When you travel to Yogyakarta by bus, most possibly you will stop at Giwangan terminal. This bus stop that is the biggest type-A terminal in Indonesia is located in an area with the same name of it. Starting to function since 2 years ago, this terminal becomes transit place for buses connecting Yogyakarta with other big cities in Indonesia such as Bali, Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Medan, Riau and Mataram.
This luxurious terminal that was built at tens million Indonesian Rupiah replaces the past Umbulharjo terminal. This new terminal is superior to the past one in many aspects. In addition to wider location, this terminal also has complete facilities. There is subway for passengers to get down from buses, separate parking lot for inter-city and city buses, gift shops, comfortable waiting room and praying room.
Getting down of the bus at the subway, a welcome board will greet you in block C entrance. Entering the block, you will encounter some small restaurants selling various menus, such as gudeg, Padang food, chicken soup, etc. Cleanliness of this terminal is maintained so well that makes you comfortable to have your meals there.
After having your meals, you can go upstairs to the waiting room in the second floor while waiting someone to pick you up, for example. There is a television set accompanying you while you are waiting; or, you can buy either magazines or newspaper in the shops nearby. For Moslems, they can say their prayer in a mosque at the north corner of the waiting room. At certain occasion, you can even get free health check-up.
Close to the waiting room, in block E, you can buy special food of Yogyakarta such as geplak, bakpia, yangko and intip. Telecommunication facility provides you with telephone and facsimile services. If you want to continue your trip, you can reserve your bus or travel tickets in some travel agents in block M. In order to get reasonable prices for either your gifts or your tickets, you need to be keen on selecting appropriate shop or agent.
If you want to go to your hotel or in-town tourism objects directly, you need to turn left after getting down of the bus passing through block C in order to get city bus. To get to Yogyakarta kingdom and Malioboro, you may take line 4 and 9. On the other hand, if you want to find a lodging in Prawirotaman, Sosrowijayan and Sosrokusuman, you can take line 2 and 15. The tariff of city bus is relatively cheap, namely 2,000 Rupiah per route.
Borobudur temple is reachable by bus that is usually available in the parking lot at the right side of block C. There, you can also get the bus to Prangtritis and Samas beaches, Kaliurang and Prambanan temple. For a distance of 30 kilometers, the fare is 15,000 Rupiah maximum. Each parking lot is completed with signboard telling the routes of each bus line.
Exiting the terminal, you will see traditional means of transportation, namely cart and pedicab. Its characteristic is seen from the design of the cart and pedicab that is different from ones in other cities. The horse cart, for example, has four wheels with bigger body compared to the horse cart in other cities with only two wheels. For relax trip, horse cart and pedicab are appropriate choices. One of the tourism objects that you can reach fast by pedicab or horse cart is Kotagede as the center of silver handicraft.
For those who come to this terminal for the first time, they do not have to worry. Clear signboards will guide you which bus to take. You can also ask some officers who are on guard in some points.
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