Cheap Travel to Solo, Train and Bus Transportation

Although not as popular as Bali,  Surakarta or Solo still has its own charm that attract travelers to come and visit this city.  And if you are one of them, then you do not have to be afraid of transportation to get to Solo, while in Solo or when you want to leave Solo. You can choose the transportation of air or overland, by bus or train from Jakarta, Surabaya or Yogjakarta.

Trains regularly operate between Jakarta to Solo and the journey takes between 11-12 hours. The main railway station named Solo Balapan Station which is the station for the train departure and Executive Business Class and located adjacent to the bus terminal Tirtonadi, something rarely found in Indonesia. For a night bus trip from Jakarta to Solo takes about 12 hours and ticket prices around Rp.200.000 (21 USD).

Indonesia Railway Company KAI via the official website has provided convenience to check the price list train ticket fare, schedule and online ticket ordering KAI more for you by going to the official website of the KAI. All the information you can access easily just by filling out simple forms fields. You can choose some of Jakarta Solo Railways, Railway "ARGO DWIPANGGA" Jakarta Gambir Station with ticket prices Rp.340.000 (USD 35) or Railway "SENJA UTAMA SOLO" Jakarta  Senen Station with a ticket price of 200.000 (21 USD). They are all cheap enough.

Whereas if you can travel from Yogyakarta to Solo by bus takes about 1 hour.

Solo  is a crossings  city of Yogyakarta, Surabaya. From Yogyakarta, Solo is located about 65 km south-east, while from Surabaya, Solo City is located approximately 285 kilometers west. Than any other major city, from Semarang, Solo is located about 100 kilometers southeast direction. To go from the airport, terminal, or station, you can take a city bus, public transportation, taxi, or horse cart to get to the city center to visit Kraton Surakarta.

Solo, is a city of  culture in Java. If you  travel to this city you will see so many interesting place that make Solo different from other city.  Surakarta also has many royal events, festivals and exhibitions on offer. The two most important such events are the Bengawan Solo Fair (BSF) and the Sekaten. It is annual event, a ritual to remove evil and restore balance in life.

Old Gamelan Collection in Leiden, Chichago and Paris

Indonesian people should be grateful to the Netherlands. Thanks to cultural diplomacy conducted in the colonial period  hundreds year ago when thye bring  Gamelan to Europe. Not many people know that during the inauguration of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, on March 31, 1889, Sari Oneng,  Sundanese gamelan was exhibited at the French for the first time.

Gamelan is a set of traditional musical ensemble from Indonesia, especially Java and Bali Island.  It consist of  variety  instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, kendang (drums) and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings. The word Gamelan derived from javaness word “gamel” that means hit to produce sound.

Starting from a tea plantation administrator Parakan Salak Sukabumi, Adriaan Walrafen Holle a citizen  of Netherland . He was fell in love and  crazy  about  the Sundanese art and culture. He was the one who ordered gamelan from Sumedang.

And then Gustaf Mundt,  the nest administrators who replaced Holle. Bring  a collection of gamelan to several countries to enliven the exhibition of tea, coffee, and cocoa. These  products are the main commodity, which give  so many contribution to State. Two sets of gamelan brought into the exhibition in the Netherlands in 1883. Since then, one of them was never returned to Sukabumi. It was kept in the museum of Leiden, The Netherlands.

In 1889 two sets of Gamelan Sari Oneng with dozens of players or "nayaga" and the dancers transported ship to Paris, France. Trade, arts and culture mission of the Dutch East Indies enliven the inauguration of the Eiffel Tower. The museum is owned gamelan music in France. One set of gamelan returned back to Sukabumi and it is now stored in the Museum Prabu Geusan Ulun, Sumedang. During Gamelan performances in Paris, it  has affected several songs of  well-known French composers, namely Claude de Bussy. Wow, it will be better, if he combine these two different type of music.

Actually not only  France, and Netherland  that has a collection of old gamelan. In 1983,  a set of gamelan has also appeared in Chicago USA,  in the same event, Dutch tea exhibition. And the gamelan has not been returned  to Indoneisa again. It become  an antique collection of the museum in Chicago.

Gamelan has been  hundreds years in Paris and Chichago, of course, many Americans and the French are now good in playing gamelan music. Is it right?!

Cheap Traveling to Traditional Market in Solo

Life in the city of Surakarta is inseparable from the four major traditional markets. The four markets in Solo which  now instead become a tourism  attractions and  frequently visited by tourist, both local and foreign tourists. The fourt market are  Gede Market, Triwindu Market, Gading Market and Klitikan Market.

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Pasar Gede (Big Market)  or Hardjanagara Market was built in 1929, and was inaugurated on January 12, 1930 in the reign Pakubowono X. Historically, this market called Market temple because there is a temple near the market. This market is the only market in Indonesia,  with two-story which spent 300 gulden. Pasar Gede is one of Netherland colonial style of architecture building, the  works of Herman Thomas Karsten, a renowned Dutch architect who made so many historical  buildings during the Dutch colonial  era. Not only in Solo, Herman Thomas Karsten also designed many buildings in other cities in central Java, including Pasar Johar Semarang. 

Gede Market is a traditional market that has historical value.  With the Dutch colonial era architecture, the market has its own uniqueness. The market is located in the heart of Solo. Many tourists visit  this market are from  Netherlands and Suriname. However the Dutch engagement with Indonesia's history  is very close.  Suriname, as one of the Dutch colony  have  Java native sent by the Dutch.The migration of Java people to Suriname on a large - scale from 1890 to 1939.Noted that t, 32,976 people moved to Suriname during the year. Although not all of them came from Java, but the majority of Indonesian people who migrate is Javanese. 

While the market is adjacent to Triwindu Mangkunegaran tourists visited because the merchandise being sold is an antique. Tourists are also fond of sightseeing or shopping on the antiquities market Triwindu. There a wide range of antiques for sale. The state of the market that comfortable making tourists feel at home and taking the time to stop by, 

Two other markets are often so the purpose of international travelers and the local markets Notoharjo Klitikan. This is because, the inhabitants of the market made up of diverse walks of life who lead the market, built in Clover offers goods too colorful. 
 

While the Gading (Ivory) Market, located just south of Kraton Surakarta has advantages in terms of construction and sales service. In the market, the process of trading takes traditional, but merchants as if selling in the mall or supermarket. The combination of traditional and modern elements in the Ivory Market. You can find so many thing like Batik, or other souvenir in a low price. Pasar Solo is a cheap travel.

Cutural Festival, Solo Batik Carnival (SBC)

Surakarta or Solo is famous for  batik clothes, one of the products of high cultural  value of Indonesia. In Solo there are some special rules about the use of batik, include: social status of the one who wear  some special pattern  and special events where batik should be used in conjunction with the hope or blessing  through batik designs. Solo batik designs are also often associated with Hindu Javanese culture, a symbol Sawat or supreme power of the crown, the symbol of the mountain Meru or earth, symbol of the water dragon, symbol of the wind or the birds of the upper world and the symbol of Fire Tongue of fire. Batik in Solo is not about fahion. Various efforts have been made to introduce and preserve batik products.  One of them  is like the annual event held by The Government of Surakarta , Solo Batik Carnival (SBC).

This Event,  Solo Batik Carnival (SBC) is an annual event conducted by The Government of Surarakarta City. The participants  is actually  only from the local region.  But  on Batik Carnival in Solo in 2010 there were 20 participating countries Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (AMCHUD) that come to enliven the Solo Batik Carnival. Countries taking part include Iran, Laos, Fiji, Cambodia, Brunei, Oman, Iran, Maldipes, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Buton, Afghanistan, India, Qatar, Palestine, Armenia, and Jordan.

The delegates followed the carnival carriage  horses. Along the way they always smiled and waved to the thousands of people who thronged  Slamet Riyadi Street.

Solo Batik Carnival (SBC), which has become an icon of the Solo can be seen starting from the intersection of Jalan Slamet Riyadi Purwosari  and will end up in the Ngarsopuro. Carnival dispatched at 15:00 pm.

The festival is of course very helpful to attract foreign tourists to visit Indonesia. Just for you know that in 2011, there are around 200 000 tourists from the America. visited Indonesia. This year, the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry expects the number of tourists from the U.S. visiting Indonesia to reach 225.000 tourist.And Solo as festival organizers will be known internationally, as a city that has a lot of cultural tourism attraction to visit.

Enjoy Travelling By Old Dutch Train In Solo

In Indonesia, railway transportation  is the most popular vehicle. This  railway transportation first built in the Dutch colonial era. History of railways in Indonesia has been started since the 19th century in 1864 y on the island of Java. In that time  the train was growing rapidly,  in addition to public transport as well as freight commodities at the time considering many plantations  are opened by Dutch Colaonial Governments.Along with the development of technology, the train continues to change and grow .  Ancient train steam engine is now no longer operated.  Replaced with modern fast diesel or electricity train.

This old train gives an ancient and nostalgic atmosphere related with the old period of Dutch colonialsm. "Kluthuk Jaladara Train " I s an old-fashioned steam train in Solo, which is currently re-operated again. Of course train  is only used as a tourist train that can be rented by anyone who wants to reminisce, to feel the sensation of ancient impression of an old railway Dutch colonial era. The idea to revive this Jaladara Railway came from the Governor of Jakarta, Joko Widodo or better known as the Jokowi, when serving as mayor of Solo. The Trains has been the collection of Ambarawa Museum for years.

Jaladara C1218 is a locomotive, the locomotive type C12. C12 locomotive types are small and designed for short l destinations. This steam locomotive is a train with locomotive C1218.  C1218 locomotive was made in the Netherlands by Hartmann Chemnitz locomotive plant in 1986 and operated in the same year in Indonesia. The company operates is Staatspoorwegen or SS, the Dutch government-owned railway company.

Travel with ancient steam train departed from station of  Purwosari to Station of Solo City. Travel by steam train will take passengers Jaladara see the attraction in the form of Solo city centers, shopping centers and historical attractions. In an ancient train tour package, passengers will be treated to food and herbal medicine, and traditional musical performances and other entertainment during the trip.

This old train travelers continues to increase from time to time. Generally, tourist train passengers are from upper middle class. They are entrepreneurs who do business in Solo and foreign tourists who were traveling in Solo. The rate charged for passenger train travel is about $ 15 to $ 20 per person one way. There are also packages with a capacity of 70 passengers collectively worth $ 337. Do you really want to get a new experiences with old train? Just come and visit Solo.

Kraton Surakarta, Another Palace in Java

Kraton Surakarta, another palace in Java Island is located right in the center of Surakarta, central Java Province.  It is adjacent to the landmarks of  Solo (Surakarta) such as City Hall, Klewer Market and Gede Market. You can use so many  transportation  to reach the palace. And do not forget to try the traditional vehicle of  transportation such as rickshaws and “andong”.

Physically Kraton Surakarta has much in common with the Yogyakarta Palace, because one of the architect is The Prince  Mangkubumi or Sultan Hamengkubuwana I , which is also the main architect of the palace of Yogyakarta. The similarity of the spatial pattern is evident in the layout of the square to the north and south of the palace. Surakarta palace building consists of the main building and supporting environments such as Gate (the gate) called Gladag to the South. And then there were two square in the northern and southern palace complex.

Surakarta Palace is a symbol of  the origin of  Surakarta or Solo. Kraton Surakarta or the official name, Keraton Surakarta Hadiningrat, is a historic place you must  visit  when travelling to Solo. Built in stages since the first was established in the year 1744 by Sunan Pakubuwono II, making Kraton Surakarta an exotic place that also saves a lot of historical value.

Keraton Surakarta built by Pakoe Boewono II in 1745 AD. Formerly the capital palace in Kartasura, located approximately 12 km west of the city of Solo. Kraton Surakarta experienced the golden era during the reign of Sunan Paku Buwono X in the year 1893-1939. In Surakarta Palace there is an Art Gallery with  various historical objects that have historical value and high art. Some of the collection is the carriage, an assortment of weapons, shadow puppets and objects of other relic. Kraton Surakarta open to the public every day at 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and Sunday 8:30 to 13:00 hours. Kraton closed on Friday.