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Cities to visit by train from Jakarta
Below are some places you can visit by train from the capital.
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Passengers get ready in one of the cars of the new Argo Parahyangan train at Bandung Station departing to Gambir Station, Jakarta, on Jan. 3. (JP/Arya Dipa)
T
raveling by train may offer a convenient option for those seeking to explore a destination in a more relaxed manner and have a more flexible schedule.
Below are some places you can visit by train from the capital as compiled by tempo.co:
Bandung
Especially if you're planning on spending the weekend or holidays in this city, traveling by train to Bandung in West Java provides a much more convenient option compared to going by car.
The West Java provincial capital itself is home to various urban attractions, such as restaurants, the Old Town and city parks. Upon arriving at Bandung Station, visitors will be greeted by old buildings on Jl. Braga, known as the Paris van Java, that have mostly turned into cafes or restaurants.
On Aug. 17, the 2.6-hectare Kiara Artha Park was opened at Jl. Jakarta to celebrate the historic Asian-African Conference that was held in Bandung in 1955. The area, also known as Asian-African Park, hosts half-body statues of the conference's initiators and all the flags of the participating countries.
A dancing fountain is among the interesting spots there, attracting visitors with its music and colorful lights.
Travel time from Jakarta to Bandung by train is around three hours.
Read also: PT KAI's new sleeper trains and Priority trains: What's the difference?
Cirebon
Located around 220 kilometers from Jakarta, this West Java city is reachable by train in around three hours.
Many tourist attractions can be found in Cirebon and explored in a day, such as Sunyaragi Cave Park, Kasepuhan Palace and Batik Trusmi souvenir center. Tourists usually opt to travel to this city in the morning and return to Jakarta during the night to save time.
Semarang
The revitalization of Semarang's Old Town makes the area the main destination to visit from Tawang Station in the capital of Central Java. In addition to ancient buildings adorned with European architecture, tourists can also explore water canals like in Amsterdam. No wonder this place is known as Little Netherlands.
The most attractive building in this area is arguably Blenduq Church, which has been standing for more than 250 years. Visitors usually take their pictures here, among the area's colonial-style cafes and restaurants.
Traveling from Jakarta to Semarang by train takes around six hours.
Surabaya
Surabaya in East Java, around 11 hours away from Jakarta by train, has two main stations: Gubeng and Pasar Turi. From the latter, the closest historical tourist destination is the House of Sampoerna, where tourists are invited to explore the history of the Indonesian kretek (clove cigarette) factory.
From this museum, travelers can continue their journey to the city's oldest area Jl. Kembang Jepun, Jembatan Merah and Sunan Ampel Mosque in Krasak, which is a remnant of the Majapahit Kingdom.
Gubeng Station boasts destinations such as the Submarine Monument, Gedung Pemuda building and Zangrandi, one of the country's oldest ice cream parlors.
From Gubeng, you can travel to Jl. Tunjungan where the Majapahit Hotel is located. The place, formerly known as Yamato Hotel, was where a Dutch flag was ripped that led to the epic Battle of Surabaya in 1945. The area itself hosts shopping malls, cafes and restaurants with Dutch architectural influence, and the Siola building, which has been around since the colonial era and now offers a cafe and a small-and-medium-businesses exhibition. (ran/kes)
