Taman Sari, the Palace Complex and the batik handicrafts

Taman Sari is a complex of Palaces with pools from mid-18th century, the era of Sultanate of Yogyakarta. It is located very close to Kraton Palace. At the entrance you will meet the tour guides who are dying to offer you their service. Let’s take one and support the economy! Although his explanations are like ‘My dear Sultan used to have fun here at this pool with his third wife, my Sultan used to play at this another pool…’ it’s always good to have a company of a local… The Palace complex also includes an area of 2700 residents which is called Kampung Taman, narrow streets lined with batik shops and ateliers to support this national handicraft. The community is known for their traditional painting craft traditions. I go into one of the shops and buy a long skirt to feel more comfortable. The batik crafts are beautiful but they are so many after a while you may start seeing everything in batik colours!