Window on Semarang, Indonesia

Embarrassed that you may have never heard of this city? Don't be - even though it has a population of around six million, and is Indonesia's sixth-largest - its tourist status is still emerging.

Here is one citizen of Semarang. He, along with a troupe of colourfully dressed dancers, gathered at the port to welcome our ship, Crystal Symphony.

Semarang, dating back almost four centuries, was a major port on the northern coast of Java during the Dutch colonial era, is now the capital of Central Java - home to 31 million people. Despite this, many people outside Indonesia may never have heard of it.

Controlled by the rich and powerful Dutch East India Company from the 17th century, the city was much later occupied by the Japanese military in 1942 during WWII.

Yet the area has been at risk from more than mere humans for thousands of years. Major stratovolcanos, Merapi, Merbabu and Ungaran, although dormant, lie in the vicinity of Semarang.

WATCH this video to get the feel Semarang and central Java.

Yet, even though Semarang city has many places that interest visitors, its main attraction is as a hopping-off point for a major tourist drawcard: the ancient and recently resurrected temple of Borobudur a two to three-hour drive south. While Indonesia is now an Islamic nation, what many people do not realise is that Buddhism and Hinduism predated Islam in these islands by over a thousand years.

As you near the temple, you may see this rather politically incorrect option, something which is often linked to tourist spots in south-east Asia. The popularity tide has turned in recent years as people have started to realise that maybe these endlessly patient jumbos might not be having quite the fun times their paying passengers are.

Finally, almost unexpectedly, we arrive at this massive religious edifice from another age. For many hundreds of years it lay unremembered as the jungle covered it and hid it from future generations. Dating from 800AD (around the time of Charlemagne in Europe) it is estimated this place took 80 years to finish.

Measuring 403 feet (123 metres) square and 100 feet (30.4 metres) high, with four-metre thick walls, this pyramid-shaped shrine lay lost and forgotten until 1815, when Sir Stamford Raffles heard of its fabled existance and, recognising its cultural importance, set in motion its resurrection.

Many factors were responsible for Borobudur's original demise. There was a powerful earthquake in 1066AD, then the eruption of nearby Mount Merapi. Monsoonal rains, the jungle itself and winds all conspired over the following centuries to damage or conceal this prized place.

Much renovation work had to take place once the vines and forest overgrowth had been removed. LIke a massive jigsaw, pieces were reassembled and missing bits had to be recrafted by skilled stonemasons. The carvings in the local volcanic stone which cover every surface of the facade and balustrades, tell the story of Lord Buddha from his birth to his death and beyond.

The workmanship is both beautiful and utilitarian, such as this stone drain pipe.

UNESCO has named this a World Heritage site and additional funds have helped the Indonesians to create breathtakingly beautiful grounds to surround the shrine as well as continue to maintain and repair it.

Stone friezes line each wall on the many terraces. You can walk kilometres if climb the steep steps to each one. It is estimated that Borobudur is built with over two million stones. Many thousands of slaves would have toiled endlessly in the steamy equatorial heat and tropical storms to bring this place to completion.

Today people of all faiths and nations can be seen enjoying the views from Borobudur's many levels or - of course - posing for a happy snap.

Borobudur consists of six square platforms topped by three circular platforms.

The fine detail and accuracy of the carvings is exceptional.

On other levels, seated buddhas appear to be deeply meditating....

...and on the top level, the main dome is located at the centre of the platform and is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues each of which is seated inside a perforated bell-shaped stupa.

The world’s largest Buddhist temple, Borobudur is one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world. It is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.

And while some modern-day people would wonder what it the use of building such a massive, time-consuming shrine, the entire plan is religious and symbolic. The monument's three divisions symbolize the three 'realms' of Buddhist cosmology, namely Kamadhatu (the world of desires), Rupadhatu (the world of forms), and finally Arupadhatu (the formless world). Read more...

Visitors often take part in a walking pilgrimage, guided by the system of staircases and corridors ascending to the top platform. Each platform represents one stage of enlightenment.

WATCH a video about Borobudur.....

Of course, on the edges of the temple grounds, the usual stalls of nick-nacks, souvenirs and clothing are set up. The vendors (and their touts) can be very 'enthusiastic', but it's all in good fun. Do expect to haggle and if successful, you should be able to negotiate a price that is as little as a third of the original 'asking' price.

These Indonesian head-dresses for men are called kopiyah and are made from batik material, another handcraft from these islands.

Indonesian food is always tasty, and it can be most inexpensive - a filling meal may be bought for a couple of dollars. Here we have the national dish - nasi goreng - with a crumbed piece of beef (never pork in this country), noodles and rice, a fried egg, some salad and prawn crackers or krupuk.

This lad has a bagful of krupuk, already fried until they are puffy and crisp, and he is selling them to people in passing cars.

Jakfruit (or jackfruit) is the world's largest fruit. Some can grow larger than these and weigh up to 30kg. Unprepossesing from the outside, when cut open, the fruit reveals firm bright yellow segments, with a distinct tropical flavour and mildly sweet. Although it may appear like a smoother durian, it is not related.

Jambus are sometimes called Malay-apples.

And no prizes if you guessed that this fruit, salak, is often called 'snake fruit'.

Above every other flavour, Indonesians generally like their food to have a spicy kick to it. These are, after all, the Spice Islands, which beckoned travellers and explorers, merchants and pirates for centuries from the Middle Ages onwards. Mixtures like these are made by people in their homes, but of course are a quick solution for those without the time to do that. Indonesian food often balances the heat-hit with sweetness, and Central Java is known for many dishes, often sweetened with palm sugar or gula kelapa.

Day two for us included a city tour. Many tourists like to visit Gereja Blenduk, an old Dutch church in the area called 'Little Netherlands'. Many stately colonial houses from this era are also worth seeing nearby.

A beautiful Protestant church built in 1753, it is the oldest church in Semarang, with simple, yet elegant, stained glass windows.

It has an impressive baroque organ, a rarity in Indonesia.

Dutch colonial buildings can still be found in the city. The most famous one is Lawang Sewu which means A Thousand Doors, built in the early 1900s as the headquarters of the local railway company, the first in the Dutch East Indies. There may be that many doors, but there are also 600 windows.

During World War II, it was used as the Japanese army's headquarters. Lawang Sewu's main attraction is its tall stained glass window.

In July 2011 the newly renovated complex was inaugurated. The building is still subject to ongoing restoration although it remains open to the public. Tour guides are available at the building's entrance.

Because of the great number of executions conducted here during WWII, some believe the building to be haunted. Nevertheless, when viewed from across the Tugu Muda roundabout, Lawang Sewu now appears tranquil and lovely.

Driving in Indonesia can be a test of patience and bravery. Many of the population still ride motor scooters, often carrying several passengers, and the traffic is often snarled with bigger vehicles as well. The roads are marked with lanes, but few observe them and drivers merge and overlap, just fitting in. Sometimes eight 'lanes' of traffic occupy a road marked only for two or three lanes.

For this reason, near to one popular food shopping strip, the government has installed a fleet of free shuttle buses to transport people from a parking area. By the way, the slogan on the back of this mini bus translates as: 'Let's go round and round'.

But there are lighthearted moments too. At traffic lights, rather than someone wanting to clean your windscreen, here there are theatrical performers hoping to help make the waiting time go more quickly for drivers (and gain a few rupiah for themselves).

Semarang's Sam Poo Kong impressive crimson temple was built in honour of the Chinese Great Admiral Zheng He who visited the area in 1405.

His exploits are recorded on this plaque under his statue in the temple courtyard. It's little wonder that his bravery and ambition needed to be recognised in a substantial manner.