My steps take me there again.
I don’t know what is the special spell but
I believe there is always something special in Jogja - Sesuatu Di Jogja
It does not matter how many times I and everyone I know visit Malioboro, they always want to visit this place that is famous for its vibrant street scene. The attraction of this place is the street vendors, street artists, local cuisines, and some historical buildings. There is also something magical about this place that nobody I know can’t describe. Many describe this place as romantic and there’s something special in this city, especially this street. There’s even a song dedicated to this city called “Sesuatu Di Jogja” or in English can be translated as“ Something in Jogja”. The song is the interpretation of the magnet that this city has and like the lyric, I shared above, there’s always something special in Jogja and this is the Bahasa Indonesia lyric“ Terbawa lagi langkahku kesana Mantra apa entah yang istimewa Ku percaya selalu ada sesuatu di Jogja”.So, that’s why my mom and my cousin were also wanting to visit that place even though we’ve been there hundreds and even thousandth of times. This time though, we’re experiencing the place during the pandemic.
How We Got There
From my apartment, we were taking a bus ride. The public transportation in this city is quite well-connected so it’s easier to get to major attractions without costing us too much. The bus fare is 3.500/person for one time ride. This was the first time for Ray and he was quite excited about it. For me and my mom, it’s nothing new anymore. Inside the bus, there were only a few people and the protocol was quite strict. The conductor will not hesitate to tell you to wear the mask or fix your mask. From our first point to Malioboro it took about one stop.
At the first stop, we were asked to switch the bus that will take us to Malioboro. In the shelter, we met with a woman who told us about the vaccination. “ Are you going to the vaccination site? You need to come earlier there” she said while pointing us to the vaccination site. She rambled about the vaccination and I could tell, she was quite enthusiastic about it. I just nodded and listened while saying “ oh, I see” just to show her that I was not ignoring her. A few minutes later, our bus arrived.
Exploring The Area
As soon as we got off the bus, we were quite excited about exploring the area . As for me, I noticed many things have changed especially then vs now during the pandemic. The first noticeable change is the installation of faucets and sinks. The second one is the zone divider with a mannequin of jogja’s royal army and also covid-19 information and important contacts And also the chair with signs in the local language saying “ physical distancing”.
In this area, you can see “becak”, tricycle and also “andong” , horse carriage. There will be people offering their service. So basically, if you choose the service they will take you to explore historical sites and souvenir shops near this area by said transportation. But as usual, I and my mom prefer walking.
My mom took the opportunity to take a picture with the statue that is located in each zone. Ray was also doing the same thing. And I was taking a few shots of the street. When I took the picture of Andong, the person noticed it and looked at my camera. So as you can see in my first thumbnail and below.
To be honest, this area wasn’t quite as crowded as it used to be. Though it was relatively packed, it wasn’t as crowded as usual. I was also trying to maintain my distance and sanitized my hands often.
As we walked through the street, I wanted to show Ray about the Vredeburg museum. I love visiting this place because it’s cheap and it never gets old. But unfortunately, the museums and any historical places are closed for the time being. So, we could only see the front side of the museum.
At the end of Malioboro street is a place called titik 0 kilometer. In this area, there are some historical Indonesian buildings with european influence and also the former presidential palace. On the left side of the road from Malioboro, there is a monument to commemorate march 1st general offensive which was a historical event where the local army fought against the Dutch army to reclaim the city. So, there are some iconic photo spots around this area that shouldn’t be missed while visiting Yogyakarta.
Just across Malioboro street, there are iconic photo spots such as the National Indonesian Bank, The post office, and also Bank of Indonesia. These three places will give you a vintage vibe if you take a picture in front of it. If you walk further west, you will spot a science park called taman pintar. In this place, there are two areas, the outdoor and the indoor area. The outdoor area is free and is connected to book stores and thrift shops. But, to get into the indoor area you have to pay for the ticket. I will tell you more about the story and what’s inside the science park in my next travelogue.
Food Recommendation
So, if you are visiting Malioboro, there is a local cuisine called “Nasi Gudeg”. Nasi Gudeg is a dish made from unripe jackfruit with palm sugar, served with a sweet stew made of crisp beef skins, egg, chicken, and sweet tofu/ tempe. For a portion of nasi gudeg you’d have to pay about 12.000 to 30.000 IDR depending on the protein that you choose. There are many street vendors selling this but one of the most famous Nasi Gudeg is the one called Nasi Gudeg Yu Djum. This place is located at Jl Dagen Malioboro. My family and I have been visiting this place since I was around 6 years old. We like to eat at this place because their Nasi Gudeg is tasty and has reasonable prices compared to many eating stalls and restaurants in this area.
When you visit this place during the holiday season, be prepared to get disappointed as they will be sold out early. So, it’s always best to buy it early in the day. Here's how to find them:
Address: Jl. Malioboro Jl. Dagen No.2C, Sosromenduran, Gedong Tengen, Kota Yogyakarta, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta 55271
Opens Everyday 7AM–10PM
After tasting the main course, wash down nasi gudeg with the local dessert drink called “ Wedang Ronde” . It's a dessert served with glutinous rice, peanuts, sweet ginger broth, bread and also sugar palm fruit. This drink can be found in front of Pasar Beringharjo which is located 200 meters before titik 0 kilometer. While having this dessert, you can enjoy street musicians' performances and also experience the lively Malioboro scene.
 | Mac covers technology, philosophy, nootropics, books, productivity, minimalist lifestyle, cybersecurity, and languages. Other than those, she is passionate about cooking and travel. In her free time, she enjoys learning various things. Hive is the only social media and blog that she has. |