The Kedu Plain surrounding Borobudur is some of the most fertile agricultural land in Java — a flat expanse of rice paddies, vegetable fields, and coconut palms with the cones of dormant volcanoes rising from the horizon. Exploring it by bicycle is the best way to see the temple complex in its landscape context and to get away from the concentrated tourist activity around the main entrance.
Several guesthouses in the village of Borobudur rent bicycles cheaply. A morning circuit through the villages on the road north of the temple — passing through tobacco fields, morning markets, and small batik workshops — takes two to three hours and covers 15–20 km. The roads are flat and the traffic is light on the village tracks. Combine with a late afternoon visit to the temple itself when the afternoon light is better for photography.