Central Java (Jawa Tengah)

1. Baturraden
Baturraden. Central Java’s most outstanding resort, approximately 14 kms north of Purwokerto, an administrative town in the southern of Java island. It is occupies a fine site on the slopes of Mount Slamet, 650 m above sea level, feel the coolness air, nice gardens, pines forest, hot springs, ponds and bungalow-style hotels.

2. Kailasa Museum: Tracing The Ancient Javanese Civilization
If you like religious objects, you should visit the Kailasa Dieng Museum. In this museum, you could trace the ancient Javanese Hindu civilization of the 7th and 8th centuries. The Kailasa Museum is situated in Gedung Arca Compound and belongs to the Central Java Conservation Agency in Dieng, Batur sub-district, Banjarnegara district, Central Java. Since it is situated within the Dieng area, you could also see a beautiful and cold environment because the Dieng highlands is not only famous for its ancient civilization but also its beautiful and natural scenery.
3. Museum Batik Danar Hadi
"Galeri Batik Kuno Danar Hadi" is located at the centre of Surakarta, at Jl. Brig. Jen. Slamet Riyadi No. 261-263, the main street of Surakarta. The passion of H.Santosa Doellah for preserving Batik, trigger the idea of building a museum of batik. As one of the Cultural identities, batik is an insperable part of the city of Surakarta - or popularly known as Solo. Batik crafts-starting from home industries to giant professional manufacturers - are a common sight in every corner of the city.The history of Batik Danar Hadi also began in this city, when H. Santosa Doellah and his wife Hj. Danarsih Santosa decided to start their batik business in 1967.The name Danar Hadi itself was actually a combination of two names ; Ibu Danarsih and her father H.Hadipriyono. Displayed in this gallery are the antique batiks that were created through the period of time before and during the Dutch and Japanese occupancy, till the independence of Indonesia. Observe batik art at its finest, which includes the Batik Kraton, Batik Belanda, Batik Cina, Batik Hokokai, Batik Indonesia and Batik Saudagaran. The old building of Ndalem Wuryanigratan itself is promised to be an interesting object for cultural tourism, displaying the spendor of traditional Javanese architecture.
4. Sangiran: Home of The "Java" Man
“Java Man”, otherwise known as pithecanthropus erectus, is believed to be the original inhabitant of the Indonesian archipelago some 1.5 million years ago. In 1890, Dutch military physician and paleoantrhopologist Eugene Dubois first discovered a fossilized primate jawbone at Trinil near Madiun, East Java, which possessed distinctly human characteristics. Later local residents found similar fossils at Sangiran, Central Java. The jawbone was found together with other fossilized mammals thought to have been extinct hundred thousands of years ago. Dubois was convinced that this was Darwin’s “missing link” in the evolution of man. Today, scientists recognize that prehistoric “Java Man” and the “Peking Man” are members of the species “Homo erectus”, direct ancestors of modern homo sapiens and inhabited the earth between 1.7 million to 250,000 years ago. Scientists also report that 60 individuals have been found in the districts of Sragen and Karanganyar, which together comprise more than 50% of such fossils found around the world. Sangiran was recognized by UNESCO in 1996 as World Heritage Site, next to Indonesia’s temples of Borobudur and Prambanan also located in Central Java.
What differentiates homo erectus from modern man is his thick, long and low skull, and a massive face with strongly protruding brow ridges. Today, the original discoveries are stored at the Bandung Geological Museum, while replicas may be viewed at the Sangiran Museum. Further research revealed that “Java man” lived in caves or in open camps and was probably the first humanoids who used fire. He also used stone axes and hand-adzes, most of which were discovered by the Baksoka River near Pacitan. During the Pleistocene period, the area seemed to have been at the bottom of the sea, but through pressure it has risen. The small Sangiran Museum, which is located some 15 km north of the town of Solo (otherwise known as Surakarta), Central Java, shows a diorama on how prehistoric men might have lived. There are also fossil shells and animal bones, and enormous 4-meter tusks from a stegodon which is estimated to have measured 11 meters from head to tail. Some 5 km west of the museum stands a three-storey viewing tower, from which one can see around the Sangiran valley. There is an audio-visual room on the evolution of man according to Darwin’s theory. The Sangiran 48 square km archaeological site located by the Bengawan Solo river at the foot of Mt. Lawu is rich in prehistoric fossils, often lying exposed in the fields after a heavy storm. Today, with little real supervision, locals are only too eager to sell fossils, mostly seashells to visitors, although illegal.
5. Tlogo Plantation
Tlogo Plantation has cool air and beautiful view with various plantation such as coffee, rubber, nutmeg and cloves. It is located 6 kms or only 10 minutes drive from The Ambarawa Railway Museum.

(references: www.indonesia.travel and www.my-indonesia.info)