The town of Magelang is an unremarkable cluster of street stalls, simple eateries, and souvenir vendors; but local accommodation choices run from hostels through to the uber-luxe Amanjiwo retreat. Basing yourself here—or joining a multi-day tour of Central Java that includes time in Magelang—lets you appreciate Borobudur at both sunset and sunrise, and enjoy the subsidiary temples of Mendut and Pawon. You can also hike rice fields, experience village life, raft the Progo River, or tour the bizarre multi-faith structure known as the Chicken Church.
Magelang sits among the volcanoes of Central Java about a 27-mile (43-kilometer) drive north of Yogyakarta railway station and a similar distance northwest of Yogyakarta Airport. Regular buses run to and from Yogyakarta’s Jombor terminal to Magelang and Borobudur from morning until afternoon.
More people live on the island of Java than in all of Japan, so there’s no quiet time to visit Magelang and Borobudur. Crowds can be especially intense in July and August, but Magelang comes alive in a good way for the Buddhist festival of Waisak, which generally falls in May or June.