A small hill resort on the southern slopes of Mount Merapi at 900 metres above sea level. Built up by the Dutch in colonial times as a cool retreat from the lowland heat, Kaliurang still has a smattering of old villas and now serves as the main base for Merapi jeep tours and the Volcano Museum.
The town itself is unhurried — pine forest, a small waterfall, and viewpoints to the mountain when the cloud lifts. Bring a fleece; nights up here are noticeably cooler than in Yogyakarta.