The hotel Istana Griya is a charming little place and full of character. Colourful décor and seating under the shade of a porch-cum-veranda at the front gives it a homely feel and the immaculately restored Harley Davidson parked in the reception is clearly someone’s pride and joy. The staff are very friendly and volunteer information and a map of the city. We set out to do a bit of shopping, post some cards and generally orientate ourselves. No-one could claim that Solo is a particularly beautiful city, but off the main roads are numerous peaceful little alleyways – free of cars and traffic noise – which are home to the kampungs (neighbourhoods) where the inhabitants of Solo live. The city is renowned as a cultural centre for the performing arts – although it doesn’t stand comparison with Ubud in terms of the number and diversity of performances on offer – and for traditional crafts especially batik.
It also has two palaces, the Kraton Surakarta and Puri Mangkunegaran. The former is closed on Fridays, so we visit Puri Mangkunegaran which is the smaller of the two. We are escorted round by our own personal guide and two school children who are observing as part of their tourism studies. There are two royal families in Solo and this palace is home to the second house. It is a Unesco World Heritage site and is well maintained as a result. At the centre of the palace compound is large open-sided pavilion with a lovely painted ceiling and behind it a small, but interesting museum and the state rooms including a reception room – where we pose for photographs sitting in the royal chairs – and the dining room, where it is possible to dine with the royal family for a mere US$30 a head!