Borobudur (top platform)

Borobudur is a 9th century Buddhist temple, one of the world's largest. It consists of six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with no less than 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues of various types. The main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupas. The square base is 118 m (387 ft) long on each side, and the highest point 35 m (114 ft) above ground level. (Source: Wikipedia)

Photo tips: There's a morning fog present very often around Borobudur, which makes it often the best time to photograph it. The top platform is a great sunrise spot, but usually pretty crowded, so it might be harder to capture a good composition without people. Be patient!

Wide angle lens will be the best choice, since you'll be close to Buddha statues. Check out more tips at this blog.

Getting there: Borobudur is open to public from 6 am to 5 pm. You can get a Sunrise Tour from the Manohara hotel, which will let you in as soon as 4:30 am. The hotel closed its facilities as of June 1st, 2018 though, so the future of the sunrise/sunset tours is unclear.

If you stay in Yogyakarta, you can easily arrange a tour by a local travel agent. Expect a very early departure (around 4 am) in order to catch sunrise. It might be worth dedicating more than one day to the Borobudur area and staying nearby in order to see it from more points in various light.

Borobudur, or Barabudur (Indonesian: Candi Borobudur, Javanese: ꦕꦤ꧀ꦣꦶꦧꦫꦧꦸꦣꦸꦂ, translit. Candhi Barabudhur) is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia, and the world's largest Buddhist temple. The temple consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome. It is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. The central dome is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues, each seated inside a perforated stupa.