How to Visit the Prambanan Temples

The temple is 20 km from the city of Yogyakarta. Keep in mind that if you're doing Borobudur and Prambanan on the same day, it's a long way between them, so we recommend going on a tour or with a private driver who takes you to both.

Public transportation: It's the cheapest way and takes about 40 minutes, depending on traffic. Take the Trans-Jogja 1A or 1B on Malioboro Street and get off at the last stop.

Price: US$0.20.

Private taxi: This is what we did. Since we didn't have much time, we did the Sunrise at Borobudur and then the driver took us to Prambanan, all on the same day. What we liked about this option is that, not being tied to a tour, we could do everything at our own pace. The 2 temples are 1.5 hours apart. He charged us US$35 (500,000 rupiah) for the whole trip.

Price: Between US$28 and US$35 (400,000 and 500,000 rupiah). Keep in mind that it's a whole van, which can take up to about 6 people.

Tour: You can book a private tour that includes Borobudur and Prambanan here.

• General admission: US$24
• With a student ID: US$15
• Children (up to age 10): US$15
• Combined ticket (Prambanan and Borobudur): US$39. This option isn't valid for the sunrise at Borobudur.

Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia and one of the largest in Southeast Asia. It definitely has to be on your list if you're visiting Java.

The temple is dedicated to the Trimurti, the 3 forms of the Hindu god: Brahma, the creator of the world; Shiva, the transformer; and Vishnu, the god who preserves the universe. The 3 main temples are dedicated to them, and in front of them are other, even smaller temples that represent the gods' vehicles, because in Hinduism each god is carried by a different animal.

It originally consisted of 246 temples, of which only 8 remain standing. The group of temples is a model of the universe according to Hindu cosmology, based on 3 realms: the lowest realm (inhabited by mortals), the middle realm (of saints and lesser gods) and the high realm (the most sacred, that of the gods). You walk around the temple clockwise until you finally reach the statue of Ganesha, Shiva's son.

Little is known about the history of this temple, but it's believed to have been built in the year 850 to mark the return of a Hindu dynasty to Java after decades of Buddhism. The complex has been through volcanic eruptions, shifts in political power, earthquakes and looting, and you can see the ruins of several temples around the ones still standing.

We loved it and think it's an essential stop along with Borobudur. As we drove up, we could already see this giant looming before our eyes. Walking among so much history, seeing the rubble around the main temples, climbing the ones still standing: it's really a place we 100% recommend.

• If you keep walking through the complex you'll see another 3 temples worth visiting: Sewu, Bubrah and Lumbung, all included in the ticket. The best part is that since they're farther away, there are hardly any tourists.
• Since it's a place of worship, we advise going with your legs covered. If you don't, they'll probably lend you a cloth to wear at the entrance.