The conservative rule of Yogyakarta’s traditional Sultans has ensured the tidal wave of westernization sweeping across the rest of the country has made a more measured impact in this pleasant provincial capital. Visitors flock here to experience traditional gamelan, shadow puppetry, classical and contemporary Javanese dance and ritual theatre. Between performances, jump in an old-style becak (rickshaw) for a tour of the city’s sights: the Sultan’s Palace, Water Palace and Sonobudoyo Museum, where the highlight is a collection of 1,200 wavey-bladed kris daggers.