Borabadur and Prambanang

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We decide to skip the 3am departure to watch the sun rise over Borobudur, and instead allow ourselves a lie in till 6am, which allows time for breakfast and a very brief glimpse of the volcano before it vanishes back into the mist.

Borobudur is an hour’s drive away, and August takes us on the back routes which are far more scenic and rural and much quieter than the highway. All the guide books say it’s vital to get there before 7.30am when the tour parties arrive, as it gets appallingly crowded. We are nervous that our need for sleep may result in a dreadful visit fighting off the crowds, so are pleasantly surprised, not to say relieved, when we arrive to find a peaceful car park and nobody ahead of us in the ticket queue. The foreigners pay way more than the locals to visit but the ticket office is all very civilised and air conditioned and they even give you a welcome drink. Different to visiting any temple in India! Apparently as it's Ramadan people stay at home rather more, which is good news for us. We decide to take August’s advice and not bother with a guide, once we learn that with a guide it takes two hours to go round. This proves a wise decision. Two hours in the heat would have been far too much, and we overhear some of the guides explaining in great detail what is happening in each bas-relief carving in turn. Even David admits it sounds unutterably dull.

Borobudur is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple 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 a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the temple looms ahead of you as you approach through the landscaped surroundings. The style is Javanese but with heavy Indian influence, and – one understands – the structure reflects Buddhist cosmology and the attaining of Nirvana. Apparently the steps upwards to the various terraces and all steep and high to reflect that attaining Nirvana is not easy. Which is understandable but inconsiderate to those visitors with dicky knees and ankles but hey, you have to work for the reward of getting to the top.

Borobudur was abandoned following the 14th-century decline of the Hindu kingdoms in Java and the conversion of the population to Islam. Then in 1814 Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, who was then the British ruler of Java, was advised of its location by native Indonesians, and he set about ensuring it's restoration, showing what good chaps we British were. In the late 70s and early 80s there was a massive restoration by the Indonesian government and UNESCO.

The climb to the top in the sweltering heat under a cloudless sky is challenging. The relief panels from Buddhist mythology swim in and out of our view as we climb upwards. The temple is people by David's pet hate, idiots with selfie sticks who stop in the middle of these staircases to record themselves. Look at the temple you fools!

The top platform with the stupa is very impressive. There a various saffron robed monks praying in front of the Buddha images there, and the whole place with its views over the plains to the volcanoes is very memorable.

Down we come, taking in the modest museum with documents the restoration, comprising of substantially taking the structure down and rebuilding it, a staggering operation. There was also a big operation that needed doing after 2006 when Mount Merapi erupted and dumped ash over the temple. Looking at the tranquil scene it is hard to imagine such destruction being wrought.

Then it's out of the site through a gauntlet of disinterested souvenir sellers and back to the car. We visit Mendut temple and monastery which is a few miles away. The monastery is very peaceful but the little temple is overwhelmed by structures as there is a big festival about to take place and it rather ruins the atmosphere.

We drive to Prambanan which is about 1.5 hours away. Built in the 10^th century, this is the the largest temple compound dedicated to Shiva in Indonesia and another UNESCO world heritage site. Within the compound are the largest temple dedicated to Shiva, then two to Vishnu and Brahma, and then three smaller temples dedicated to the animals such as Nandi who serve them.

The compound containing the tall pointed temples makes a very dramatic sight as you approach. Again, as with Borobudur, there are platforms at different levels as you ascend the larger temples and these have reliefs depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. Stairs are steep and the sun is unremitting. But again, a fabulous site to visit.

We are told there are three other temples within the park, we march off to visit the Lumbung temple but it is a little dull after the main temples and we decide to return to the car before heatstroke takes us down.

Off to the hotel. This is a somewhat eccentric place with rooms grouped around the pool and the vegetation in the centre of the hotel. The so called deluxe rooms have outdoor toilet and shower, which is pleasant enough but does not really suit Sara who is a favourite meal for mosquitoes. But there is nothing to be done about it except call for more mosquito coils and bug spray and hope for the best.

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