Presenting Jakarta's Old Town charms

For those tired of living, breeding and dying in Jakarta, Komunitas Jelajah Budaya (KJB) is giving you the chance to look at the Indonesian capital in a different light.

The independent culture community has been running roughly monthly exploration programs to Jakarta's Old Town for some years now, the latest installment of which will be kicked off on Jan. 17, from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. local time.

On the menu for January is a weekend excursion to Jakarta's vintage banking buildings such as the Bank Mandiri Museum. Seeing how closely the Indonesian banking system followed that of colonial Dutch in times past, a visit to these grandiose properties - with their distinct colonial architecture and impenetrable secret vaults - will definitely transport you back in time.

Participants will be taken on a walking tour around what was then known as Nederlandsche Handel Maatschappij (NHM), Nederlandsch- Indische Handelsbank (NIHB) and Nederlandsch Indische Escompto Maatschappij (NIEM), whose buildings still stand in Kota today in the form of nationalized banks or museums. Registrants also receive snacks, mineral water and buffet lunch simply by paying a Rp 60,000 registration fee.

Should you miss this month's program, KJB has planned two tours to China Town on Feb. 13 and 28. These programs will highlight how China Town dwellers celebrate Lunar New Year and Cap Gomeh respectively.

Culture and knowledge buffs can also look forward to a couple of "Nights at the Museum" with visits to Batavia's old museum sites in April and November. Other excursion sites include Salemba, Kota Station, Pasar Senen and Onrust Island.

Fancy a nostalgic bike ride along Batavia's alleys of old? KJB is widely known for its past cycling tour programs, which had participants riding old onthel bikes following a route from Fatahilah Square all the way through Bank Mandiri Museum, Gajah Mada, Harmoni and Monas.

Catch the details for this and other programs - and registration info - at jelajahbudaya.blogspot.com.