Affandi Museum

Address: Jl. Laksda Adisucipto 167, Yogyakarta
Phone : +62 274 562593

Website: http://www.affandi.org/

Photo of one of Affandi's self-portrait

Affandi is one of Indonesia's famous painters. This museum was once Affandi's house and studio, but now it showcases his works.

The entrance fee is only Rp. 20,000,- which includes a free souvenir and 1 free drink. I felt the museum was really pleasant as the surrounding was filled with lush greens. In the middle, is his residence which has been turned into a cafe where visitors can relax after going through the museum. The roof of this building is quite unique - shaped as a banana leaf.

Residence turned cafe

There are 3 main galleries in the museum. The first gallery showcases Affandi's paintings, the second is filled with paintings made by his friends, and in the third gallery, you can find paintings painted by some of his children who have also become painters. 

You can also watch a documentary about Affandi in the third gallery. I watched for a few minutes, where Affandi explained how he needs to observe objects before painting them so that he can "become" them. 

Affandi, as one probably would expect from an artist, was quite eccentric. Before going to the museum, I have heard stories of Affandi where he would not bathe for days, so his wife would hose him down. I actually got to see a photograph of this in the museum :)

Affandi & Wife

Affandi museum lies near Yogyakarta's international airport, about 15 minutes drive. So it is a good stop to spend 1 or 2 hours before you hop on your plane.

Famous Temples near Yogyakarta

Pic by: Marcello and Anita Tranchini

Last July, I went to Yogya with a few friends of mine and finally got the chance to see the Borobudur temple. Declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, going to this 9th century Buddhist temple has always been on my Must-Do list.

My friends had already gone to Borobudur when they were little, so when we saw a bike rental not far after entering the main gate, we thought it would be a different experience than just walking to the temple. Not too mention the day was quite hot so we didn't feel like walking.

There was also the option of taking the park train (those small trains on wheels which you often find in amusement parks). However, the train didn't have a fix schedule. When we asked one of the men near the train when it would depart, he answered "Just in a minute, when there are more people". Being Indonesians, we know better that "Just in a minute" might mean half an hour :)

Even though the bike ride was an enjoyable experience, I don't think I would recommend it to foreign tourists, since the guys renting the bike couldn't speak any english and even we were confused with the rules for renting them, such as where to leave the bike once we got to the temple etc. But eventually, we made it and it was lots of fun.

Btw, my Borobudur experience was made more memorable because I got a heavy sunburn afterwards.

Another famous temple near Yogya which I got to see on this trip, is the Hindu temple: Prambanan which lies in the Prambanan temple compound. We passed by this temple on our way to Solo.

A shame that our schedule was so tight, because at night, the Prambanan temple becomes the back-drop of the Ramayana performance where the epic story of Ramayana is told through Javanese dances.

Borobudur Temple - One of the Wonders of the World

During my vacation, I went to the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. It was magnificent. No wonder it is one of New7Wonders finalists and it's on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Just a few pics of the Alhambra (from inside the Nasrid palace) :

Indonesia also has a couple of sites on UNESCO's list. One of them is the Borobudur temple and is often referred to as one of the world's wonders because it is the largest buddhist monument in the world. It was built in the 9th century and consists of 2,672 relief panels and 504 statues.

Pic from : http://mepow.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/candi-borobudur-bukan-sekedar-tumpukan-batu/

Personally, I haven't been to Borobodur yet, so going there is one of the top things on my Must Do list. If you are free this month, then it would be a good time to go because the Borobudur International Festival will be held on 25 - 29 June 2009. The festival includes cultural performances, trade exhibitions and seminars.

Also in commemoration of Vesak (a Buddhist holiday), a spectacular show of traditional Javanese dances with the Borobudur as a back-drop will be performed at the compound.


Want to visit Borobudur? Check its website for latest events : http://www.borobudurpark.co.id/