My soto ayam recipe for the beloved Indonesian chicken noodle soup is based on the aromatic breakfast noodle soup we became smitten with on our last day in Yogyakarta, Java. Found across Indonesia’s archipelago, each island, region, city, town, village, and cook has their own take on this recipe. Soto ayam is chicken soup. 'Soto' [...]
How to get from Bali to Java and Yogyakarta now Mount Agung volcano has erupted is a question a lot of travellers who have been stranded on the Indonesian island have been asking. Here’s the lowdown on how you can get off the island. Bali’s Mount Agung volcano, 70kms from tourist hotspot of Kuta, which has [...]
Soto ayam in Yogyakarta is an aromatic breakfast soup found right across Indonesia’s archipelago. Fondly called the country’s ‘chicken noodle soup for the soul’ and sold from charming food carts, Yogyakarta's soto ayam has a light broth that's clear and fragrant. I'd like to think that we went to Yogyakarta for Java's awe-inspiring archaeological sites, [...]
Where to stay in Yogyakarta on Indonesia’s island of Java depends on what your priorities are. But whatever you plan to do, one thing you can be sure of is that you’ll sleep well. Yogyakarta has some fabulous accommodation and it’s fantastic value, too. Where to stay in Yogyakarta on Indonesia’s island of Java depends [...]
Borobudur is the Angkor Wat of Java, the Indonesian island between Bali and Sumatra. The world’s largest Buddhist monument, it is colossal in size, decorated with splendid sculptures and elaborate bas-reliefs, and looks like a lotus flower from above. It was the reason we went to Indonesia. If you were heading to Bali this week [...]
Prambanan temple is not a priority for most foreign travellers to Yogyakarta, Indonesia, who are here to visit Borobudur – which probably explains why the ninth century Hindu temple becomes such a surprisingly memorable experience for so many. Prambanan temple – or Candi Prambanan – was on my radar and I had planned that we’d [...]
Yogyakarta was the breath of fresh air and the change in scenery that I didn’t know I needed until we got there. The reasons I became beguiled by Yogyakarta are the reasons why you need to get to this intriguing Javanese city soon. Yogyakarta is both the name of this laidback city and the lush region surrounding [...]
You may have noticed we’ve been quiet here. Where have we been? Back to Bali for the first time in six years, to Java to discover Yogyakarta and explore sublime Borobudur, then back to Siem Reap to host our writing and photography retreat and culinary tour. Phew. I’m still recovering. No sooner had we returned from Penang, [...]