• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Time Travel Turtle

A travel blog with stories beyond the brochure

  • HOME
  • ABOUT ME
  • CONTACT ME
  • BY COUNTRY
    • WEST EUROPE
      • Belgium
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Ireland
      • Liechtenstein
      • Luxembourg
      • Netherlands
      • Northern Ireland
      • Scotland
      • Switzerland
      • Wales
    • NORTH EUROPE
      • Estonia
      • Finland
      • Latvia
      • Lithuania
      • Norway
      • Sweden
    • SOUTH EUROPE
      • Cyprus
      • Gibraltar
      • Greece
      • Holy See
      • Italy
      • Malta
      • Portugal
      • San Marino
      • Spain
    • EAST EUROPE
      • Austria
      • Belarus
      • Croatia
      • Czech Republic
      • Hungary
      • Montenegro
      • Poland
      • Serbia
    • NORTH ASIA
      • China
      • Japan
      • Kazakhstan
      • Kyrgyzstan
      • Mongolia
      • North Korea
      • Tajikistan
      • Uzbekistan
    • SOUTH ASIA
      • Cambodia
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Myanmar
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Sri Lanka
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • NORTH AMERICA
      • Antigua & Barbuda
      • Belize
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • USA
    • SOUTH AMERICA
      • Argentina
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Uruguay
    • AFRICA
      • Egypt
      • Morocco
      • Namibia
      • South Africa
    • OCEANIA
      • Australia
      • New Zealand
    • MIDDLE EAST
      • Jordan
      • Turkey
  • MOST POPULAR
    • The world’s oldest backpacker
    • Orangutans in Borneo
    • The need for speed
    • Trying to get out of the slum
    • The lake swamped with tourism
    • Journey into Dreamland
    • The village where life begins again
    • Is Cambodia safe for travellers?
    • Making the perfect gin and tonic
  • UNESCO

The mythical world of music and dance

April 26, 2020 | Michael Turtle | 7 Comments

CULTURAL PERFORMANCE

Ramayana Ballet, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

It’s appropriate that with the ancient Prambanan Temple in the background, you are transported back to a time of demons, heroic animals and epic royal quests. It’s a mythical world illustrated through dance and music that is the setting for a love story centuries old.

The Ramayana Ballet is the most famous performance in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta. It was only while I was going through some photos of my trip there late last year that I realised I hadn’t shared any photos of the incredible show.

Ramayana Ballet at Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

It’s a graceful and fluid spectacle that juxtaposes the grandeur of the large open air stage with the focused detail of the ballet choreography. The whole performance, with the backdrop of the temple, feels exotic and, at the same time intimate. The costumes, the expressions, and the songs draw you in.

The tale is an old Indian epic which has become popular in Indonesia and is the same portrayed in the Ramayana performance at Bali’s Uluwatu. A young princess is kidnapped by an evil demon and her lover prince, with the help of his brother and a monkey, set out to save her. The narrative climaxes at a pint where the mischievous animal sets fire to the palace of the antagonists.

Photos have trouble capturing the movements and animate beauty of the show but hopefully this collection gives you a sense of how it feels to be in the theatre with the hundreds of other spectators.

Ramayana Ballet at Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Ramayana Ballet at Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Ramayana Ballet at Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Ramayana Ballet at Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Ramayana Ballet at Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Ramayana Ballet at Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Ramayana Ballet at Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Ramayana Ballet at Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Ramayana Ballet at Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

THE BEST ACCOMMODATION IN YOGYAKARTA

There are some really cool places in Yogyakarta, which is just would you would expect from one of Indonesia’s most creative cities.

BACKPACKER

If you’re looking for a backpacker option, I would recommend the cool Cubic Jogja.

BUDGET

A good cheap and comfortable hotel is Aloha Hotel.

BOUTIQUE

For some ecofriendly accommodation, there’s the affordable Greenhost Boutique Hotel in a good location.

LUXURY

And when it comes to luxury, I would recommend the Sofia Boutique Residence.

Time Travel Turtle was a guest of the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism but the opinions, over-written descriptions and bad jokes are his own.

Indonesia Travel Guide

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT INDONESIA?

See my Indonesia Travel Guide

To help you plan your trip to Indonesia:

  • How to see Komodo dragons at Komodo National Park
  • Indonesia’s most incredible heritage site
  • Take a boat into the jungle to meet the wild orangutans
  • Go beyond Bali’s tourism to find the spirits in the rice fields
  • Why Raja Ampat is probably the world’s best diving
  • Visiting the majestic Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta
  • The best things to do in central Jakarta
  • Take a jeep ride up the dangerous Mount Merapi
  • Learning to code on a inspiring retreat in Bali

Let someone else do the work for you:

You may also want to consider taking a tour of Indonesia, rather than organising everything on your own. It’s also a nice way to have company if you are travelling solo.

I am a ‘Wanderer’ with G Adventures and they have great tours of Indonesia.

You could consider:

  • Best of Java (9 days)
  • Classic Bali and Lombok (14 days)
  • Islands of Indonesia (22 days)

When I travel internationally, I always get insurance. It’s not worth the risk, in case there’s a medical emergency or another serious incident. I recommend you should use World Nomads for your trip.

Reader Interactions

    Comments Cancel reply

  1. Jennifer |

    March 30, 2013 at 10:32 pm

    Reply

    Incredible. I would love to see a dance theater like this. The movements must be incredibly beautiful.

    • Michael Turtle |

      April 16, 2013 at 9:08 pm

      Reply

      It was quite an incredible performance. So many little details but on such a large scale!

  2. Aristya |

    March 31, 2013 at 12:18 am

    Reply

    This called wonderful Indonesia. So proud to be Indonesian 🙂

    • Michael Turtle |

      April 16, 2013 at 9:08 pm

      Reply

      You have every reason to be proud of your country, Aristya! It’s a beautiful place with so many wonderful things to discover and explore!

  3. Muhammad Irfan Fauzi |

    June 29, 2013 at 7:43 pm

    Reply

    Nice, I’m on the photo, right behind the dancer (as the Gamelan music player). Thanks for publish this incredible performance, and most of the Dancer and MuSic Player are university student. 😀

  4. Timothy W Pawiro |

    January 30, 2014 at 5:58 am

    Reply

    I did watch this ramayana ballet, but indoor.

    Now I think I should watch the open-air version of it.
    It’s so majestic with Prambanan temple as the background! Love it 🙂

    • Michael Turtle |

      February 10, 2014 at 3:59 pm

      Reply

      The background definitely makes it look pretty special. But I have seen a few versions of it now and it’s always a good story and well-performed.

Primary Sidebar

This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. This isn't a diary - these are real stories from the world.

Want Occasional Updates?

Sign up to be the first to hear the latest about the adventures of Time Travel Turtle. You'll also get access to special offers and exclusive news.
Thank you! You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter.

Search

  • PRIVACY POLICY