You may wonder why Malioboro Street has long been a firm favorite for both locals and foreign tourists who travel to Yogyakarta.
Yogyakarta city, the capital of Yogyakarta Special Region, occupies the total area of 32,5 square kilometers, lies in the southern part of Central Java.
The province which is still ruled by a monarchy (the only one monarchy in Indonesia) is renowned for the hospitality of its locals.
During the Indonesian National Revolusion, when the Dutch troops attacked Jakarta for they didn't admit the Indonesian Independence proclaimed by Soekarno-Hatta on august 17, 1945, then Indonesian Capital moved from Jakarta to Yogyakarta with the agreement from Sultan of Yogyakarta (Yogyakarta King). So, this province constantly as a special region and Sultan automatically becomes its governor, this also helps Yogyakarta conserve its Javanese traditions and culture.
Yogyakarta is also well known as city of students, cultural and "gudeg" city.
Jalan Malioboro or Malioboro street is one of the most visited places by both locals and foreign tourists.
The province which is still ruled by a monarchy (the only one monarchy in Indonesia) is renowned for the hospitality of its locals.
During the Indonesian National Revolusion, when the Dutch troops attacked Jakarta for they didn't admit the Indonesian Independence proclaimed by Soekarno-Hatta on august 17, 1945, then Indonesian Capital moved from Jakarta to Yogyakarta with the agreement from Sultan of Yogyakarta (Yogyakarta King). So, this province constantly as a special region and Sultan automatically becomes its governor, this also helps Yogyakarta conserve its Javanese traditions and culture.
Yogyakarta is also well known as city of students, cultural and "gudeg" city.
Jalan Malioboro or Malioboro street is one of the most visited places by both locals and foreign tourists.
The history of Malioboro Street
Malioboro Street which its name derived from a Sanskrit word means a flower bouquet for in the past when Keraton Yogyakarta (Yogyakarta Palace) held a parade of traditional ceremony which usually through this street, and there were a lot of flowers on the sidewalks while others believed the name obtained from a British soldier during colonial era whose name was similar.
The street is located in the center of Yogyakarta city, it is near some historical sites, such as Keraton Yogyakarta, Beringharjo Market and Fort Vredeburg Museum.
It is one-way traffic and semi-city walk, where one side is a wide side walk with benches, canopies and food stalls, while on the other side is for vendors who sell a variety of souvenirs, from "batik" to handycrafts.
Along this street, visitors will see a blend of a traditional Javanese culture and a modern culture for there are big shops, restaurants and hotels nearby.
Pedicabs and Horse Carts
After parking your vehicles at "Abu Bakar Ali" parking lot where visitors park their cars on the first floor while motorcycles will be parked on the second and third floor, then you just need walk few meters to Malioboro street.
Many like walking along the side walk while others want to explore the street by a pedicab (Indonesians called it "becak") or a horse cart (Indonesians called it "andong"). However, before you take one of them, you should first ask the fare to make sure that it's suitable for you.
Mostly in big cities, their governments think that pedicabs are considered as a source of a traffic jam and related to a poverty and a slum, so the local goverments, usually try to get rid of pedicabs from roaming on main streets, especially if there is a state visit by a head of state from a neighbour country. The local government will try hard to make its city look perfect and usually pedicabs as the first priority to be banned.
However, when you are in Yogyakarta, you can see many pedicabs. They have been existed since a long time ago.
In this tourism city, the existence of pedicabs are very important as a part of Javanese culture and surely needed by the locals. Furthermore, the pedicab drivers feel happy although he only brings home as much as USD 2 daily from his job.
The other option of a traditional transportation is a horse cart.
The typical of a coachman in Yogyakarta is: He wears a traditional Javanese cloth.
This will make his passengers feel special, as though riding a tourism cart. Then the coachman will take you to tourist sites nearby, such as Fort Vredeburg Museum and "Alun-alun Kidul" (the southern part of the Sultan Palace Square).
Again, you should ask the fare before getting in, usually, as a foreign tourist, the coachman may ask you a higher fare than normally does to the locals. Anyway, you can make a bargain.
Mostly in big cities, their governments think that pedicabs are considered as a source of a traffic jam and related to a poverty and a slum, so the local goverments, usually try to get rid of pedicabs from roaming on main streets, especially if there is a state visit by a head of state from a neighbour country. The local government will try hard to make its city look perfect and usually pedicabs as the first priority to be banned.
However, when you are in Yogyakarta, you can see many pedicabs. They have been existed since a long time ago.
In this tourism city, the existence of pedicabs are very important as a part of Javanese culture and surely needed by the locals. Furthermore, the pedicab drivers feel happy although he only brings home as much as USD 2 daily from his job.
The other option of a traditional transportation is a horse cart.
The typical of a coachman in Yogyakarta is: He wears a traditional Javanese cloth.
This will make his passengers feel special, as though riding a tourism cart. Then the coachman will take you to tourist sites nearby, such as Fort Vredeburg Museum and "Alun-alun Kidul" (the southern part of the Sultan Palace Square).
Again, you should ask the fare before getting in, usually, as a foreign tourist, the coachman may ask you a higher fare than normally does to the locals. Anyway, you can make a bargain.
Buying Souvenirs
Hunt for little things to bring home as a small present to family, someone special, friends or merely for memorizing after a visit to a tourist site is something common for Indonesian people. And commonly, a group of people, especially Indonesian teenagers when they have an excursion to Yogyakarta, visiting Malioboro including in their final itinerary list.
Here visitors can search many things from "batik" shirt (batik is a traditional Indonesian art of wax-resist dyeing applied to a clotch), T-shirts, handicrafts, local foods, such as "bakpia pathok" (made from mung bean with some choices of tastes, original, cheese and chocolate) and "gudeg" (made from boiled young jack fruit, served with chicken, boiled egg and it tastes sweet), and many more which are sold by street vendors.
Except for the food, the other things you will buy, you can make a bargain to get a cheaper price. However, if you are looking for a fix price you can buy them at shops which are many along Malioboro street.
Local artists and street musicians
Yogyakarta is well known as a city of art as well. So, while walking along Malioboro's side walk, you will see some local artists who are expert to draw someone's face and draw temporary tatto on your body.
In the late afternoon, the side walk will become an open stage for some street musicians who play music in a variety of genres, they will play it until night, so visitors can enjoy a vibrant nightlife on Malioboro.
