Favourite Place

Ujung Kulon National Park

Ujung Kulon National Park is on the remote south-western tip of Java, covering about 760 sq km of land area, including the large Panaitan Island. Because its isolation and difficult access, Ujung Kulon has remained an outpost of primeval forest and untouched wilderness in heavily developed Java. The park presents some finest opportunities for hiking and wildlife spotting, and has some good beaches with intact coral reefs. Despite its remoteness and the relatively high cost of visiting the park, it is one of the most popular national park in Java.

Ujung Kulon is best known as the last refuge of Java for the once plentiful one-horned rhinoceros, now numbering only around 60. The shy Javan rhino, however, is an extremely rare sight and you are more likely to come across less exotic animals, such as banteng (wild cattle), wild pigs, otters, squirrels, leaf monkeys and gibbons. Panthers also alive in the forest and crocodiles in the river estuaries, but these too are a rare sight. Green turtles nest in some of the bays and Ujung Kulon also has a wide variety of birdlife. On Peucang Island, rusa deer, long-tailed macaques and big monitor lizards are common, and there is good snorkeling around coral reefs.

The main park area is on the peninsula but the park also includes the nearby island of Panaitan and the smaller offshore islands of Peucang and Handeuleum. Much of the peninsula is dense lowland rainforest and the mixture of scrub, grassy plains, swamps, pandanus palms and long stretches of sandy beach on the west and south coasts. Walking trails follow the coast around much of the peninsula and loop round Gunung Payung on the western tip.

Anyer Beach

Anyer, located 12 km from Cilegon, is an upmarket beach resort popular with Jakarta Residents. Anyer was once the biggest Dutch port in Selat Sunda before being totally destroyed ty tidal waves generated by Krakatau. The Anyer lighthouse was built by the Dutch at the instigation of Queen Wilhelmina in 1885 after the disaster. From here you can hire a boat to make a 1.5 hour trip to explore the deserted island of Sangiang, which has coral reefs and seven sq km of jungle, mangrove and monkeys.

Musi river

Palembang straddles the board Musi River, the two halves of the city linked by the Ampera Bridge. Any true ‘Palembang’ experience must include a river trip. Bustling floating markets and glimpses of traditional ways of life along the river will stay with you long after you return home. The annual Bidar race is well worth including in your plans if you are in the area around Independence Day, August 17th. The boats are over 24 meters long and only 3/4 of a meter wide, powered by as many as 50 oarsmen.

Ancol Jakarta Bay City

This is Jakarta’s largest and most popular recreation park. Used to be known as “Jaya Ancol Dreamland”, its extensive range of attractions includes sea and fresh-water aquariums, swimming pools, an artificial lagoon for fishing and boating, a bowling alley, as well as an assortment of nightclubs restaurants, and massage parlors. The Ancol complex includes a marina, Dunia Fantasi (Fantasy Land), a golf course, hotels and a drive-in theatre.

Pasar Seni

The ‘Pasar Seni’ or art market has a varied collection of Indonesian handicraft, paintings and souvenirs on sale. An open-air theatre features live performances by local artists.

Ancol Beach

This water park consists of various pools and slides that will thrill both children andadults that never quite grew up. Experience a day of fun-filled adventures by braving therapids, diving down the slides, enjoying the exciting water rides or just splashing around.The theme park was refurbished several times to ensure safety and everlasting fun.Nonetheless children must always be supervised by adults. The poolside restaurant is popular for its variety of local dishes

Dream World

Indonesia own Disneyland where you can discover a cultural journey through Indonesia and many other countries. With the accent on fun, other attractions include a thrilling corkscrew roller coaster, adventurous flume rides, turbo tour simulators, bumper cars as wellas many other exciting fairground amusements. Open Mon to Sat, from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.Sun from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Craft Shops

This colorful open-air market located in the Ancol Amusement Park provides the unique experience of not only buying quality Indonesian arts and craft, but also a chance to seeand meet the artisans at work. You can watch puppet makers, wood-carvers, painters,and many other craft makers from throughout the archipelago cheerfully working on theircreations.At this art and handicraft market, visitors get to watch Indonesian artists creating theirmasterpieces. Hundreds of artists from all over the country congregate here to exhibittheir work, making the spot a fascinating place for tourists and art connoisseurs. You caneven get a portrait of yourself done.Both traditional and modern art and crafts are on display, including paintings, sculptures,traditional Indonesian wayang kulit (leather puppets), gemstone jewelry and many otherartistic products. Art performances are frequently held at the Art Market (Pasar Seni)inside the Jaya Ancol Dreamland on Jakarta’s beach. They normally range from wayangkulit shadow plays to folk dances and modern drama.Open Monday to Saturday, from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.Amusement ParkA village unto itself, this 24-hour park has hotels, nightclubs, shops, and amusementcenters, including an oceanarium with dolphin and sea lion shows, a golf course, a race-car track, a four-pool complex with a wave pool, and water slides. Africa is representedby a comedy of mechanized monkeys, America by a Wild West town, Europe by a mockTudor house, and Asia by buildings from Thailand, Japan, India, and Korea. Rides,shooting galleries, and food stalls surround these attractions, all set on 1,360 acres ofland reclaimed from the bay in 1962. COST: Admission. Sat.-Thurs. 11-6, Fri. 1:20-10.

Marina Ancol

This is a special port for yachts, motor and sail boats, and the port of departure toKepulauan Seribu or Thousand Islands resorts. This is also a good location for wind surfing and other marine recreation. Beach facilities for the sea or lagoon area areamply provided: water cycles, canoes, sail boats, fishing gear and many others. Stallsare abundant, serving drinks and snacks along the beach.

Seaworld

This giant oceanarium proudly introduces visitors to more than 4,000 fish and sharksfrom 300 species. Come and enjoy the deep-sea panorama while strolling through an80-meter tunnel. The fascinating creatures live in some 500 million liters of seawater andare fed three times a day (some hand-fed). The attraction also features a theater whichplays three educational films in English and Bahasa Indonesia. Open Monday toSaturday, from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Ancol Golf

Built as part of the giant recreational area in Ancol Dreamland in North Jakarta, the 18-hole plays to par 17 with a length of 6,501 meters. Here, the sea wind is often aninteresting challenge for golfers. Padang Golf Jaya Ancol has no membershiprestrictions and is suitable for those wishing to combine golf with a family outing.Facilities at the clubhouse include club rental, pro shop, driving range, locker rooms, hot/ cold showers and a spacious parking lot. Source : www.budpar.go.id

Bangka Belitung

Bangka Belitung are two beautiful islands lying in the placid South China Sea to the east of Sumatra. Geologically these islands are more closely related to Malaya and Borneo than to Sumatra – forming part of the older, non-volcanic core of Sunda Shelf. Getting more popular as travel destination, they in fact possess some of Southeast Asia’s finest beaches, as well as offering calm and beautiful hideaway for traveler.

Bangka and Belitung islands are best known as the “tin islands” – part of a rich vein of tin ore running from here up through the Malay Peninsula to southern Thailand, which has historically furnished much of the world’s supply of this versatile mineral. Decades of mining have transformed the landscapes of these islands. Densely jungle hills have given way to scrubby forest dotted with small lakes called kolong – huge, water-filled cavities where tin has been mined. Despite centuries of large-scale exploitation, the islands are still sparsely populated.

Jakarta Museum

Completed in 1627, the building initially served as the Dutch East Indies Company’s Town Hall. Additions and renovations including a stone gate, offices and renovations were added between 1705 and 1715. The well-known Indonesian hero, Diponegoro, was said to have been imprisoned in its dungeon before his exile to South Sulawesi. The building was being used as military barracks and offices when the Jakarta City Administration decided in the early 1970s and antiquities including furniture and porcelain used by the Dutch rulers of Batavia, as well as a 16th century Portuguese cannon which stands just across the cobblestone square.

Lake Toba

Lake Toba is the heart of batak country, the largest lake in southeast Asia with a surface area about 1,145 sq. kilometers, and the deepest lake in the world, over 450 meters deep. The town of Parapat is the main tourist resort and lies on the shores of the lake. The Batak Toba and Batak Simalungun peoples of Parapat are happy, easygoing people, known for their lively and sentimental love songs. Recreational sports in Parapat include swimming, water skiing, motor boating, canoeing, fishing, and golf. The climate is cool and dry, and ideal place to relax. There is a plethora of Hotels, bungalows, villas and guesthouses. Parapat is 176 km from Medan and can be reached in 4 hours by bus.