Arjuna Temple, Sikidang Crater & Telaga Warna Dieng

We came here for a day trip starting off from downtown Yogjakarta at 7.00 am. The journey to Dieng Plateau is about 120km but the roads through the countryside are small, narrow, quite busy, and had a stretch of damaged road with lots of potholes.

The ride took about 3 hours and if you do not really like old temples, this site may not be worth your time.

Our first stop was at the Arjuna Temple Complex, then we were off to the Sikidang Crater & our final stop was at Telaga Warna

It’s so green and the breeze is so cold surrounded by beautiful scenery.

Dieng Temple is a cluster of temples located at Dieng Plateau, Wonosobo, Central Java, Indonesia. Other name of the temple cluster is Candi Pandawa or Candi Arjuna. Dieng plateau covers 2900 m south -north and 800 meters wide, an elevation of 2093 m above sea level.

Those temples are Hindu temples to worship Siva built at the end of the 8th century to 9th century period and estimated as the oldest Hindu temple in Java

The complex comprises five temples with four of the temples in a row and the fifth temple facing the first. The temples are all named after characters from the Hindu epic Mahabharata and are dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. They are over a thousand years old and are among the oldest temples in Indonesia.

There is a tree-lined path leading to the temple. Along the path are other buildings of the complex including a fully restored rest-house. The complex is set amidst beautiful gardens with beautiful green mountains as its backdrop.

It’s a small temple complex but it has a beautiful environment and we enjoyed the walk between the different temple areas. So whether you love ancient art and architecture or are just looking for a relaxing day away from the hustle and bustle of the major cities, this complex is a must-see.

Sikidang Crater

This was our first-time experience being up close to an active crater and the sulfur smell was overwhelming even before we reached the crater itself.

The crater itself is a giant boiling lake of sulfurous water. The white thick smoke from the sulfurous water has a pretty strong sulphuric smell and you can see yellow sulfur deposits in the rocks around the crater.

We wouldn’t recommend hanging around for more than 20 mins as the white thick smoke could probably give you a bit of a cough. The smoke is easy to avoid by standing where the wind is blowing from. There is also a gas detector at the entrance to warn people if the levels rise.

The view of the lake and its surroundings were pretty extras breeze of pure air without pollution. It is a very nice place to get away from the busy traffic. There are many spots where you can sit and just enjoy the sound of nature.

Telaga Warna has a short picturesque walking circuit which is refreshing after the long drive from Yogyakarta. The path snakes around Telaga Warna with varied landscapes from paved paths, trails, green hills, rocky moss-covered caves & statues.

This place is certainly worth seeing if you are in this part of Java, but it is the whole ‘cultural landscape’, including both ancient temples and natural attractions which is the drawcard.

Admission Fee 

• Sikidang Crater combined ticket with Arjuna Temple Complex  costing 25,000 IDR
• Telaga Warna Dieng costing 6,000 IDR

Getting There

• The easiest way to get to Dieng Plateau is by car. It is located in Central Java, a round a three-hour drive from Yogyakarta or only 25 km from Wonosobo.
• It is advisable to leave for the plateau early to reach the site before noon. Because of the altitude, the plateau is often covered in the mist by early afternoon.
• By public transport, you can take a bus from Yogyakarta to Magelang and change for Wonosobo. From Wonosobo, take a minibus to the village of Dieng. The sites on the plateau can be reached on foot from the village of Dieng.

Journey from Jogyakarta to Dieng Plateau,Wonosobo

How to Get There
The temple resides in Dieng Kulon Village, Batur Sub-district. It belongs to Banjarnegara District, but the best checkpoint to reach the site is in Wonosobo City. Usually, travelers would ride a local bus from Medolo Bus Station and they may spend about 1 hour to get to the site.

Where to Stay

• Arjuna 2 Hotel
• Gunung Mas Hotel
• Puspa Indah Homestay
• Budjono Hotel

For more information, you may visit https://www.dieng.indonesia-tourism.com/arjuna_temple.html