needed and providing sterilisers
and any other baby paraphernalia
required. Amanjiwo’s children’s
playroom is spacious and well-stocked,
with activities such as painting
papier-
mâché
animal masks on offer. In our
suite and on every outing, our children
were presented with sketch books
and water colours, which they loved
squeezing into the copper paint trays.
We didn’t miss a single complimentary
afternoon tea either, sipping our
freshly made Javanese tea and
nibbling local sweet treats served by
a cheerfully wrinkled village matron,
while local children practised their
traditional court dances, inviting our
daughter to join them every time.
And then there’s the magnificent
swimming pool. I could have simply
enjoyed Borobudur from the water,
if it weren’t for the ensuing cultural
guilt. The lawn and rice paddies
alongside the pool are ideal for pony
rides, and our children were in seventh
heaven bobbing along on their placid,
ribbon-bedecked steeds. Amanjiwo
can also arrange elephant rides, a
preferable option to those offered near
Borobudur, where, sadly, the elephants
are chained in their enclosure.
Culture vultures
Back to that cultural guilt… After
two days of pure relaxation and play,
we were ready to explore further
afield, saving Borobudur for our
final day. Central Java is a mecca
for trekkers and casual hikers alike.
Deciding that the challenging ascent
of 3,000-metre Mount Merapi – an
active stratovolcano – was best left to
those unaccompanied by children (one
sets off at 10pm and summits in time
for sunrise), we chose instead to hike to
Selogriyo, a tiny isolated temple high
on the slopes of Mount Sumbing. The
easy 45-minute walk to reach it was
reward in itself, starting in a village
with farm animals in abundance, and
winding through a spectacular valley
with emerald rice paddies cascading
from top to bottom. A relaxed picnic
lunch in the garden surrounding the
temple was enhanced by a friendly
farmer, who fashioned two rolling
birds out of grass. These accompanied
