Plataran Borobudur Resort & Spa
Borobudur, Java

Visiting Borobudur is always one of the most memorable moments of any trip to Indonesia. To stay somewhere that allows you to glimpse the great temple from your breakfast table or even your bedroom is to experience it in an entirely new way. Plataran Borobudur Resort & Spa is one of the very few hotels with this privilege, and that alone makes it an exceptional choice. Yet beyond the views, the property has its own quiet charms - attentive service, thoughtfully designed villas and a setting that feels both secluded and deeply connected to the surrounding landscape.

Located on the hills of Tanjungan Village in Magelang, Central Java, Plataran is just a five-minute drive from Borobudur Temple and around an hour and a half from Yogyakarta. From its elevated position, Plataran looks out over the Menoreh Hills, where teak forests and rice fields extend into the distance. The resort’s architecture blends harmoniously with this environment, combining local craftsmanship and natural materials to create an atmosphere of quiet retreat.

Accommodation is in a series of spacious villas, each one individually designed and decorated with a strong sense of place. Wooden interiors, traditional carvings and locally inspired textiles give character and warmth, while private gardens and outdoor living spaces encourage time spent in the open air.. Our favourites are the Borobudur Pool Villas and the Grand Pool Villa, where a dip in your private pool comes with uninterrupted views of the temple itself. Other villas overlook the surrounding hills and forests, offering a more secluded and meditative experience.

Meals are served in the resort’s colonial-style main house, a graceful building that overlooks the swimming pool and, in the distance, the temple. The restaurant offers a mix of Indonesian and international dishes, and while the food is good, the setting is what lingers, particularly at breakfast, when the mist rises from the valley and Borobudur reveals itself in shifting light. For those who prefer privacy, in-villa dining is always an option.

The Padma Spa is another highlight. Set in a tranquil pavilion surrounded by forest, its treatment rooms are decorated with local cultural detail and frame serene views of the landscape, with glimpses of Borobudur from certain vantage points. Treatments draw on Javanese wellness traditions, using natural ingredients and time-honoured techniques to create a restorative experience. For guests wishing to maintain a fitness routine, there is also a small gym, though the surrounding hills and villages provide a far more inspiring setting for walking or cycling.

What makes Plataran particularly appealing is how it connects you to Borobudur while still feeling like a retreat. You can be at the temple gates within minutes, but back at the resort, the pace slows, the air feels cooler and the hills roll out endlessly before you. It’s a place where the spiritual and the scenic converge, and where the world’s largest Buddhist temple becomes not just a day trip, but the backdrop to your stay.