You don't need to be rich to have Ferris wheels and carousels nearby.

Thanks to a range of budget fairgrounds across Jakarta, everyone can enjoy such attractions.

Eko Ramidi, 33, a resident of Cinangka, Depok, who has been a frequent visitor to the fairground 200 meters from his house for several years. He regularly takes his three children to the park, and afterwards visits the night market.

"I just came home from work and my children wanted me to take them to the amusement park. They love it," Ramidi said.

The variety of attractions, rides, circus play, and the overall atmosphere of excitement thrill most young children.

Sukaria (meaning love of delight) fairground is located in a suburb around 25 kilometers from central Jakarta. The fairground offers five attractions for children and their parents at very affordable prices.

For only Rp 3,000 (33 US cents), visitors can enjoy either the Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, carousel plane, train ride, or ball room.

Entering the fairground, visitors are greeted by a variety of tradesmen and hawkers. Some local residents come simply for shopping, rather than amusement. Regular items for sale include belts, shirts, skirts and children's costumes.

Blaring music competes with yelling traders, while twinkling lights amuse visitors and customers alike. The Sukaria fairground has been on location in Cinangka for almost a month, and is expected to soon move to another site in Bogor.

"My job is to entertain people," said Suparjo, the owner of Sukaria, during a recent interview with The Jakarta Post.

Suparjo has been in the carnival business since 1993, beginning in Semarang, Central Java. He decided to move his business to Jakarta in 2006, considering the capital a "big market opportunity".

While Jakarta is known as an entertainment hub, its leisure industry has been less accommodating to the poor. Unreasonably high prices for most entertainment services remain out of reach for many people.

Eko, a resident who earns less than Rp 1 million a month, said it would be impossible to take his three children to the amusement park in Ancol, North Jakarta, where entrance fees were expensive.

Sukaria is Eko's family's budget version of Ancol, and he can entertain his children for only Rp 20,000 per visit.

For Sukaria's owner, what seems to be a small sum promises huge potential. He claims he can net Rp 600,000 a night.

There are around 28 players competing in the carnival business in Jakarta and its surrounding areas of Bogor, Bekasi and Depok, Suparjo says.

To avoid business disputes, managers coordinate with each other to set boundaries.

"Competition doesn't worry me too much," Suparjo says.

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