Someday, when covid-19 pandemic is behind us when a beautiful day is about to begin, maybe you have a plan to be outside to enjoy the day. Staying in Jogja gives you plenty of choices on how you would seize your day as a tourist. One of it is having a me-time in Batu Papal.

Located in Sleman, Batu Papal is on Jl. Candi Ijo (read: Jalan Candi Ijo, Candi Ijo street (Eng.)). This touristic place is near Candi Ijo (Ijo Temple). Once you are done visiting Ijo Temple, you can go a bit further to reach this place. Batu Papal is like a mini garden I’d say, but it has a great view of Jogja from the top of the hill and some nice photo spots.

What I really like about Batu Papal is its cool view of the landscape down the hill.  You can stand near the fence or sit near the fence while enjoying the view. Look down and you can see rice fields look like a green carpet. The houses look so tiny so are the trees. Listen to the sound of nature. Let the wind caresses your hair while you are enjoying the moment. It’s so relaxing!

When I visited Batu Papal, the place was still quiet. Other visitors I saw were only a couple who sat far from the fence. I took some minutes to sit near the fence and embraced the moment there. I made time to contemplate; thought about my life and what I’d like to do next to seize this precious life. For once, I really thought it was romantic sitting there seeing the great landscape with a special someone.  I don’t know if you would find it romantic, but I really thought it was so sweet sitting there feeling grateful seeing nature’s beauty with your special someone. It’s like… you know that kind of feeling when you want to share something with your beloved one because you believe things are better when they are there with you. But hey, if you are there alone, don’t worry, it’s cool too. You can have a me-time for positive self-talks or search for the right spot to take pictures.

About taking pictures, Batu Papal has spots for it. It has kind of a 1,5m height mini-stage in which you can stand, pose, and get yourself in frames. It also has a love sign low-level mini-stage for taking pictures. I didn’t try any of them because I thought I got better places to put nature’s beauty in frames.

There’s a price for nature’s beauty seen from Batu Papal but hey, it’s affordable!! It costs only IDR 5,000. This Batu Papal area has a parking lot, toilets, and a stall as well in which you can buy some drinks or ice cream. The mini garden with lovely flowers is upstairs and it has as well a swing. Oh wait, wait… All of sudden I assume this place can be one of your places for dating! Yay! Bring your girlfriend or your boyfriend here and you can talk about the future or the flowers or what to do in Jogja or how you both can take a great selfie there!

So, once you are in Jogja and are exploring the area of Ijo Temple, make sure you take time to Batu Papal. Right there, while the wind is playing with the flowers and the fresh air keeps relaxed and happy. Oh, by the way, if you’d like to have a me-time, where is your favorite place to go? Please share it in the comment section below and thank you for reading my blog.