Tourist Attractions In Jakarta

Central Museum, more popularly known as the `Elephant Building' (on the front lawn of the building is a large stone statue of an elephant, which was gifted by King Chulalongkorn of Thailand), the Central Museum of Jakarta is probably one of the best museums in South East Asia, with an extensive collection dating back to the Stone Age.  

Established way back in 1778, it definitely ranks high up on Jakarta's `must-sees'. It has artefacts covering virtually all periods of Indonesia's history, from the time of the first humans to settle on the islands, through colonial times, and up to the independence of the country. Among the best collections of the museum are its numismatic exhibits, its artefacts from the period of the Hindu kingdoms, and its excellent examples of Indonesian culture through the ages. Worth a visit if you're at all interested in history.

`Indonesia in Miniature' Park is exactly what it's called; all of Indonesia- or pretty much all- condensed into a small, easily managed package. The park has almost everything which is very typically Indonesian- there's a lovely orchid garden, a bird park with a walk-in aviary, and (for all the tired visitors!) - a swimming pool, a recreational centre and restaurants. But what is really outstanding about the park is the way in which it shows all the 27 provinces of the country, each with their own architectural styles, showcasing the specific cultural characteristics of the province. Within the park itself is the Museum Indonesia, which houses a good collection of regional costumes and is in the form of a richly decorated Balinese building.

The harbour town from which Jakarta grew into a city, Sunda Kelapa is today better known as `Pasar Ikan'- fish market. And that is exactly what the place was till a century or so back, when the resident Portuguese traded with the Hindu kingdom of Pajajaran, and the daily catch of fresh seafood used to be brought in to be sold at Sunda Kelapa's fish market. The fish is much reduced now, but there are still signs of colonial days to be seen- especially in the old fort and trading post of the Dutch East India Company, which still stands. The harbour, however, still acts as a port for seafaring `Bugis' schooners from South Sulawesi, which use it as a base for trading.

Jakarta's oldest amusement park, Jaya Ancol Dreamland has it all- there are restaurants, hotels, a drive-in theatre, a health club, bowling, boating (there's an artificial lake) and a swimming pool. The park also has a separate pool with shows by trained dolphins and sea lions, and there's an aquarium with a good collection of marine life. For those interested in culture, art and crafts, there's an open-air venue where performances of traditional Indonesian dance, theatre and music are held. There's also a large art market where you can buy local handicrafts and souvenirs. All said and done, it's a nice enough place to go, especially if you want a glimpse of traditional Indonesian culture, but don't have the time.

A museum worth seeing if you're interested in history, especially as it's not just the exhibits which have historical significance, but the museum building itself. The Jakarta Museum building dates back to 1627, when the Dutch used it as the town hall. Over the years, the Dutch made other additions to the original building; later, the Indonesian hero, Diponegoro, was imprisoned here for some time (or so it's said). After Indonesia's independence, the Jakarta City Administration made it the focus of a restoration project for old Batavia; today, the building is the city's museum. Much of the collection in the museum is colonial, with interesting furniture, maps and the like, dating back to the Dutch era, besides a 16th-century Portuguese cannon.

 These are some of the main sights which you really must make it a point to see; if you have the time, you could also go for some of the other attractions, such as the National Monument, a tall marble-and-gold obelisk symbolising the national movement for freedom and the orchid gardens (there are a number of them in Jakarta, the best known being the one located at Slipi).

The city also has a lot of museums- the Museum Perangko (the stamp museum), the Wayang Museum (on the traditional `wayang kulit’ puppetry of Indonesia), and the Textile Museum. If you have the time and the interest, they’re all worth a visit.