Climb Borobudur in woven sandals

What the experience is

Borobudur stands on a low hill in the Kedu plain of central Java, ringed by volcanoes. It was built in the eighth and ninth centuries. It is not a temple with an interior. It is a stepped pyramid about 123 metres square at the base and 35 metres high, which the pilgrim climbs. The lower six levels are square terraces, with galleries whose walls are carved with 2,672 panels of relief. Read in order, by walking clockwise, they tell the lives of the Buddha and the journey of a seeker towards enlightenment. The upper three levels are round and open to the sky, with 72 bell-shaped stupas of pierced stone, each containing a seated Buddha, around a central dome.

Millions of shoes had worn hollows in the stairs, and the monument now admits climbers under strict rules. Climbing the upper levels needs a specific ticket for a named time; visitors go up in guided groups and may stay on the structure for a limited period. Everyone wears a pair of sandals called upanat, woven from pandan leaves by craftsmen of the nearby villages, with soft soles that do not abrade the stone. A separate, cheaper ticket admits visitors to the park and the foot of the monument without the right to climb. Sources disagree on the daily quota, so no figure is given here.

When to go

Choose the first slot of the morning, when the air is clearer and the volcanoes may be visible. Weekends and the holiday months of July and August sell out first.

Good to know

Climbing tickets are sold online for a named time. Closing days, hours and the rules for Buddhist festival days such as Waisak should be checked on the official ticket site. The time on the monument is short: read about the reliefs beforehand, and afterwards walk round the base, where the carving can be studied without a time limit. Borobudur is a place of worship as well as a monument: dress modestly and keep to the route.

Getting there

Borobudur is about an hour and a half from Yogyakarta. Staying nearby makes the early slot easy.

Why OKYTO recommends it

The climb is the meaning of the building, and the new rules have given it back some quiet. The small temples of Mendut and Pawon, on the same line, complete the visit.