Central Java is the cultural heartland of Java island, being home to traditional arts and crafts such as batik, gamelan and wayang kulit. The area is well-connected by railway, with many trains from all major destinations in Java calling at Semarang, Solo and Yogyakarta. Each of these cities also has an airport with daily flights from elsewhere in the archipelago.
The province contains Ribus with some of the best viewpoints in Indonesia and hiking is incredibly popular here, especially with Indonesian students. Merbabu, Merapi, Sumbing, Sindoro and Slamet are among the finest hikes in Indonesia. Dieng’s Gunung Prau offers a pleasant ridge walk with great views of higher neighbouring mountains. Unfortunately it is also very, very popular at weekends to the extent that it is now difficult to take a photo that doesn’t have a tent in it. Muria is not especially well-known outside the local area but is a lovely place to witness sunrise. Both Ungaran and Telomoyo are outlying peaks from the Merbabu massif and moderately interesting in their own right.
If you are not a fan of sharing the summit views with hundreds of other hikers, it is best you go either mid-week or during Ramadan, as over the last decade the number of hikers on mountains across Java during the weekend has increased unimaginably. This means that trails are usually obvious (though badly-eroded) but also that there is a fair amount of litter and if camping you may not get much sleep due to the incessant chattering of local student hikers.
For domestic flights from or to Central Java, such as the airports in Semarang, Solo (Surakarta) and Yogyakarta/Jogjakarta we recommend Baolau.
We recommend Safety Wing as travel insurance for overseas travellers and tourists hiking up to elevations not exceeding 4500 metres.
A Selection of Photos of Central Java’s Ribus and Spesials
Map of Central Java’s Ribus and Spesials
Download these peaks as a kml file.
Statistics and Links to Central Java’s Ribus and Spesials
Name |
Elevation |
Drop |
Ribu Category |
Island |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gunung Slamet | 3,428 m | 3,284 m |  Sangat Tinggi |
Java | |
| Gunung Sumbing – Puncak Rajawali | 3,371 m | 2,628 m | Sangat Tinggi |
Java | |
| Gunung Sindoro | 3,153 m | 1,764 m | Sangat Tinggi |
Java | |
| Gunung Merbabu – Puncak Triangulasi | 3,145 m | 2,432 m | Sangat Tinggi |
Java | |
| Gunung Merapi | 2,930 m | 1,356 m |  Tinggi Sedang |
Java | |
| Dieng Plateau – Gunung Prau | 2,600m | 938 m |  Spesial |
Java | |
| Gunung Ungaran – Puncak Botak | 2,050 m | 1,320 m | Tinggi Sedang |
Java | |
| Gunung Telomoyo | 1,894m | 617 m | Spesial |
Java | |
| Gunung Muria – Puncak Songolikur | 1,610 m | 1,602 m |  Kurang Tinggi |
Java |