Ratu Boko: the spot for taking photos of Prambanan

A feature on the temple of Ratu Boko, outside of Yogyakarta, that is favoured by photogaphers because it overlooks Prambanan and Mount Merapi.

Mysterious Ancient Palace Ratu Boko, the Perfect Spot to Catch Yogyakarta’s Sunset
Jakarta Globe, 14 January 2015

When the chief executive of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, visited Indonesia October last year, he went to Borobudur Temple in Yogyakarta to watch the sunrise.

Following the tycoon’s lead I asked, where is the best site to view the sunrise? “Ratu Boko,” answered Ari, my Yogyakarta driver.

Out of curiosity, I asked Ari to take me to the site one afternoon to catch the sunset. Ratu Boko is about 18 kilometers to the east of Yogyakarta, situated at the top of a 196-meter-high hill.

The road to reach the site curves with sharp turns.

“It’s challenging for a big bus to pass this road,” said Ari. During the hot season all I could see from the road was the villagers’ huts on bare soil. “Water is scarce in this area during hot season,” Ari said.

The Ratu Boko complex is located across two villages, Sambirejo and Bokoharjo, in Prambanan, Sleman district, Yogyakarta.

Full story here.