Sunday, March 22, 2015

Jakarta, A Place of Interest

Jakarta is a melting pot of cultures and the heart of the 17,000 islands of Indonesia. With great geographical and archipelagic location, it has continuously attracted foreign investors, international tourist and local vacationers because of its majestic and symbolic places. Westhill Consulting Travel and Tours in Jakarta recommends the following spots to visit:

Central Museum

The Central Museum is established in 1778 by U.M.C Radmacher. The museum is a vast and extensive collection which shows historical, prehistorical archeological and ethnographic aspects of Indonesia through its artifacts and relics which dates as far back to the Stone Age. It has one of the most complete collections of bronzes and ceramics dating back to the Han, Tang and Ming Dynasties. Despite the issues of showcasing fraud items and repeatedly proving it wrong, the Museum has one of the finest numismatic collections in the world, including cloth and money which was used on several islands until recently. The religious art section is filled with statuary and sculpture salvaged from sites of Hindu, Buddhist and Islamic edifices. Its collection of cultural instruments, household utensils, arts and crafts provides an introduction to the life of the various ethnic groups which populate Indonesia. This museum is popularly known as Gedung Gajah or "Elephant Building" because of the stone elephant offered by King Chulalongkorn of Thailand in 187 1, placed on the front lawn of the building.

The National Monument

The National Monument, or "Monas" as it is popularly called, is one of the monuments built during the Sukarno era of fierce nationalism. Reviews say it stands for the people's determination to achieve freedom and the crowning of their efforts in the Proclamation of Independence in August 1945. The 137-meter tall marble obelisk is topped with a flame coated with 35 kg. of gold. The base houses a historical museum and a hall for meditations. The monument is open to the public and upon request the lift can carry visitors to the top which offers a bird's eye view on the city and the sea.

Indonesia in Miniature Park

This architectural structure shows the diversity of Indonesian Archipelago and it represents Indonesia’s 27 provinces and their outstanding characteristics, reflected most strikingly in the exact regional architecture of the province. It has its own orchid garden in which hundreds of Indonesian orchid varieties are grown. There is also a bird park with a walk-in aviary, a fauna museum and recreational grounds with a swimming pool and restaurants.

Jaya Ancol Dreamland

This is Jakarta's largest and most popular recreation park. It is built on reclaimed beach land at the Bay of Jakarta, having, sea and freshwater aquariums, swimming pools, an artificial lagoon for fishing, boating, bowling, and an assortment of nightclubs, restaurants, a steam-bath and massage parlors.

At a nearby open-air theater art performances are held using the local dialect.

Fantasy Land

A recent addition to Jakarta's growing recreation facilities is the Fantasy Land, a 9.5 hectares (23.75 acres) entertainment park located inside the Ancol Dreamland. Planned to eventually become a part of a 200-hectares (500-acres) park designed to usher the visitors into the fascinating world of modern science and technology, the present facility takes them on an imaginative tour of Old Jakarta, Africa, America, Indonesia, Europe, Asia and the Palace of Dolls. Each of the areas is designed to give the visitor a feel of the region he is visiting through features and architecture of the area at a certain period of its history and by the use of animated puppets in the Palace of Dolls.

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