Yogyakarta is a bustling town of some half a million people and the most popular tourist destination on Java, largely thanks to its proximity to the temples of Borobudur and Prambanan. It is the cultural heart of Indonesia itself. The Borobudur Temple is a stunning sight to behold. This 9th century Mahayana Buddhist Temple is the largest Buddhist Temple in the world, and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is thus little wonder that it is the most visited tourist site in Indonesia! This magnificent temple consists of stacked platforms, topped by a central dome and decorated with over 2,500 panels and 504 Buddha statues – 72 of which are used to encircle the central dome. Located not too far from Borobudur temple is another UNESCO World Heritage Site and temple – the Prambanan Temple, which is a 9th century Hindu temple dedicated to Hindu deities, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

Borobudur, Yogyakarta

Borobudur, Yogyakarta

Borobudur, Yogyakarta

Taman Sari, Yogyakarta

Taman Sari, Yogyakarta

Taman Sari, Yogyakarta

Taman Sari, Yogyakarta

Prambanan, Yogyakarta

Prambanan, Yogyakarta

Prambanan, Yogyakarta

credit: DavideGorla

Buddha Park is a sculpture park located 25 km southeast from Vientiane, Laos in a meadow by the Mekong River. The Xieng Khuan park was built in 1958 by Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat. He was a priest-shaman, myth-maker, mystic and sculpture artist with a large following in Laos and later in Thailand. There are more than 200 sculptures in the park and most of them face away from the Mekong. The statues are made of cement and are ornate, and sometimes bizarre in design. The statues appear to be centuries old, though they are not.

credit: yeowatzup