Borobudur, Central Java

Central Java is a melting pot of ancient kingdoms, refined courts and vibrant wilderness. This area is thick with history and religious spirituality, filled with temples and palaces erected by Buddhist and Hindu Dynasties reflected the splendor they achieved. Borobudur, an ancient Buddhist monument in Magelang, Central Java, is one such monument.

The grandiose monument comprises of six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and decorated with thousands of relief panels and Buddha statues. It is both a shrine to Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage.

Getting there is easily arranged through which ever hotel you are staying in. Entering the site costs you around US$10, and public entry is allowed from 6am in the morning to 5pm in the evening. This is a place thick with religious mysticism, so if you can I would advise a sunrise trip in the wee hours of the morning where you can enjoy the mesmerizing views without the stream of visitors.
The reliefs on the monuments depicts narrates various Buddhist stories or philosophies, with the main theme of Borobudur often considered to be the Gandavyuha scriptures, about a pilgrim who visited 110 gurus on his quest to become a bodhisattva.