Shopping Place

Many curious goods are available in many places in this city. If you love timeless pieces, Yogyakarta is the home of batik, traditional wayang puppets, sculpture, ceramics and silverware. Countless handicrafts from outside Yogyakarta can also be found here. Don't be surprised if you bump into souvenirs from Bali or Asmat, often with better deal than if bought in those islands. Alternatively, as a constantly growing city, Yogyakarta has several stylish malls and trade center that offers interesting goods and services at a reasonable cost.

Malioboro

Malioboro street taken from Tugu Station

Malioboro is a well-known shopping promenade and very popular among Indonesian as well as international tourists. Spans from the Tugu Station to the Sultan's ground, Malioboro is 2 kilometers in length and home to hundreds of shops and street-stalls which offers various kind of handicrafts. Several notable places in Malioboro are:

• Pasar Beringharjo (north of Vredeburg Fort). Literally means slanted land, Beringaharjo is the largest traditional marketplace in Yogyakarta. The vendors sell many kind of goods, ranging from basic household items (vegetables, fruits, meats) to many kind of handicraft. Haggle furiously.
• Mirota Batik (opp of Pasar Beringharjo). The large family-owned store offers plenty of handicrafts, not only from Yogyakarta but also from all part of Indonesia.
• Dagadu (lower ground Malioboro Mall). Offers funny contemporary t-shirts and souvenirs that revolves around Yogyakarta people's culture.

If travelling on foot is not your thing, you can ride the pedal-powered trishaw called becak, or the andong horsecart.

Warning: While Yogyakarta is safer than Jakarta, it's not free from pickpockets. Most of the time, Malioboro sidewalk is overcrowded, take standard precautions to protect your belongings.

Shopping Malls

While not as populated as Jakarta, Yogyakarta has several trendy malls which shows a glimpse of the alternate side of Yogyakarta culture.

• Malioboro Mall, Jalan Malioboro. Yogyakarta's premier shopping mall for shopping in hassle-free, air-con comfort. Features a large Matahari department store, a Hero supermarket (B1F), a Periplus book store with a good English selection (B1F), and all the usual suspects of Western and Indonesian fast food (McDonald's, Pizza Hut, KFC, EsTeler 77, etc). Home to the one and only Dagadu outlet.
• Galleria Mall, Jalan Sudirman. Exclusive mall anchored by Matahari department store. Be sure to check out the food court at the basement called Kafe deGale, which is popular among the youths. Features many interesting restaurant including KFC, McDonald's Express, Thai Express, Bakso Gress (Chinese meatballs served with noodles), Mie Nusantara, Bee's (Japanese Bento), Es Teler 77, Cheers Cup (assortments of fresh drinks). An exclusive Billyard area is located in the third floor.
• Plaza Ambarrukmo, Jalan Solo . Located next to the historical Ambarrukmo Hotel, the huge 7 floor shopping complex features a Carrefour Hypermarket, Centro Department Store, Gramedia Bookstore, Timezone, 21 Cineplex, Bread Talk, etc.
• Saphir Square, Jalan Solo. A large trade center located next to the Saphir Hotel.

Handicrafts

• Saptohoedojo Art Gallery, Jl. Solo Km 9 (500m from airport), [9]. This fascinatingly weird sprawling complex houses an utterly eclectic collection of Indonesian art, ranging from abstract modern paintings and batik shirts through gamelan instruments and stuffed tigers to Papuan tribal totems complete with the skulls of vanquished enemies. Everything is for sale and previous customers, pictures of whom are proudly pasted on the walls, include Pope John Paul II and the Dalai Lama. While the adjoining restaurant looks quite attractive, the food served is rather disappointing.