Dieng Plateau

The lofty plateau of Dieng (2093m above sea level) is home to some of the oldest Hindu temples in Java. Its name comes from DiHyang (Abode of the Gods), and it’s thought that this was once the site of a flourishing temple-city of priests.
More than 400 temples, most of which were built between the 8th and 9th centuries, cov­ ered the highland plain, but with the mysteri­ ous depopulation of Central Java, this site, like Borobudur, was abandoned and forgotten. It was not until 1856 that the archaeologist Van Kinsbergen drained the flooded valley around the temples and catalogued the ruins. The eight remaining temples are characteristic of early Central Javanese architecture – stark and quite squat.
These simple temples, while of great ar­ chaeological importance, are not stunning. Rather, Dieng’s beautiful landscape is the main reason to make the long journey to this isolated region. Any number of walks across the volcanically active plateau, the marshy caldera of a collapsed volcano, are possible – to mineral lakes, steaming craters or even the highest village in Java, Sembungan.
You can either stay in Dieng village, or commute up from Wonosobo, which has bet­ ter facilities. The route up to Dieng is stun­ ning, climbing through vertiginous hillsides of terraced fields planted with potatoes, spring onions and asparagus (all judiciously sprayed with pesticides). Vegetables have replaced pine forests, leaving little to bind the top soil to­ gether; inevitably, landslides are common in the rainy season.
The temples and the main ‘natural’ sights can be seen in one day on foot – arrive in Dieng in the morning, before the afternoon mists roll in. It’s a pleasant three- or fourhour loop south from Dieng village to Telaga Warna (Coloured Lake), Candi Bima (Bima Temple), Kawah Sikidang (Sikidang Crater), and then back to Candi Gatutkaca, the Arjuna Complex and the village. Many other lakes and craters around Dieng are scattered over a large area and are difficult to reach.

Temples

The five main temples that form the Arjuna Complex  are clustered together on the central plain. They are Shiva temples, but like the other Dieng temples they have been named after the heroes of the wayang stories of the Mahabharata epic: Arjuna, Puntadewa, Srikandi, Sembadra and Semar. All have mouth-shaped doorways and strange bell-shaped windows and some locals leave offerings, burn incense and meditate here. Raised walkways link the temples (as most of this land is waterlogged), but you can see the remains of ancient underground tunnels, which once drained the marshy flatlands. Just southwest of the Arjuna Complex are Candi Gatutkaca, two small museums (admission incl in Arjuna ticket price; h 8am-3pm) and a modest cafe. The site museum contains statues and sculptures from the temples, including Shiva’s carrier, Nandi the bull – with the body of a man and the head of a bull, it is a unique representation in Hindu iconography. There’s also a headless image of Shiva himself, depicted in the lotus position, while a gargoyle sporting an erection is distinctly animist. The second museum, a new building directly behind the site museum, has lots of information about the geology of Dieng, the folklore associated with the plateau and more carved statues. All the display information here is in Bahasa Indonesia only. Further south, Candi Bima is unique in Java, its kudu (sculpted heads) looking like specta­ tors peering out of windows. The restored Candi Dwarawati is on the northern outskirts of the village. Near the entrance to Dieng at the river, Tuk Bima Lukar is an ancient bathing spring. It was once a holy place and is said to be a fountain of youth.

Other Slight

The road south from Dieng Plateau Homestay passes a mushroom factory and a flower gar­ den before the turn-off to beautiful Telaga Warna (8am-4.30pm), which has turquoise hues from the bubbling sulphur deposits around its shores. A trail leads anticlockwise to the ad­ joining lake, Telaga Pengilon, and the holy Gua Semar, a renowned meditation cave. Return to the main road via the indistinct trail that leads around Telaga Pengilon and up the terraced hillside. The colours of the lakes are better viewed from up high.
From Telaga Warna it’s about 1km along the main road to Candi Bima, and then another 1.2km to Kawah Sikidang, a volcanic crater with steaming vents and frantically bubbling mud ponds. Exercise ex­ treme caution here – there are no guard rails to keep you from slipping off the sometimes muddy trails into the scalding-hot waters. Kawah Sibentang is a less spectacular crater nearby, and Telaga Lumut is another small lake. Another trail branches off to two lakes: Telaga Nila and (a longer, two-hour walk away) Telaga Dringo. Just a few hundred metres past the turn-off to Kawah Candradimuka is Sumur Jalatunda. This well is in fact a deep hole some 100m across with vertical walls plunging down to bright-green waters.
Another popular spot to see the sunrise and views of the valley is the lookout point on the Wonosobo road, 5km back towards Wonosobo. South of the geothermal station, the paved road leads on to Sembungan, said to be the highest village in Java, at 2300m. Potato farming has made this large village relatively wealthy – it sends an inordinate number of pilgrims to Mecca.
Gunung Sikunir, 1km past Sembungan, and the shallow lake of Telaga Cebong, just beyond the village, are the main attractions in this area. Views from Sikunir are spectacular, stretching across Dieng and east as far as Merapi and Merbabu volcanoes on a clear day. To reach the hill in time for sunrise, start at 4am from Dieng village. It’s a one-hour walk to Sembungan and another 30 minutes to the top of the hill. Dieng Plateau Homestay and Hotel & Restaurant Bu Jono both offer guides for 45,000Rp per person. Other attractions to the west are more dif­ ficult to reach. Telaga Merdada is a large lake, with a mushroom factory next to it.  Kawah Sileri, 2km off the main road and 6km from Dieng, is a smoking crater area with a hot lake. A cave,  Gua Jimat, is a 1km walk through the fields from the main road.
Nine kilometres from Dieng village is the trail to Kawah Candradimuka; it’s a pleasant 1.5km walk to this crater through the fields