Focus on: Exploring Solo in Central Java

My trip to the Central Java town came out of the blue.

I was tempted by a friend’s stories about her hometown and she even provided me with a list of must-see places and where to find great food.

Soon the trip was squeezed in to my holiday plan.

Traffic was smooth all the way there. It takes around a two-hour drive to reach Surakarta, either from the provincial capital Semarang or Yogyakarta.

Having been in and out of the town several times before, I never had the chance to really explore and get to know the place so I was looking forward to seeing it up close.

The town is small in size compared to nearby Yogyakarta. But for me, it’s less crowded and just perfect.

The city, now under Mayor Joko Widodo, is much cleaner and better organized.

And there are many ways to get around, from taking the classic becak pedicab, public transportation or simply walking.

Since our hotel was located on the city’s main highway, Slamet Riyadi, within walking distance of many of the town’s best tourist spots, we had the luxury of exploring them on foot, enjoying the spacious, pedestrian-friendly Solo City Walk.

Surakarta still retains its Javanese atmosphere, mostly through the presence of its classic icons — the Surakarta Palace and its museum, the busy Klewer batik market and especially the presence of signboards still written in Javanese script.

During our stay, we did not waste any time. Our first stop was the palace and the museum, where the Javanese atmosphere was immediately felt in the air as when we arrived the abdi dalem (royal servants) were playing in the gamelan orchestra.

Unfortunately, it appears the museum’s collections, from the antique weapons to chariots, are not regularly taken care of, leaving them dusty and dirty.

Surakarta is a perfect place for those wanting anything in batik — from clothes, bags to handicrafts — available not only at the town’s busy markets but also in many batik villages, like Kauman and Laweyan, dotted around the town.

The good thing about batik villages is that they are not too crowded and you can take time to explore them on foot since they are mostly located along alleys. Or, you can rent a becak, which can stop at any store in which you’re interested. However, in many cases, the pedicab drivers will lead you to stores that may have already commissioned them to bring in tourists.

If you enjoy bargaining and do not mind crowded places, then, Klewer market is the place for you. The market has survived through time, retaining its reputation for all-you-can-get batik offerings in town.

Your batik exploration does not have to stop at the markets or batik villages.

The town is also home to the House of Danarhadi, where visitors can not only shop for the latest quality batik in its showroom up front but it is also the perfect place for people to learn about batik history and witness the intricate manufacturing process in its workshop.

Here, visitors can also see around 10,000 rare batik collections in its museum, which boasts one of the country’s most comprehensive private collections, dating as far back as the Dutch and Japanese times.

Batik is not the town’s only charm.

Just outside the town, less than an hour’s drive, you arrive at Sangiran, the home of Java Man, which is currently under extensive renovation and is expected to be reopened with new facilities, including an audio visual theater, by the President later this year.

Another thing that makes Surakarta hard to forget is its great food.

With the list of the town’s best eating spots in hand, we explored every corner of the city to find them — Surakarta’s signature nasi liwet (rice cooked in coconut milk and served with various side dishes) and nasi pecel (rice served with mixed steamed vegetables and coconut sauce).

We also tasted sate buntel (wrapped satay made from minced goat), gudeg ceker (rice served with sweet jackfruit curry and chicken feet) and tengkleng (goat on the bone cooked with curry).

For a beverage, we decided to try cold kunyir asem. If you’re not into cold drinks, wedang ronde — a hot ginger beverage with peanut-filled rice flour balls — is a perfect to end to the evening.

During our stay we also had the pleasure of finding the homely yet classy O-Solo Mio restaurant for nice cups of coffee, and pizza that was freshly made and baked in the traditional way, and tasted the town’s delicious homemade ice cream at Bima ice cream restaurant.

If you do not have the pleasure of staying in the city for several days, you do not have to miss the chance to taste those great food offerings.

A night food market - Gladag Langen Bogan but popularly known as Galabo - offers them all in one spot, right in the heart of the city near the Slamet Riyadi monument, so you can’t miss it.

Running every evening starting at 6 p.m., the 200-meter street is closed to motorists to host dozens of food hawkers, who will offer passing tourists their menus to choose from with no hassle.

In this food market, you can have your food served the regular way, on a dining table, or you can ask for a mat so you can dine sitting on the sidewalk, or the lesehan style, with live music playing in the background on weekends. Happy holiday!

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