Shop Till You Drop @ Malioboro, Yogyakarta

Malioboro is the most famous street in Yogyakarta. Located in the heart of Yogya, this is the city’s main street, and was once the ceremonial avenue for the Sultan to pass through on his way to and from the Keraton. During such occasions Malioboro would be festively decorated with flowers. Some say that the name Malioboro” derives from the name of the British governor Marlborough from the era when Britain ruled the archipelago, between 1811-1816.

Near the north gate of the Keraton or palace are grand Dutch colonial buildings that are now the Central Post Office and the Bank Dagang Negara. Walking further north is the well laid out State Guest House, which was once the home of the Dutch Resident, but which after Independence became the presidential palace when Yogya was the capital of the young Republic. President Soekarno stayed here between 1946-1949. 

Coffee's Up, Down Under!

Inspired by the thriving cafe culture in Australia and New Zealand, the co-owners of Antipodean café have gone to great lengths to bring the taste of quality coffee and Kiwi/Aussie cafe fusion food to Jakarta.

New Zealander Alun Evans and Indonesian Arlini Syan opened Antipodean in 2009 as an arm of Merdeka Coffee, a wholesale coffee business and brand that sources beans directly from farmer groups throughout Indonesia.


“We opened Antipodean because at the time Jakarta was a place that lacked a contemporary cafe culture. Coffee was enjoyed as kopi tubruk by many but cafes, as I know them, were few and far between,” Evans said. “The cafe scene in Australia and New Zealand is one of the best in the world and I wanted to bring a piece of that to Jakarta.”