Gedong Songo Temples
“Going up the mountain by horse towards the Gedong Songo Temples in Java, Indonesia, was probably the most amazing (and slightly scary) thing I have ever done in my life. The surroundings were so beautiful and the temples were really extraordinary. I can’t put into words how much I enjoyed this tour.”
Gedong Songo is a hindu temple complex in central Java, Indonesia. It is an hour away by car or bus from Semarang. Gedong Songo means nine buildings, but there are only seven temples left. This place is a real hidden gem. If you ask me it’s central Java’s best kept secret.
Not many tourist visit this place, it is mainly visited by local people. More than 20.000 Indonesian tourists visit this magical place each month, while no more than 130 foreign people come here monthly. On the weekends it can get very busy, but during the week you won’t see a lot of other people during your hike.
In contrast to other temples in central Java, Gedong Songo is really cheap to visit. Entrance is less than $4 and if you want to make your visit extra spectacular you can go up the mountain by horse, which will cost $12 (including entrance fee). The horse tour will take about two hours and it might be the coolest thing I have ever done in my life. The temples were so beautiful and the surroundings made it even better.
It was incredible to see how good the tour guides take care of the horses. They know them all by name and they let them run around free as soon as we reached the top. They looked super healthy and well fed. I’m absolutely not a fan of tourist activities involving animals, but I can assure you these horses have a very good life and you should definitely go on this tour!
