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Winter wonderlands hit tropical towns
Another end of year in tropical Indonesia means another simulated winter to entertain children during the Christmas holiday season.
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Good times: A mother skates with her daughter on a skating rink at the Pondok Indah Mall in South Jakarta. (-/Marcel Thee)
Many malls in the Jakarta-Bogor-Depok-Tangerang-Bekasi (Jabodetabek) area are staying on this winter trend until early January.
Mall Alam Sutera in Tangerang and its Christmas Dreamland, for example, offers up Santa parades and Christmas acapella performances, as well as Christmas-themed musical concerts and children rides at its Fun World play park. There is also a Christmas Expo that is sure to delight those looking for some discounted holiday goods.
Meanwhile, the Pondok Indah Mall (PIM) in Jakarta with its Winter Wonderland aims to provide visitors with a fittingly snow-filled ambience from December until the first half of January, presenting a slew of activities for children to delight in. For a few cool hours, visitors’ tropical-blessed hearts can bask in the air-conditioned glory of this wonderland.
These activities include a large ice-skating rink that can accommodate both children and adults, complete with rather cute seal- and dolphin-shaped plastic balancers for novice skaters to hold onto as they slide across the rink.
The skating sessions are limited to a certain number of skaters every hour, so there’s little risk of bumping into others or falling over, and there are professionals there to ensure everything is safe.
A limited number of coaches are also available for those wanting some guidance on the ice. Visitors won’t need to bring their own skates, as every ticket includes a set of skates, however socks, winter jackets and gloves should be brought along.
It would not be a pop-culture Christmas without a huge snow-filled playground — always a favorite of holidaying kids here. Again, socks, winter jackets and gloves should be prepared from home, while the rental of boots is included with every ticket purchase.
A snow blower sits in the middle of a medium-sized snow hill and a playground covered in transparent covering so parents can watch their kids as they play. A large number of plastic shovels, digger trucks and other appropriate snow toys are strewn across the playground to complete the experience.
The playground also gives unlimited access to the Ice Slide, which is a pretty fast downhill-slope-styled slide that can be ridden. Brave-hearted children will want to indulge in this one repeatedly, without a doubt. West Jakarta’s Lippo Mall Puri offers a similar snow playground for children at a size of 15 by 15 meters, while Tangerang’s Living World Mall serves up the same kind of fun playground for kids, with a package for of Rp 300, 000 (US$20.7) available for children who need the joy of snow for unlimited hours.
“We’ve gone to a few of these,” says Ranu Hario, a father accompanying his 8-year old daughter. “I couldn’t actually skate, but because she likes to go to these things, now I actually can.”
PIM general manager Eka Dewanto knows to give the people what they want — specifically the urbanite parents wanting to give their children the taste of a white Christmas.
“We are committed to being part of the lifestyle of urbanites,” he says, adding that the mall’s going all-out in decorating itself with some London-inspired ambience complete with ice sculptures that refer to that city’s signifiers, such as Big Ben and double-deckers. The decoration extends to a gradation-style lighting that aims to create the sensation of being on a holiday abroad.
PIM promotion manager Pandu Wibowo said the children “won’t have to go abroad to play with ice and snow”. An economical festivity.
Aside from the two snow-focused programs, there are two other activities for children to take part in.
The first is the Royal Princess Salon & Spa, which is where little boys and girls can get dressed as their favorite prince and princess characters, complete with make-up, and have their picture taken professionally. There is a surprising number of costumes here, and the mini-princesses at least, are clearly enjoying getting all dolled up to look like their favorite Disney royals.
“My daughter looks really happy,” says Evani Raharja, whose 6-year old Disney-obsessed daughter is dressed like Princess Elsa from Frozen. “The make-up isn’t too much, so it doesn’t feel like a pageant,” she laughs.
The final activity is not snow-adorned but completes the experience for energetic kids with patient parents. The Blocks Playground is what it sounds like and provides room for the youngsters to play with large, soft Lego-like pieces inside a block-decorated room.
Renny Putra, a visitor who came with her two young boys, says these kind of activities certainly worked in at least giving her children a taste of the kind of winter Christmas they see on YouTube.
“Even though we’ve explained that [Indonesia] doesn’t have a winter season and therefore no snow, they still ask us when the snow will start falling,” she said.
“So, this is at least something that gives them a part of that illusion.”
