The Temples of Java

Destination: Java, Indonesia

Travel guidebook summary

In Central Java, two massive temples rise as witness to the greatness of two empires: Borobudur (Buddhist) and Prambanan (Hindu). Explore the history and architecture of these two great sites with our travel guidebook.

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★ ★ ★★ Should have taken with me prior to trip
Take it with you while travelling through the island of Java. this is a must.

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“The temples of Java are fascinating since the builders appear to have taken greater creative license than in other parts of the world, making them special contributions to the Hindu and Buddhist traditions. So, with this guidebook, we made special effort to help travelers identify their unique features.”

Borobudur & Prambanan: About this Guidebook

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Guidebook details

Java is home to two of the most impressive temples in all of southeast Asia: Buddhist Borobudur and Hindu Prambanan. Borobudur (built 760-830) rises gradually in a series of majestic tiers, a testament to its stupa-mound inspiration; while Prambanan (built 850-856) soars vertically, drawing on south Indian temple prototypes. Both inspire with their innovative architectural designs, world-class narrative reliefs and compelling sculptures. Still infused with their historical magic, they are yours to discover.

What’s in this guidebook

  • Art and architecture review. We provide an overview of 800 years of Javanese art and architecture, isolating trademark features that you will see again and again while touring temples in central and east Java. To make things come alive, we have packed our review with high-resolution images.
  • Detailed tours of Borobudur and Prambanan. Following our tradition of being the most valuable resource for culture-focused travelers, we offer detailed tours of Borobudur and Prambanan. For each, we reveal its most important architectural and decorative elements and provide a discussion that ties it all together.
  • Advice for getting the best cultural experience. To help you plan your visit, this guidebook supplies logistical advice, maps and links to online resources. Plus, we give our personal tips for getting the most from your experience while on location.
  • Information the way you like it. As with all of our guides, this book is optimized for intuitive, quick navigation; information is organized into bullet points to make absorption easy; and images are marked up with text that explains important features.

Extras to enhance your trip

Sri Lanka’s Cultural TriangleCambodia: The Temples of Angkor