7 Destinations to Visit During the Easter Holidays

The holy week before Easter is one of the sacred moments for Christians. You can dedicate time to worship and explore pilgrimage sites. Bring your family along and travel to these religious destinations for a solemn easter.

Recommended religious tourism destinations during the Easter holidays
 

1. Gua Maria Sendangsono and Gua Maria Kerep

Located about 30 m from the Yogyakarta Palace, Gua Maria Sendangsono is located in Banjaroyo Village, Kalibawang District, Kulon Progo Regency. The beautiful and calm atmosphere adds to the solemnity of this spiritual journey. You will also be presented with magnificent architectural buildings by YB Mangunwijaya or Romo Mangun.

Still have plenty of time left? You can proceed to Gua Maria Kerep in Ambarawa, which is no more than two hours away from Gua Maria Sendangsono. The view from this cave is stunningly beautiful, with Mount Telomoyo, Mount Merbabu, and Lake Rawa Pening as the backdrops.

2. Gua Maria Pohsarang

You can immediately glimpse the Hindu-Javanese style as you enter the Pohsarang Church complex, also known as Puhsarang. Heavily decorated with stones, Gua Maria Pohsarang is located at the foot of Mount Wilis, Puhsarang Village, Semen District, Kediri Regency, East Java.

3. Christ Blessing Monument and Tomohon Prayer Hill

A visit to Manado would be incomplete without stopping at these two religious tourism destinations. The Christ Blessing Monument has become one of the city's icons. From Manado's city center, this monument is only 15 minutes drive away. Standing tall at 54 meters (20 m support and 34 m body), the monument is constructed with a particular slope and is made to look as if the statue's floating.

Want more? Drive south towards Tomohon. In less than 1 hour drive, you will arrive at the Tomohon Prayer Hill or Mahawu Prayer Hill, located at the foot of Mount Mahawu. There, you can see a uniquely-shaped chapel that you can't miss out on. Besides that, there's also a "Way of the Cross" with several stops.

4. Jesus Gives His Blessing Statue or Buntu Burake Jesus Statue

Standing tall at 45 meters on a hill at an elevation of more than 1.000 above sea level, this statue is considered the tallest Jesus statue in the world, even taller than the Christ the Redeemer in Brazil. This statue is also known as the Buntu Burake Jesus Statue, for it stands on a rocky mountain of Buntu Burake.

After solemnly spending your spiritual journey here, proceed to Tana Toraja. A place where traditional customs are still well maintained by the locals. To reach Tana Toraja, expect at least a night of road trip from Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi.

5. Salib Kasih (The Cross of Love)

The cross, which is supposedly 30 meters high, appears soaring and contrasts beautifully with the lush pine forest in the background. The Cross of Love is located in Bukit (Dolok) Siatas Barita, not far from the bustling center of Tarutung, the capital of North Tapanuli Regency.

Beauty is a wound, they say. To get to the monument, you may have to hike a bit. Walk easy because, throughout the 1 kilometer hike, you will witness beautiful scenery along the way with heart and soul-soothing quotes around you.

6. Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni (Our Lady of Good Health Catholic Church)

Unlike most churches that look very European, this church -also known as the Marian shrine- has that strong Hindunese temple look. The church, located on the outskirts of Medan, is dedicated to Our Lady, known in India as Annai Velangkanni Arokia Matha or Our Lady of Good Health (Mother of Healers). The building's uniqueness makes this church one of the favorite places for religious journeys and pilgrimage among Christians from Indonesia and neighboring countries.

7. Larantuka

It's fair to say that no Easter in Indonesia is complete without including the Semana Santa ceremony in Larantuka. During the ceremony, the Tuan Ma Statue, the embodiment of Our Lady,  is paraded around the city of Larantuka whilst stopping at eight stops. Meanwhile, most pilgrims would march along in line while reciting prayers. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2022 ceremony will still not be held. But, you can still include a trip to Larantuka, and Semana Santa ceremony in your Easter plans in years ahead.

Embrace every moment during this sacred trip. To make sure that you can worship and pray in peace during this pilgrimage trip, leave your transportation matters to a trusted car rental service, TRAC. Supported by an extensive network and reliable drivers equipped with defensive driving/riding certification.

If you want to spend your religious holiday in big groups without hassle, make sure to benefit from our pilgrimage package using the TRAC experience feature that can be accessed from the TRACtoGo application, one of which is the Gua Maria – Central Java Pilgrimage Package. Download the TRACtoGO via  Google Playstore and Apple App Store to get various exciting offers and lucrative promos.

Two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, TRAC is ever committed to putting your comfort in front through the implementation of the SMART Protocol, which includes:

1. Disinfecting all units before and after duty
2. Providing hand sanitizer in all units on duty
3. Social distancing in all units on duty
4. Installation of fiber-made barrier between the driver and passengers
5. All drivers on duty are required to undergo a series of health checks
6. All drivers on duty are required to wear a mask and gloves
7. Drivers are not allowed to make physical contact with passengers