yogya. Beware of wearing the colour green if you go near the beach as it is believed this attracts the Queen to bring the wearer down to her watery domain.

19. Prambanan Temple
UNESCO officially lists it along with Borobudur as World Heritage Site.

20. Ratu Boko Temple
Ratu Boko, the “Palace of the Enternal Lord” , is the remains of a huge Hindu palace complex covering many hectares and dating from the 9th century.

21. Salak Pondoh
Salak pondoh Agriculture Attraction, is well worth a visit for anyone interested in how “snake fruit” (salak) is cultivated and used in Java.

22. Sambisari Temple
The interesting Hindu temple was built by king of the Sanjaya Dynasty in the 10th century.

23. Sari Temple
It is a Buddhist vihara built in the 8th century.

24. Sonobudoyo Temple
It is considered to house one of the best collections of Javanese arts in Indonesia.

25. Taman Sari
Taman Sari literally means fragrant garden.

26. Taman Sari Water Castle
This was once a most secret part of Kraton as it formed a pleasure park of pools and waterways planted with hundreds of floweringtrees.

27. The Yogya Keraton
It is still a royal residence and remains the focal point for traditional Javanese art and culture where visitors can see gamelan orchestras as well as palace dancers rehearsing every Sunday.

28. Ullen Sentalu Museum
This beautifully-designed museum is dedicated to fostering the public’s appreciation of Javanese historical artifacts and artistic mastery along with experiencing the natural beauty found in the heights around Kaliurang.

29. Vredeburg Port
The architecture is worth a visit.

30. Wayang Museum
It is devoted to puppets from the different traditions of the famous Javanese shadow plays.