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Weekly 5: Five places to go with city tour bus
JP/PJ LeoHopping onto the city tour bus is among the most convenient ways to go sightseeing in Jakarta, especially for people staying in the city for a short period of time
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JP/PJ Leo
Hopping onto the city tour bus is among the most convenient ways to go sightseeing in Jakarta, especially for people staying in the city for a short period of time. Introduced in January 2014, the double-decker Jakarta City Tour Bus is designed to be the first-ever hop-on-hop-off city tour service to support the city administration’s tourist industry development program. The following are five areas that can be accessed by the route served by the bus:
National Museum
Situated near Jakarta’s most popular landmark, the National Monument (Monas), the National Museum attracts many in Central Jakarta.
The museum, popularly known as Museum Gajah (Elephant Museum) for the bronze elephant statue that sits in front, was opened in 1868. It has 61,600 prehistoric and anthropological artifacts, and 5,000 archeological artifacts from all over Indonesia and Asia.
Among important pieces on display at the museum is a prehistoric Yupa statue from Kutai, East Kalimantan; valuable gold items from Wonoboyo, Central Java; world maps from the 15th century and ceramics from the Han and Qing dynasties.
Located at Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat No. 12, the museum is open Tuesday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., while on weekends from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Istiqlal Mosque and the Jakarta Cathedral
Among the popular tourist attractions in Jakarta are Istiqlal Mosque and the Jakarta Cathedral, two houses of worship of two Abrahamic religions that stand side-by-side in the center of the capital.
The two buildings were deliberately built close to one another to symbolize religious harmony. Built in the heart of the capital, Istiqlal Mosque can accommodate up to 120,000 people, making it Southeast Asia’s biggest mosque.
Meanwhile, the cathedral, with its European neo-gothic architecture, has been standing since 1810, when the Dutch were still in power.
Pecenongan
The city tour program has made it easier for people to indulge at one of Jakarta’s best culinary spots on Jl. Pecenongan in Sawah Besar, Central Jakarta.
The street has been touted since the 1970s as an excellent place to find cheap street foods. Afternoons see people flock to the 600-meter road, where street food vendors sell dishes such as martabak (sweet and savory pancakes), satay, nasi uduk (rice cooked in coconut milk) and porridge.
People spend Rp 25,000 (US$1.90) to Rp 100,000 on their dishes of choice.
Visitors can enjoy the ever popular Kwang Tung porridge with cakwe (Chinese cruller).
Aside from Kwang Tung, people line up every day to take home a box of martabak from Martabak 65A Pecenongan. Many have said that the modern martabak, which incorporates toppings such as Nutella and Toblerone, started at the humble stall.
Kota Tua
Kota Tua, which means “old city “in English, is a historic area in Jakarta that attracts thousands of tourists. Located in West Jakarta, Kota Tua, which was once home to the Dutch colonial administration, has several museums with Dutch architectural design.
One of the museums in the Kota Tua complex is the Fatahillah Museum. The building that now houses the Jakarta History Museum was established in 1907 as the Batavia City Hall (Stadhuis van Batavia). The building’s architectural design follows that of the Dutch Royal Palace in Amsterdam.
Kota Tua is also home to the Wayang Museum, which displays wayang (traditional puppets) from around the world, and the Bank Indonesia Museum, which is equipped with advanced audio-video and lighting technologies, which tells the history of the country’s economy.
Jakarta Art Theater
The Jakarta Art Theater, located Central Jakarta, was also constructed during the Dutch colonial era. It is where artists from all over Indonesia present their artwork, thus is a recommended place to visit for art enthusiasts.
Built in 1821, the theater, which has a neo-renaissance architectural design, has several facilities, including a main stage theatre that has the capacity to hold up to 500 visitors and is equipped with advance audio-video and lighting technologies.
Visitors can get information on the latest events by visiting gedungkesenianjakarta.co.id or check out its page at jakarta-tourism.go.id/content/gedung-kesenian-jakarta.
