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Tourist sites, MRT attract holidaymakers
As millions of Jakartans took part in the annual exodus to their hometowns across Indonesia to celebrate Idul Fitri, thousands of holidaymakers enjoyed the various tourist attractions in the capital city for sightseeing during the extended holiday
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span>As millions of Jakartans took part in the annual exodus to their hometowns across Indonesia to celebrate Idul Fitri, thousands of holidaymakers enjoyed the various tourist attractions in the capital city for sightseeing during the extended holiday.
Some visited the more popular tourist attractions, including Ancol Dreamland Park in North Jakarta and Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta. Others hopped on boats to Thousands Islands regency off Jakarta’s coast for the sea breeze and a dip in the ocean. Others simply sought enjoyment at the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta or took a ride in the new MRT, which served as a magnet for tourists, especially those coming from outside of the city.
In Monas on Saturday afternoon, tens of thousands of people gathered at the monument’s spacious park and culinary stands. Lines of vehicles packed the IRTI parking lot at the compound.
Dewi Sartika, 30, was relaxing with her husband Jamal Malik, 35, and their 8-year-old son on a picnic rug at the park after lunchtime. The family had come all the way from Bogor, West Java to the park to have an affordable fun time during the holiday.
“It’s been a long time since we visited Monas. This is the type of holiday we can afford because it’s free,” Dewi, who works as a cleaner in Jakarta, said, adding that the family was also looking forward to watching the Monas Dancing Fountain later in the evening.
Around 90,000 people visited the city’s landmark on Friday, Monas management head Munjurin said. Monas has been a popular tourist attraction for Jakarta residents and visitors looking for affordable entertainment, as it is free to enter the park. With a spacious park of around 80 hectares, many people enjoy their time at the park by having a picnic on the grass while watching their children playing. The National Monument itself has also been a popular tourist destination.
During this year’s Idul Fitri holiday, the MRT has also been a popular public transportation option, as well as a growing tourist attraction.
“This is my first time taking the MRT,” Elsa, 47, a private employee and resident of Bandung, West Java, told The Jakarta Post at the Senayan MRT Station. “I watched the inauguration on TV, but only because of the Idul Fitri holiday was I able to travel to Jakarta with my family and finally experience the MRT.”
PT MRT Jakarta, which operates the service, recorded 90,000 passengers on Saturday, exceeding the daily target of 65,000 passengers, the company corporate secretary Muhammad Kamaluddin said as reported by tempo.co. He explained the country’s first ever subway service had been swarmed by passengers since the start of the Idul Fitri holiday on June 3.
The company only operated seven trains, half the usual 14 trains, during the holiday from June 1 to 9.
Other tourist attractions also invited rising numbers of visitors, such as Ancol Dreamland Park, Ragunan Zoo and Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) park in East Jakarta.
On Friday, Ancol Dreamland Park saw more than 80,000 visitors and more than 16,000 vehicles entering the area by 4 p.m., Ancol Dreamland Park’s corporate communications officer, Rika Lestari, said in a statement. Rika went on to say that Dufan amusement park was the most visited place in the complex, followed by Atlantis Water Adventures water park.
City-run Ragunan Zoo was also one of the popular choices among residents during the holiday. The zoo’s spokesperson Ketut Widarsana said, as reported by tempo.co, that the complex had received at least 117,000 visitors on Saturday.
On Thursday and Friday, the zoo recorded more than 72,000 and 60,200 visitors respectively since noontime. The zoo was closed on the first day of Idul Fitri on Wednesday as stipulated in a 2018 gubernatorial decree.
The privately run Taman Mini Indonesia Indah in East Jakarta also experienced soaring visitor numbers, as more than 70,000 visitors entered the complex on Saturday, TMII’s corporate communications officer, Redy, said in a statement.
Jakarta’s very own maritime tourism destination Thousand Islands also attracted holidaymakers. As many as 3,900 tourists visited the regency from Kali Adem passenger port in Pluit, North Jakarta, according to data from the Transportation Ministry.
Head of the Muara Angke Port Authority Office (KSOP), Capt. Handry Sulfian, said on Thursday that as many as 22 traditional boats transported 3,887 tourists to the holiday islands.
“Most people departed from Kali Adem port using traditional boats. The number of passengers is normally high during holiday seasons,” Capt. Handry said in a statement.
Visitors also enjoyed the city-owned Transjakarta bus service, whose double-decker buses attracted holidaymakers. During the Idul Fitri holiday, the company served seven free routes with 22 double-decker buses to promote tourist sites in the capital. (das)
