Bandungan Travel Guide

Located just up from the market town of Ambarawa in Central Java, Bandungan is a pretty mountain village, although is only really for those who appreciate nature and landscapes.

Worth It?: Yes, for the views from the Gedong Songo temples.
What to Do: visiting temples, chilling in a spa resort.
Best Time to Go: April through October has the driest, coolest weather in Bandungan.
How Long?: A day and night is enough for Bandungan.
Trivia: the Gedong Songo temples, which means 'nine temples', were rediscovered by Sir Stanford Raffles.

Bandungan makes the ideal escape from hot Jakarta, and other low-lying Javan destinations during the height of the dry season, with its cool mountain air and get away from it all feel. There is a tourism infrastructure here but it is, thankfully, minimal with just a few resorts and hotels.

The main sight in Bandungan is the hilltop Gedong Songo temples. They are beautifully located just out of town and feature fine examples of Hindu/Buddhist art. The views from the temple are the big draw, with volcanoes Sumbing, Sindoro, Merbabu and Merapi all clearly visible.

Travel to Bandungan - Getting There

The gateway to Bandungan is Semarang Airport, an hour to the north. It receives flights from Soekarno-Hatta Airport (the closest major airport) in Jakarta in under an hour and is around 40kms to the south. Ambarawa is 15 minutes from Bandungan.

Bandungan Things to Do

Bandungan Attractions

Gedong Songo temples

the main sight in Bandungan, these nine temples have a superior location above town with ancient art and fantastic views.

Bandungan Flower Market

vendors gather from villages all around Bandungan to sell their flowers and vegetables in a sea of color.

Side trips from Bandungan

Rawa Pening Lake: lying just to the south of Bandungan and south again of Ambarawa, this lake is surrounded by high hills and is as pretty as they come.