WHEN I was looking about place to spend a holiday in Jakarta, I found an interesting sentence in traveling guide site. It said, “Whether you love it or hate it, there is no escaping Jakarta, Indonesia’s overweight capital. This ‘Big Durian’ is filled with all the good and bad of Indonesian life. “ The next thing I’ve got on my mind is that really true? Are there any good places to spend a vacation in Jakarta?
Jakarta has been a “pot” since it had been a capital city of Indonesia. Many people from different culture and places come to Jakarta. That reason made the big city to be a center of all aspect in Indonesia. The main gate of Indonesia is filled with crowded traffic jams and business center building. No wonder if the travel guide has put Jakarta to be the unreccomended vacation destination.
Many people come to Indonesia with many purposes to Jakarta, mainly in business purposes. As the consequence, lot of business infrastructure was built other than pleasure spot. Luckily, we still can find many interesting spot in Jakarta for vacation. They are not hiding but integrated with so many business infrastructures and residential.
We start from the North Jakarta, which has a legendary theme park. Taman Impian Jaya Ancol is providing wide selection of family entertainment, starts from marine tourism, adrenaline pumped theme park, through various hotel and exquisite restaurants. Right in the corner of North Jakarta laid Sea World, a marine theme park, which has many collection of sea creature around the world. Sea World is not only showing rare creature like “Sea Dragon” or giant Freshwater Whipray. Watching sharks feeding will be awesome scenery to watch. Sharks will go frenzy and swim faster to get the diet, after that they gulp the diet and start to search more. You can meet the adrenaline pumped activities weekday at 2 PM and weekend at 3PM.
Not far from the Sea World, you can find Dunia Fantasi to pumped your adrenaline to the limit. You can find jet-coaster, “Tornado”, or any amusement that will test your boldness to the limit. Indeed, Dunia Fantasi also providing toddler entertainment, such as puppet show or orther child friendly entertainment.
To the West Jakarta, we can find a historical spot of old Jakarta, named Kota District. There is no mall or any amusement park, but there are many museum and outstanding old building in colonial architecture. In the center of Kota lays Taman Fatahilah, its landmark, with its two old canon. Previously, the district was the central activity of Batavia, Jakarta’s old name in Dutch colonial era. It is surrounded by lots of museum, such as Museum Wayang, Museum Fatahilah, Museum Bank Mandiri. We can learn lot more about puppet show in Indonesia and around the world, or walking on the history of Jakarta history in past. At Museum Bank Mandiri, we see how Indonesian banking industry was born. It shows a Giant Accounting Book, about a small coffee table in size. Thus, along with or holiday, we can learn and experience history and culture.
Still in North Jakarta, in Pantai Indah Kapuk, we can find Waterbom Jakarta, which offer a lot of family fun. They offer Aquatube, the Hairpin, Speed Slide, and the Whizzard for attraction. Those are name of the slide that Waterbom test your adrenaline limit, because you will slide in 70 km/h on 20,7 meter height.
In the East Jakarta, we will find the same attraction named Water Boom Lippo Cikarang. Although it located outside Jakarta, we are still able to get there in convenient. They are providing many wide water activity and attraction for children and adults. They put themselves as one stop family entertainment, thus we may find any other attraction and facilities to fill family holiday. For instance, spa, children and adults outbound center, and food court.
There are many places to spend our vacation, although that is many of them took place in a mall or part of hotels program. For example, we may find Kidzania at Pacific Place Mall, an education entertainment for your children. Right there, the children will learn about life and working in a fun way. To the toddler, we can choose the Lollipops at Senayan City Mall, which offering toddler amusement.
Not far from Jakarta, in the south of crowded city, lays Arthayasa Stables with its beautiful sight and fresh air. It can be one of your alternative dan near holiday destination. Not like other stables, Arthayasa Stables is offering a sophisticated family entertainment in one place. They are not only provide horse and horse riding course, but also swimming pool, tennis court, club house, restaurants, and children playground. Thus, you can get good quality of time with your family and lean how to ride a horse properly.
Many of us think that doing some vacation, we have to go to vacation places and usually it is located far away from our home. Another bitter realty is the parents holidays are never matched the children holiday. It is a pity if we sacrificed our family happiness just because our job or work and a thought of vacation must go somewhere far away. Actually we still can find interesting spots around Jakarta to kill the holiday and entertain your family. Go to the museum, shopping together in a mall, or just escaping in a good quality hotels together are still a family vacation. Happy holiday then and enjoy Jakarta! (Andreas Setiadi Sanusi)
Jakarta Globe, June 18, 2009