A Photographer's Guide To Yogyakarta: Taman Sari

Taman Sari Water Castle is the former garden of the Sultans of Yogyakarta and is located in the city’s heart. It was built in the 18^th century for many purposes, including for leisure, a workshop and defense area.

This garden is divided into four sections. On the west, there is a large artificial lake with islands and pavilions, in the center; there is a bathing complex, on the south, more pavilions and pools, and in the east, a small lake. However, only the center remains maintained while locals have otherwise occupied other parts.

In 1995, this site was even listed as part of a World Heritage Site.

A Brief History

The constructor of this building, Tumenggung Mangundipura had studied the works of European architects, which explains the beautiful fusion between Javanese, and European architectural styles, which is unlike any other constructions. One of the architects was said to be a Portuguese man who suffered a shipwreck and ended up in Yogyakarta where locals took him to the Sultan and he was asked to build the complex.

Sultan Hamengkubuwono effectively used this site as a resting place till 1812, which is when the British had invaded Yogyakarta and significant parts of the site had been badly damaged.

Efforts on restoration had not work out very well, partly because the hydraulic works were complicated and mostly because of an earthquake in 1867 that left the site even more in ruins.

As of today, restorations have not fully been complete aside from the bathing complex. Despite all this, the site still looks magnificent and the unique architecture of the site is really unlike any other. The variety of shape of the site’s buildings, really is staggering, some are curved, while others are flat and straight, and some are even combined. The walls are colored cream and are embellished with various Javanese designs. The attention to detail on these designs really is magnificent. They are all very intricate and elaborate and it truly defines the architecture of both Java and Europe in the 18^th century. Though some parts of the buildings may look complex, other parts look neat and simple; the windows, for example, are just squares extracted from the wall, plain. But put both simplicity and complexity together and what you get is sheer beauty.

Tickets and Operating Hours

Operating Hours: Opens daily from 09.00-14.00

Ticket Price:

Domestic Tourist – Rp.5.000

Foreign Tourist – Rp.8.000

Photo Permit – Rp.1.000

Getting There

Address: Jl. Taman, Kraton, Yogyakarta 55133, Indonesia

Taman Sari Water Castle is located in the city center. It is part of the Kraton complex, the Sultan’s complex. Getting there is relatively easy and can be accessed through many different ways.

From Adisutjipto Airport

Taman Sari Water Castle is approximately just 20km away from the airport and is easily accessible by taxi. A direct taxi ride to the site should cost around Rp.50.000.

You may also access the site by taking the bus known as TransJogja. Just outside the airport there is a bus station and to access the site, you will need to go on the 1A bus, which will eventually stop in the Malioboro Street bus station. This is where you will get off. Afterwards, you may choose to walk or use a trishaw known as Becak to access the Kraton complex and evidently lead you to the site. The Becak ride would take approximately 10 minutes and should cost around Rp.15.000. Riding the Becak lets you experience the culture of Yogyakarta and you can easily enjoy the view, whilst you lay back and wait till you arrive.

Map

For the full map, click here

General Tips

The weather in Yogyakarta is almost always hot. Taman Sari is no exception. The attire suggested is clothes that keep you cool. Also, sunblock may be necessary to use in order to protect the skin from the rays of Yogyakarta’s scorching hot sun.

Photography Tips

Time:

Taman Sari consists of buildings that are primarily embellished with beautiful carvings. When taking pictures, it is important to capture those embellishments, as they are one of the significant details that make the building pretty. Therefore, it is best to visit the site during a bright and sunny day, such that the sun can shed natural light and highlight the features of Taman Sari.

Since Taman Sari tends to get many visitors, it easily becomes crowded. Therefore, it is best to visit the minute the site is opened to public, which is 9am. When one comes during this time, it is easy to capture photos of the building without the disturbance of many people and by this time, the sun would also be up and shining. Exploring the site would take an approximate time of an hour, which is enough to time to take pictures before many people start coming in.

Equipment:

Tripod – A tripod would be great to bring because a panoramic picture of Taman Sari would look absolutely stunning. It is particularly important if you want to capture all of the site’s primary buildings in one picture.

Lens – A basic 14-24mm lens for a DSLR would certainly be perfect for taking pictures in Taman Sari. There are not many parts of Taman Sari that would be nice to capture only when in close up. Every part of its building would still look pretty even when captured from afar.

UV filter – A UV filter is highly recommended to use on your lens because the sunshine in Yogyakarta is awfully strong and the filter could reduce chances of your camera’s recording medium to be damaged by UV rays.

Hotels and Lodgings

If you wish to reside in Yogyakarta, there are many hotels available nearby the site. The top 3 most well known ones are:

1. Ibis Styles Yogyakarta

Address: Jalan Dagen 109, Yogyakarta 55271, Indonesia

Phone Number: +62 274 588889

E-mail: info@ibisstyles-yogyakarta.com

Webpage: http://www.accorhotels.com/id/hotel-7460-ibis-styles-yogyakarta-previously-all-seasons/index.shtml

2. Inna Garuda

Address: Jl. Malioboro No. 60, Yogyakarta 55213, Indonesia

Phone Number: +62 274 566353

Webpage: http://garuda.innagroups.com/

3. Hotel 1001 Malam