Deciding to be adventurous, we took the bus to Prambanan from Maliosboro. This was recommended by a waiter at dinner the night before. We arrived after an hour’s ride and made out way on foot to the temple complex. After some trial and error, we found the ticket counter (separate ones for locals and foreigners).
The first glimpse of the oldest Hindu temple was awesome. I simply loved the tall and pointed architecture – typical characteristics from the 9th century.
Candi Vishnu
Consisting of 8 main temples and 8 smaller shrines, I later learned that the 4 rows of rock piles is what remains of the 224 Pervara temples encircling the inner zone.
Ruins of the Pervara temples on the North side, numbering 44, 52, 60, and 68 from inner row to outer row 
Towering Shiva with Candi Vishnu in the background
Up close, I am amazed by the intricately carved reliefs and the extensive details that went into the construction of each candi (temple).
Original relief at upper level of Candi Brahma 
We spent the bulk of our time here, before moving on to see the three smaller candi, museum and AV room. We had lunch at the park restaurant before taking the bus back to our hotel.
Entrance of Candi Sewu 
hundreds of temples arranged in 4 concentric square rows
Getting to Prambanan by bus is very doable. The queue system is practiced here and we also saw young people giving up their seats for the aged and children, just like in KL. The helpful conductor made sure we got onto the right bus and told us to get off at the last stop. Upon arrival, we were immediately offered taxis, trishaws and horse rides to the temple. On the journey back, other passengers helped us to look out for our stop.
Prambanan is well worth the visit. Perhaps more can be done to enhance the experience for visitors.
While we can appreciate Prambanan’s UNESCO Heritage site status, we feel that the fee (4x more than what locals pay) is too steep and the extras (coffee, shuttle ride, Museum, AV presentation, etc) are not value for money. For example, Candi Shiva – the largest and tallest temple was not accessible, neither was Candi Sewa. When we wanted a ride, we were told that the shuttle will only run when there is a minimum of 15 international tourists. In the low season, such numbers are hard to come by (locals not entitled).
Having said that, I still had a totally fabulous time and highly recommend a visit to Prambanan.
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