LOCATION:
This biggest Hindu temple in South East Asia is located about 20km east of Yogyakarta, 40km west of Solo (Surakarta) or 120km south of Semarang. It is located in Desa Prambanan ("desa" means "a village") in Kabupaten Sleman ("Kabupaten" means "a regency" or "a district"). Prambanan Temple still lies within the Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (special district) border. Right after the temple site, one will be entering the district of Surakarta (Solo).

Prambanan Temple is best arrived from downtown Yogyakarta by the city's many travel agents who will provide transportation to the temple, and if requested, to Ramayana Ballet Open Theatre nearby for an evening programme. The cost of tours vary: I paid Rp60.000 (about US$7) for a round trip tour of Prambanan and Ramayana Ballet. Often a visit to Prambanan is combined with another visit to Candi Borobudur for a full-day trip for about Rp100.000 (about US$12) per person.

To enjoy the sunset, it is recommended that you depart from Yogyakarta around 1500hrs. In general, the sun sets in Central Java region at around 1750hrs.

DESCRIPTION:
Some travel guides do recommend waiting at the temple complex until the sun goes down. With the park authority closing the compound at 1800hrs, it is possible to enjoy the sunset for 1/2 hours before leaving.

I arrived at the complex around 1600hrs i.e. in broad daylight. The tour did give the best of both worlds. I enjoyed the view of the majestic temples against the deep-blue Javanese sky and patiently awaited for the sun to set while sipping bottled drinks sold by the street vendors.

At around 1700hrs, you will start to notice the change in hues of the temple walls. The setting sun gave the temples a spectacular combination of orange and red colours. It was magnificent.

Just as the sun was being buried in the horizon, the temples turned into dark silhouettes against the spectacular blue, pink, yellow and orange coloured sky. It was certainly a sight to behold and highly recommended for your experience.

MY VERDICT:
Amazing sunset view. Very peaceful and great experience.