Dieng Plateau
Dieng Plateau (northwest of Borobudur, near Wonosobo) makes a marvelous outing if for no other reason than the beautiful drive. Tourists rarely make the day long trip from Jogja to the plateau and back, so chances are you will have it to yourself. A passage through deep valleys in the shadows of magnificent volcanoes studded with coffee, tea and tobacco leads to the rugged magnificence of the plateau, the surrounding earth steaming with geothermal activity.
Dieng Plateau is the site of some of the earliest known Hindu temples on Java, believed to have been built in the ninth century. Two other stops away from the temples are Goa Semar, a cave where the spirit of Semar, a character in the Hindu Mahabarata legend, is said to reside and Telaga Warna, the eerie Colored Lakes. A word of caution: Occasionally gases caused by seismic activity are present on Dieng Plateau. Use common sense and follow the lead of the local residents. If they begin evacuating the area, all visitors should too.
