About The City

Solo

Solo, the short name for Surakarta, is a major city in Central Java, Indonesia. Together with Yogyakarta, these two great cultural centres are heirs of The Mataram kingdom that was split in 1755 and sound bases for trips to nearby UNESCO World Heritage sites like the temple complexes of Borobudur and Prambanan.

Understand

Solo lies some 100 km south of Semarang and some 60km east of Yogyakarta. As the 'twin' sister of Yogyakarta, this city has preserved much of its Javanese character. It mean that Solo is less touristy than Yogyakarta. The town is a centre of art and education and offers some good shopping. It is said to be the least westernised city Central Java.

Population

Today's Solo is a bustling economic centre of around 550,000 people, with 800,000 including suburbs.

Culture

Solo is a traditional centre of Central Javanese culture, famous for performances of Wayang Kulit (Shadow Puppet plays) and Wayang Orang (theatre with actors onstage), both of which are accompanied by gamelan (traditional musical ensemble).

Climate

The weather during July-August is hot and humid. The temperature ranges from 21-33 degree Celsius. Humidity level is normally between 75% and 100%. Wear light clothing and if necessary wear hat and sunglasses.