Borobudur, Central Java

WHY GO Life slows down in Central Java, which - past natural disasters aside - offers a magical landscape like no other. Mist-capped mountains fringe green valleys, rich with tobacco in the dry season and rippled with rice terraces in the wet season. Lush fields reverberate with calls to Allah and in one such valley surrounded by volcanoes is Borobudur - the mystic Buddhist temple - sitting watch over this now-Muslim land.
          Created as a monument to Buddha, Borobudur remains sacred to this day. 73 stupas top 10 levels of walkways - each lined with intricately carved reliefs depicting the story of Buddha's incarnation. Turning in from the left of the entrance your pilgrimage starts with his birth and you're invited to meditate upon his many teachings, told through mythological sculptures etched into the black stone walls, at every twist and turn. At first narrow and restrictive, each corridor widens as you wind your way up the monument until you reach the open pinnacle - where the open space is said to complement your now clear mind. Atop Borobudur's peak sits a closed stupa - a bell-shaped monolith said to contain the ashes of Buddha. Alas the Buddha that once sat within this walled tomb is now in a museum - safe from poachers eager to fetch a price for its soul. This unique Buddha was never finished. The master Javanese craftsmen who created it were simply unable to complete their task, not knowing what perfection looked like.
          With Sanskrit references and Javanese influences evident in the surrounding scriptures it's impossible to definitively know how such a magnificent structure came to be. But those who make the journey before dawn are able to watch the sun climb over volcanoes and cast a warm glow upon one of the four open stupas, bringing light into the eyes of an idol sculpted thousands of years before. And for those pilgrims, the origin of such a masterpiece is simply accepted as a mystery. Like the creation of Borobudur's lush surrounds, it simply is.

STAY Amanjiwo (www.amanresorts.com) is certainly luxe and has a mesmerising view of Borobudur. But you'll experience better value for money and warmer hospitality at Losari Coffee Plantation & Spa (www.losaricoffeeplantation.com). It's one hour from the temple but worth the journey as just 32 villas are dotted throughout an active coffee plantation of 22 hectares, each hidden from view and offering privacy, spacious outdoor verandahs and breathtaking views of different mountains. The stunning spa is located with an Aren palm forest and offers 600 square metres of total pampering - including Turkish Hamam steam baths and a spring water infinity swimming pool overlooking green valleys and Mount Merapi. Losari's yoga master guides practice each day and a tennis court, kids' club and nearby golf courses, self-healing classes, music and dance lessons, chess sessions and plantation walks provide diversions for all the family.

GETTING THERE Fly to Semarang, Solo or Jogjakarta with Silk Air (www.silkair.com) or Garuda Indonesia (www.garuda-indonesia.com).

Posted Jul 07