Princesses' stories
Life of Javanese palace women.
Hernawanwan — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Alharomain354 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Alharomain354 — CC BY-SA 4.0
A private museum of Javanese culture and art in the hill town of Kaliurang on Merapi's slopes, counted among Indonesia's most beautiful and distinctive museums. Its buildings of volcanic stone sit among gardens and forest, and its route moves between underground halls and open walkways in a calm, mysterious atmosphere. The museum tells of life at the royal courts of Yogyakarta and Surakarta, especially the stories of princesses and palace women, through paintings, photographs, personal letters and costumes, and a rich collection of royal batik whose motifs the guide explains. The experience is closer to a story being told than to a conventional museum. Visits are by guided tour only, leaving at regular times and lasting about an hour, and photography is banned inside the halls. Foreign visitors pay roughly one hundred thousand rupiah, and it usually closes on Mondays. Come in the morning with the Merapi tour in Kaliurang; it is pleasantly cool up here. Take your time with the guide, as the stories are the soul of the place.
Life of Javanese palace women.
Motifs and their meanings.
Halls among forest and gardens.
Kaliurang, on the slopes of Merapi, about 25 km north of Yogyakarta
Usually yes, as the guide tells gripping stories of palaces and princesses and the setting is lovely. It suits small children less, as the tour is guided and quiet.