Yogyakarta Kraton: A Walk to the Palace of the King

The last day of any trip is a bittersweet moment. For one, I was glad I have an eventful trip in Central Java, but on the other, it felt it wasn’t enough. Just to squeeze in some quality hours on my last day in Yogyakarta, I decided to visit the Yogyakarta Kraton, the palace of the Sultan, which is just a walking distance from Hotel Winotosastro, where I was staying. It was a pretty normal day with the temperature just right for a comfortable walk. I just followed the road from my map and found a walled complex where houses, shops and the kraton (palace) is found.

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The Sorry State of Surakarta Kraton

I really have no concrete plans on my 2nd full day in Solo. The night’s full rest with no alarm to wake me up made me feel rejuvenated. Originally, I was planning to stay in town but during breakfast, I was approached by a man named Wazit who offered his motorbike service to Sukuh and Cetho. He seemed okay and the price was reasonable. I was looking into going there as well so I agreed to tour with him later after lunch. But that morning I wanted to continue my walk and this time at the inner streets of the city towards one of the Kratons (Palace) in Solo – The Surakarta Kraton or Keraton Kasunanan.

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Manila: Malacanang Palace Tour with Ivan Man Dy

Old Manila Walks tour in Malacanang Palace Museum

All eyes were on the President Arroyo these past few days since her recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) for 2009. But for now, forget all talks about politics and all that hulabula about the President. Let’s place our gaze instead on the presidential residency, the Malacanang. We’ll go through the extravagant halls of Malacanang Palace. Our Guide? None other than Ivan Man Dy as he gives us a taste of his relaunched tour “Power, Palace and a shot of Beer.”

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