Salatiga

Salatiga is a town in Central Java, Indonesia. It is known for its cool weather and the Merbabu volcano. It is also the site of the annual Festival Mata Air, a festival highlighting the importance of sustainable use of Central Java's water resources.

Understand
Salatiga was designated as a town in 1917 by the Dutch East Indies government. It was called De Schoonste Stad van Midden-Java (the most beautiful town in Central Java) because it sits at the foot of Mount Merbabu and Mount Telomoyo. Because of the cool weather, the Dutch settled at the area and built luxurious houses along Diponegoro Street. Salatiga is one of the most tolerant cities in Indonesia, with students from many parts of the country studying at the Satya Wacana Christian University.

By bus
There are frequent buses from Yogyakarta, Solo and Semarang as well as the "travel" services, mini-buses that will pick you up and drop you off.

It takes around an hour from Solo or Semarang, and around three hours from Yogyakarta. Bus operators that serve the Semarang to Solo route include Rajawali, Safari, Taruna, and Ismo. Ask the bus driver's assistant (the person who checks your ticket on board the bus) to wake you up or let you know when you get to Salatiga. The bus station is the in the southern part of the town. Minibuses to Kopeng stops at.

By car
Salatiga is on the main road that connects Semarang and Solo. If you come from Semarang through the Semarang–Solo Toll Road, take the Bawen exit, as the Salatiga exit is too far south from the town center.

By angkota
There are some angkota (mini-van) public transport lines which are numbered. The minibus number 5 will take you from the southern town border to the Plaza Taman Sari. Unfortunately, no public transport is allowed to go through the main "market" road (i.e. Jalan Jenderal Sudirman) because it is so crowded, however the market and shops along this street are within a walking distance from the minibus routes. A single ride costs Rp3,000 for adults and Rp2,000 for students. A list of angkota routes is available at the city government website.

By ride-hailing apps
Using your smartphone, you can now easily hail a GoJek or Grab in Salatiga. It is worth investing in a local SIM card with data so you can use the apps. Because the maps used in the app are not always reliable, drivers tend to call you shortly after they accept the job, to get more precise information. It is helpful to have enough Indonesian language skills to tell them exactly where you are waiting, to be able to describe a useful landmark, and what colour clothes you are wearing.

See
Merbabu, an inactive volcano, is more than 3,000 m high. Most people will head to nearby Kopeng which is about 20 minutes away by car.



Do
Salatiga is a small town, therefore there are not many attractions around.



Buy
Although Salatiga has a relatively large market (fresh market and clothes shops in one large area), it is not special and not geared to tourists. There is a small shopping center, "Plaza Taman Sari", near the clock tower roundabout, between Jl Diponegoro and Jl Sudirman.



Eat
Eateries are spread out around the town. Those around the university tend to be cheap. Mie Bandung (Jalan Pemotongan) serves good chicken noodles (though salty) and "nasi tim" (soft steamed rice with chicken and soy sauce topping). In 2009 they cost below Rp10,000. Tumpang Koyor a popular dish in Salatiga made from beef and brisket fat and cooked with various spices. You can easily find tumpang koyor anywhere in Salatiga.

Tuntang (one of Salatiga's neighbouring districts) is close to the Rawa Pening lake, where you can find a group of lesehan grilled fish traditional restaurants. These restaurants have small gazebos where you can eat sitting on the floor. Lesehan means "sitting cross-legged on the floor.



Drink
Non-alcoholic drinks are served in most small eating places and medium to large restaurants. They tend to be sweet. The "es campur" (literally "mixed ice") consists of tape (sweet fermented cassava), pearl balls, black "cincau" cubes, agar-agar, sometimes with mung beans, served with syrup, crushed ice and sweetened condensed milk.

Budget

 * Plaza Salatiga Hotel – in the centre of the town. It is not immediately obvious from the main road (Jalan Jenderal Sudirman) but located inside an "enclave" of shop houses. From Rp 100,000, you will get a room with a fan and hot water, including breakfast.

Connect
The area code for Salatiga is 0298.

Go next

 * Kopeng is about 15-20 min by car to the southwest of Salatiga. From Kopeng, continue to Magelang, the nearest large town to the Borobudur temple, the largest Buddhist temple in the world.
 * Ambarawa is a small town with a railway museum, 15-20 min by car northwest of Salatiga.
 * Surakarta, one of the two centers of Javanese culture (Yogyakarta is the other) is one hour by car to the southeast of Salatiga.