Solo Hotels
Solo is situated 65 kilometers northeast of Yogyakarta, and was formally known as Surakarta. It was the center of power during the great Javanese era. It is larger than Yogya but has the small town feel and is not as hot a tourist spot as its neighbor. The royal city of Solo boasts of two palaces and the surrounding countryside is home to some of Indonesia's more unusual and ancient temples.
There is not much to see in Solo but you can always check out some places like Kraton Surakarta, which is the older and more important of the city's two royal palaces is the. The Kraton Mangkunegara was established by a nephew of Surakarta's founder after a bitter dispute with the Susuhunan, and is a smaller palace than the Kraton Surakarta. The Pasar Triwindu is Solo's flea market and is close to Kraton Mangkunegara.
Solo is also a good place for exploring the surrounding area. You can take many day trips from Solo to neighboring towns and places like Candi Sukuh. Tucked away in the mountains near Solo in central Java, Candi Sukuh is one of the more interesting Hindu temples in all of Southeast Asia. The temple of Candi Sukuh is unique not only in its overall design, but also in decor. Candi Seto is further up in the same mountain and like Sukuh, Ceto is a fertility temple. The view down from the temple is beautiful.
Sangiran is around 15 kilometers north of Solo and it is an archaeological excavation. This is where the prehistoric 'Java Man' was unearthed in 1936.