Have you ever travelled to a place thousands of times but never got bored of it?
Second time is a travelogue series that tells about the places I have visited more than once in my life and I may have written it into a simple travel guide. But in this series,I am revisiting the place again, written in newer perspectives, stories, and more.
There is this place in Yogyakarta that I always love to visit and I will always take anyone there. This place is called Taman Sari Water Castle. This is the spot where people could sightseeing the remnants from the royal family's tradition and heritage. The last time I visited here was back in 2020 and I wrote a guide on that, which you can have a look at this post. Yogyakarta: The Ultimate Guide Exploring the Remnant of Pastimes. In that post, you can find all the basic information about the place from the ticketing to how to get there. But today, I want to take you into my journey exploring this place during the pandemic and the new thing I explored.
Despite having been there so many times, whenever I go there, there’s always something new to explore and try. This time, I was traveling with two of my cousins. They were all under 20 and seemed to be less curious and less interested in places like this. Though they didn't say it, their expression and enthusiasm spoke it all. So, I tried my best to get them curious about the place or even ask, what is this place for?
Our journey started late from the hotel room, the sun was high even though just in the morning, it rained. Yogyakarta can get quite humid and hot which often makes me impatient and nervous. Since it’s the weekend, getting around is another problem. It took us about 30 minutes before we even got into the grab car as our driver was navigating his way through Yogyakarta’s traffic. Everyone’s mood was slightly ruined and we got exhausted because the previous night, we hung out around the street food stalls and had koping arang “ charcoal coffee” and made us wake up pretty late.
Lately, we got an awful lot of grab drivers who strangely didn’t know the road’s really well. Just like today, the grab driver wanted to drop us in front of the gate of Water castle and told us that if we want to be inside, we have to pay extra because he would be charged for parking. Since I was too exhausted and couldn’t be bothered to walk more, I paid that extra fee that took us just 50 meters from the main gate and the ticketing counter.
The place was unusually crowded with tourists. Whenever I visit this place, this isn't the case. It was crowded but not too crowded. But that day, it was packed with domestic tourists wanting to see the remnants from the royal’s family.
Since I was still busy replying to some messages, I asked my cousin to get into the ticketing counter. Since now I am bringing a camera, I have to get a special permit for it which costs 3000idr. For mobile cameras, there is no need to get this permit but it is a must for any DSLR or similar camera.
Taman Sari is a water castle that was once used to be the place for the Sultan to meet his concubines and for him to find a new concubine. The surrounding area is almost built like a mini maze just a few kms from the Royal’s main residency so, if you want to get the most of it, the guides are there to show you around and tell you about the place and the hidden spot. These guides are inside the castle and they will greet you friendly. They greeted us but we decided not to use the service as I like to explore the place on my own and besides, I know my way around this area quite well.
One of the guides approached us and asked my cousin where he’s from. He tried to ease his way into offering the service but my cousin declined it politely. They weren’t pushy which is nice and I could see that the service around Yogyakarta has improved a lot. In the past, people got pushy about trying to sell their things but these days, they aren’t.
The first place we visited is the main hall that has two towers with two pools.
In the past, these pools were empty and were filled with moss but these days, it’s clean and very well maintained. Taking pictures around the area is a bit of work. You have to be patient because there are people queing to get pictures.
All I could tell you is that this place is quite magical and despite the wall that looked old, it sort of took us to another realm. Entering this place made me feel like I was taken into the 18th century in Indonesia where the royals were still in full power. These days, they are still in power but they merge under the republic of Indonesia. Inside this place there are small chambers and also a private pool like that was located inside the left tower from the main gate.
I have taken several people to this place and their impressions vary. I was also in a different place in life and it was interesting to see that my experience in this place has changed over time. However, the explanation of this place remains the same as I overheard the conversation between the guides and the people around.
As we finished exploring inside the area, we moved into the outer gate where we walked into the people’s houses.
In recent times, the water castle is now surrounded by civilian’s houses who are making a living from the tourists who visit the place. Some sell merchandise, artcrafts, paintings or even just drinks.
The must try drink in this area is called “Dawet” is a concoction drink made from aren sagoo or rice flour, coconut milk and liquid palm sugar syrup. This is a refreshing drink that you can enjoy after strolling around the water castle. I didn’t get this one but I got the cincau one which is similar but made from black jellies. We found the spot just right after the exit gate to the local’s house.
The Outer Of The Water Castle
The outer side, as I have mentioned, is basically people houses that are also embedded with some historical sites such as the underground mosque, the fort and the long alleys to the way out of the place. This place is maze-like which is why having a guide would be a better option for the first timers.
Along the way to the exit, There are plenty of gift shops, interesting murals, and some local’s houses that are quite old. Each of these places are scenic and is great if you love taking pictures for instagram. The children around also don’t mind the tourists walking by as it’s already a normality for them.
It was a hot day when we explored the area and was quite exhausted. We didn’t get to explore too many places and I was only taking pictures of the murals which you can see below.
Our journey ended just around 1:20 PM where we were too exhausted to try going to another place. I would say, in order to fully visit Yogyakarta, it is going to take more than just 3 or even 4 days. Seven days would be enough to explore this seemingly small province yet full of new fun things to do. I hope you like the pictures and the place. There are some more of this series coming up, so stay tuned for more!
All Images are taken with sony DSC H300 edited with lightroom mobile
 | Mac is a jack of all trades. A typical introvert in love with literature, books, technology and philosophy. She is also so into nootropics, productivity, minimalist lifestyle, cybersecurity, and languages. Other than that, she is passionate about cooking and traveling. In her free time, she enjoys learning various things. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, leave a comment or a feedback. A re-blog is also appreciated. |
Nice! I was here the last time I was in Yogyakarta too!
Really? did you get to visit the fort too? or maybe the underground mosque?
Hmm I can't quite remember because it was 8 years ago. I remembered the Water Palace because the waters were really calming. Sharing my photos - is the 3rd one the fort?
The fort is located a bit farther from that. That's still inside the complex of Taman sari and by the way, the water was better than the current water! it was cleaner too. 😁 how did you find pictures from 8 years ago? I don't even have my own pictures from last month hahaha
Ah I see. Yes the water was very clean! I store my travel photos in Google Drive and organise them by countries/cities. 😀
There are some places I never get bored to visit many times, too. And I understand why you revisit that place, it looks interesting. @macchiata
Which places are those? I am pretty sure Vietnam has many awesome places. The place is only 1/4th of the complex. I didn't visit the underground mosque, the ruins of the fort because they were all closed due to pandemic.
Through your stories and pictures, it helps me better understand the history and beauty of the castle at Yogyakarta, it looks very ancient and magnificent. I've also been to the same place many times and I don't get bored, every time I come it's a different feeling @macchiata
It looks quite ancient indeed. I am glad that you feel as if you understand the history and its beauty. Which place is it that you don't get bored everytime you come?
There are a few places where I don't feel bored when I go there, there is a place near where I live and work, which is Son Tra peninsula in Da Nang city, where there are many beautiful scenes, majestic nature, and the friendly monkeys is here 🙈
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Yes i enjoyed it, very well articulated. I think maybe because it their first time that's why they were less curious about the place. By the way,the pictures are really beautiful and I love the series too!
It looks like a familiar concoction here in Nigeria made with "tiger nuts". I must say it's refreshing because of its milk contents
I love your second time series, this looks like going to places just by reading your posts. And I love reading!
As usual, I would say
It could be that it was their first time. They seemed to want to visit the place again and with a tour guide this time. The drink was refreshing as it has fresh milk in it too. The next place I am about to show is the beach. I still need to work on the pictures though.
It would be an interesting second adventure for them.
I can't wait for the beach show. I went to one recently but i forgot i was on hive and i should have captured the moments for my friends hahaha. Please include your favourite beach drink too... 😀
You should write about it too!
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awesome post, congrats! loved the place, and the pics were well taken.
The place was nice, Indeed.
Very lovely @macchiata
The pictures you share are really really awesome
Thanks!
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Every time I visit Hoi An Ancient Town, I am awestruck
I understand why you want to visit this castle so often, it sounds very interesting ♥️
I wonder what's the ancient town in Hoi An looks like. Has the country open for foreigners?