It’s not often I splurge on an accommodation, but when the need arises for the sake of photography, I would make a consideration every now and then. For my trip to the UNESCO Heritage site of Borobudur in Indonesia, I wanted to be within the vicinity of the temple for easy access for the sunrise and staying in Manohara Hotel Borobudur would be the best option to stay.
Within the Temple Grounds
Manohara Hotel have a superb and unrivaled location. Only a very short walk to the Borobudur temple and overlooking from their garden. Seeing Borobudur with dramatic lighting at night was definitely worth it.
Pleasant Sanctuary
The Manohara Hotel is composed of 30 air conditioned rooms spaced out evenly inside the lovely garden overlooking Borobudur temple. Each room have their own porch. The styling may look old world but the environment and the rooms were well-kept and clean. I got a double bed room and it was cool and comfortable complete with amenities like TV, refrigerator, complimentary tea and coffee and access to wifi. I especially like that there’s a coffee table book about Borobudur I could pore through and make me excited about visiting the temple.
Cultural Surprises
I wasn’t aware there was a Ramayana and Wayang performance that evening after dinner. It was really entertaining to watch as the actors and musicians were very good and delivered a brilliant performance no matter how small the ensemble was. It was also perfect that we have the lit Borobudur as the backdrop.
Verdict
At first, the Double Room price may be too much but considering the room rates includes the entrance to the park (IDR 190,000) with unlimited access to Borobudur, it wasn’t bad. The sunrise access is also cheaper than offered for non-guest. The cultural performance was a surprising add-on.
Price: IDR 745,000 (US$ 77) for the Double Room
Contact: www.manoharaborobudur.com
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