Discover Indonesia’s Hidden Buddhist Borobudur Temple

Many of the travelers that head to Southeast Asia usually mark places like Angkor Wat in Cambodia, or islands in Thailand as a must-see. But hidden from the Western world lies Borobudur, a truly spectacular temple that attracts millions of visitors every year and one of the best cultural places in the world.

The Borobudur region is one of Indonesia’s most important centers for Buddhism. The place tells the story of Śailendra Dynasty that built the Temple of Borobudur around 800 A.D. as a monument to the Buddha. What is interesting is that this temple fell into disuse roughly one hundred years after its completion when, for still unknown reasons, the rulers of Java relocated the governing center to another part of the island.

It took until the year 1814 when British Lieutenant Governor on Java, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, rediscovered the site upon hearing reports from islanders of an incredible sanctuary deep within the island’s interior. Later, in 1970’s the Indonesian Government and UNESCO worked together to restore Borobudur to its former majesty. This entire process took 8 years, but it was more than successful. Today, Borobudur is one of Indonesia’s most valuable treasures and place that shows true history of this country.

This amazing site contains 504 statues of the Buddha, alongside 1460 stone reliefs on the walls and opposite balustrades decorate the first four galleries, with an additional 1212 decorative reliefs augmenting the path. But maybe the most interesting part of the temple are relief sculptures of Buddha’s teachings and various events related to his past lives.

Borodobur temple covers an enormous area, measuring 123 x 123 meters and the entire structure is like a set of massive interlocking Lego blocks held together without any glue. You can enjoy this magnificent place with our multilingual and user-friendly Cultural places app that contains everything you need to know about the temple! The best thing of all is that it is super easy to use. All you have to do is download, listen and enjoy the stories prepared for you.

How to get around?

By far the best way to explore this site is on foot. There is nothing like climbing to the top of this magnificent temple where you will get a chance to witness amazing stone carvings displayed on the temple walls. But in case you need help and you get lost, here is the map of the place.

How to find this place?

Best way to come to Borobudur temple is from Yogjakarta, which is only 1 hour away. Renting a car is very common here and prices are affordable so you will have plenty of options.