Welcome to Indonesia

Selamat datang (welcome to) Yogyakarta, Indonesia. A country comprising over 17,000 islands, Indonesia’s culture is rich and diverse, and this college city––known for its sweet treats and ancient Javanese batik dyeing––seamlessly blends tradition with modernity.

After you land at Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA), meet your English-speaking guide in the arrivals hall and transfer to the hotel. Take some time to settle in and enjoy a festive Welcome Dinner this evening.

Overnight: The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta

Working Day & Excursion to Kota Gede

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before commencing with a working day. Lunch is served at the hotel along with several coffee breaks throughout the day.

In the late afternoon, transfer to Kota Gede and explore this traditional Javanese neighborhood before dinner. Kota Gede is renowned for its intricate silver jewelry. Witness a silversmith showcase their craft at a local workshop and wander the winding back streets filled with craft showrooms, markets, and historic architecture.

Walk to a nearby restaurant serving Indonesian delicacies.

Overnight: The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta

Full Working Day

After breakfast, meet your colleagues for another full working day at the hotel. Lunch is served at the hotel along with several coffee breaks throughout the day.

Between working sessions, you may wish to explore the area around your hotel. About a 20 minute walk away you will find Malioboro Street, an area filled with bustling markets where you can purchase souvenirs and sample some of the city’s famous desserts.

This evening, come together for a group dinner outside of the hotel and enjoy the local cuisine.

Overnight: The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta

Full Working Day & Ramayana Ballet Performance

After breakfast, begin another full working day at the hotel with your colleagues. Lunch is served at the hotel along with two coffee breaks throughout the day.

Later in the afternoon, depart for a buffet dinner accompanied by an exquisite performance of the Ramayana Ballet, a Javanese dance-drama depicting an epic love story, accompanied by gamelan music, an ensemble of traditional Javanese instruments. The performance combines different aspects of traditional Javanese culture with dance, drama, music, and customs all on display.

Overnight: The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta

Full Working Day

After breakfast, come together for a final full working day at the hotel. Lunch is served at the hotel along with several coffee breaks throughout the day.

Enjoy a group dinner of authentic Indonesian cuisine.

Overnight: The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta

Temple Tours & Cooking Class

After an early breakfast at your hotel, depart for an optional half day tour of Borobudur Temple, located just outside of Yogyakarta. The complex is a magnificent 9th century Mahayana Buddhist temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the largest single Buddhist monument in the world. Renowned for its impressive architecture and intricate stone carvings, two million stone blocks were required to build the temple which comprises 2,500 relief panels and more than 500 Buddha statues.

After your tour, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.

The afternoon will be a blend of culture with a tour and visit to Prambanan Hindu Temple followed by an cooking class. Prambanan Temple, also built in the 9th century but with Hindu design, is identifiable by its towering and pointed architecture. While not as iconically “Indonesian” as Borobudur, Prambanan is just as impressive and bears striking similarities to the world’s largest religious structure, Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

Next, learn how to make classic Indonesian dishes in a private cooking class featuring ingredients from all over the island of Java. Learn how to prepare many of the foods you have been introduced to throughout your week so far, such as the local fried rice staple, nasi goreng, and some of Indonesia’s famous desserts like klepon, sweet rice balls coated in fresh coconut and bursting with molten palm sugar. Enjoy the fruits of your labor for dinner, then return to the hotel to rest.

Overnight: The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta

Royal City Tour & Partial Working Day

Have breakfast at the hotel before departing on a Royal City Tour of Yogyakarta, Java’s cultural heartland.

Visit a batik factory for an introduction to the process, tools, and dyes used in batik painting before partaking in a hands-on session to create your own original batik!

After the batik lesson, tour the Sultan’s Palace. Known as the Kraton, this grand complex is the official residence of the Sultan and showcases Javanese culture and history through ornate reception halls, open-air pavilions, and museums.

Finally, visit the 18th century Taman Sari Water Castle, a former royal garden and bathing complex with unique architectural elements, underground tunnels, and a series of bathing pools used by the first Sultanate of Yogyakarta. Today’s sightseeing will end with lunch before transferring back to the hotel for a few working hours this afternoon.

Come together this evening for a Farewell Dinner and reflect on your wonderful week together!

Overnight: The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta

Departures

Enjoy a final breakfast at the hotel before checking out this morning. Have a safe journey home or to Cambodia for your program site visit.

For more information about the Global Leadership Retreat, be sure to visit the following pages:

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Pre-Departure Information
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