On our way from the Borobudur temple to the Prambanan temple in Yogyakarta, our driver noticedย Jordiย staring at the Mount Merapi volcano. When our driver then suggested to make an extra stop for a jeep ride to Mount Merapi, we didn’t hesitate.
Merapi Jeep Adventure Yogyakarta
Without having made any reservation, we could immediately rent a jeep with a driver at “Merapi Jeep Adventure Yogyakarta” (also known as Merapi Jaya). The tours and pricing they offer are:
- Short route (1 hour) for 350K Indonesian Rupiah (approx. ยฃ20) per person;
- Medium route (2 hours) for IDR 450K (approx. ยฃ 26) per person;
- Long route (2 hours and 40 minutes) for IDR 550K (approx. ยฃ 32) per person;
- Sunrise trip (3 hours) for IDR 450K (approx. ยฃ26) per person.
The prices also include entry to the Mount Merapi Museum, helmets, mouth masks protecting against the sand and dust, and water for the medium and long route.
Heart-shaped viewpoint
After a bit of a bumpy and dusty ride in the jeep, we reached our first stop. It was a heart-shaped viewpoint where you could get your pictures taken for a small fee. We thought the heart-shape looked cute, so we went for it:
Mount Merapi open air museum
The next stop was the open-air museum of Mount Merapi. The museum is a small village that got destroyed by the eruption of the volcano. It was impressive to see a living room with furniture that was still covered by the lava dust.
We were surprised to see that they were building new villages close to the volcano. Mount Merapi is the most active volcano in Indonesia, with small eruptions every 2-3 years. The last significant eruption was in 2010 and caused almost 350 deaths. I don’t think I would like to live there.
Bunker Kaliadem
The next stop was bunker Kaliadem, where the villagers seek shelter when there is a volcano eruption. It is hard to imagine what it must feel like to hide here from the burning lava coming out of the Mount Merapi.
Final stop: Mount Merapi viewpoint
Our last stop was another viewpoint from where we took pictures with the jeep. The idea was to have mount Merapi in the background, but by the time we reached it had gone all cloudy.
Although it wasn’t planned, the jeep tour was a fun experience, and I would definitely recommend it as a stopover between Borobudur and Prambanan. Just make sure to wear your free mouth mask. I didn’t wear it, and by the time we got back my throat was all irritated and I started coughing. I guess I breathed in too much sand and dust…
Add to your bucket list:
Book now:
If you prefer to book your Mount Merapi Jeep Tour in advance, check outย Viatorย for organised group and private tours:ย
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