10 | AUDLEY TRAVELLER | www.audley.co.uk/indonesiaESCAPE ROUTESBorobudur, IndonesiaOlder than Angkor Wat - and bigger too, Indonesia specialist Jacqui Brooks introduces Borobudur?> TRAVEL ICON e 9th century Buddhist monument of Borobudur is nestled between the ac ve volcano of Mount Merapi, verdant rice paddies, palm  ees and Cen al Java's rolling Menoreh Hills. Although li le detail is known about the early days of Borobudur, its comple on is believed to pre-date the temples of Angkor by 300 years. Cons ucted under the Sailendra Dynas rule, the 72 Buddha sculptures, and 2,500 square me es of bas reliefs and carvings tell the tale of centuries old Javanese life, and Buddhist teachings. During the fall of the Sailendra Dynas at the beginning of the 11th century, the site of Borobudur was abandoned and lay undiscovered under volcanic ash and enveloping foliage for an es mated 800 years. Revered colonial ruler Sir  omas Stamford Ra es ordered the excava on of the site in 1814, having heard whisperings of a hidden monument  om local legend. Since then, the temple site has been restored and a ained UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1991.Borobudur is one of the most visited sites in the Indonesian archipelago, receiving an es mated 2.5 million visitors each year. It is well worth an early start to reach it in  me for sunrise, to enjoy a more serene experience, and beat the crowds.GET STARTEDA 14 day tailor-made trip to Java and Bali, including time spentexploring Borobudur, starts from £2,885pp.For more information please contact our Indonesiaspecialists on 01993 838 110.Did you know?. Long hailed as the largest and most complete collecti on of Buddhist bas reliefs in the world, Borobudur claimed the Guinness Book of Records' ti tle as the World's Largest Buddhist Monument in June 2012.. If you were to complete a full circuit of each level of Borobudur, you would have walked over fi ve kilometr es by the ti me you reached the top.. Aft er the erupti on of Mount Merapi in 2010, the Borobudur Heritage Conservati on Agency spent $20,700 on custom parachute silk coverings for each of the monument's 72 Stupas, in case of future erupti ons of volcanic ash.