Travel to Indonesia - A Country of Thousands of Beautiful and Exotic Islands

Indonesia, a Country of thousands of beautiful andThis building was formerly the museum of old
exotic Islands, that spark off your imaginationBatavia and was built in 1912 on the site of the
with thoughts of fine sandy beaches, huge templeformer Dutch church which was demolished in
complexes, great diving and the giant dragons of1808 as the
Komodo. The islands of Indonesia are spread overDutchman "Daendels" plan to rid the City of its
a vast expanse of ocean and technically speakingunhealthy areas. In the downstairs courtyard,
is divided by two Continents.there are memorials to previous governors who
Some parts of the Country can be as differentwere buried on site. Open, 9am till 3pm, Tuesday
from each other as black is from white. Theto Sunday. Admission: 1,000Rp
hustle and bustle of the modern capital Jakarta isFine Arts Museum – Built in the 1860s, the
like another planet when compared to thepalace of Justice building is now the Fine arts
traditional Papuan tribes of the Baliem Valley.museum. It has a nice collection of contemporary
Jakarta – Not only is it the largest City inpaintings from prominent artists. They also have
the Country, Jakarta is also the heartbeat.some ceramics on show from Chinese items to
Indonesian's from all over the archipelago come toMajapahit offerings. Open, 9am till 3pm, Tuesday
the City to try and find their fortune or just toto Sunday. Admission: 1,000Rp
survive. The face of the City is constantlyGereja Sion – This church was built in
changing due to the construction of new1695, and is the oldest Church in Jakarta. It is on Jl
skyscrapers, shopping malls and hotels.Pangeran Jayakarta near the Kota train station.
Jakarta is mainly a business and political City andThe exterior of the Church is actually pretty plain
not really a tourist destination, but the olderbut inside copper chandeliers, the original organ
colonial parts of the City are very interesting andand the baroque pulpit makes it very appealing.
the museums have a lot of fascinating exhibits.Though thousands of people have been buried
Jakarta, like you would expect, is the mosthere there are very few tombs left remaining.
expensive place in Indonesia, as well as the mostSunda Kelapa – Just a 10 minute walk
polluted and most congested. It can be very hardfrom the Taman Fatahillah, the old City port of
to cope with all of the hustle, dirt, crime and cost,Sunda Kelapa is full of wonderful Macassar
but if you can you will find an exciting City withschooners and the brightly coloured sails of these
plenty to offer.boats make for great viewing. The ships are still a
Kota – This is the old Town of Batavia,vital means of transporting goods to outlying
which was the capital of the Dutch East IndiesIslands.
and the best example of the colonial era inGuides hang around the docks and for a few
Indonesia. Though much of the old town has beenthousand rupiah will show you around and tell you
destroyed or demolished over the years, somesome insightful stories. You can also take a ride
of the old Colonial buildings are still in active use,out to the offshore fish market for around
and the area has a definite Dutch feel to it.5,000Rp. Admission, 250Rp to the dock area.
The centre of the old Town is the pebble stoneMaritime Museum – This is an old VOC
square known as Taman Fatahillah and this is thewarehouse that was built in 1645 and is by the
key to being able to orientate yourself around theentrance to the Sunda Kelapa. It has examples of
sights of the old Town. The canal of Kali Besar isIndonesian crafts from around the ages and has
one block to the west of the square and runsphotos of the voyages from Europe to Jakarta.
alongside the Ciliwung River.The building itself is well worth the visit and the
This was a very prosperous area and on thelookout posts are part of the old City wall.
west bank are some of the high class homes thatJust before the entrance to the museum proper,
date from the eighteenth Century.is the old watchtower that was built in 1839, it
The Chicken market bridge is the last remaininghas brilliant views over the harbour. Opening hours
drawbridge from the Dutch era, it is at the northare hit and miss, so try to find the caretaker.
end of the Kali Besar. Buses always come by onNational Museum – This museum,
their routes and the city train also has a stopconstructed in 1862, is considered the paramount
here.museum in Indonesia, and one of the finest in
Jakarta History Museum – This museum isSouth East Asia. It has a huge ethnic and relief
housed in the old town hall of Batavia, which is onmaps of Indonesia on which you can track your
the south side of Taman Fatahillah. It is a well builttravels. The museum has a variety of different
building, which was originally constructed in 1627cultural displays that show a diverse collection of
and added to in the early 1700s. It was from hereclothing, instruments, model houses and religious
that the Dutch administered their colony, and theitems. In addition the museum has a fine collection
cities law courts were also here as well as theirof Chinese ceramics that even date back to the
main prison compound.Han dynasty of the third Century.
It contains plenty of heavy, carved furniture fromThe museum is sometimes known as the
the colonial, as well as other memorabilia from theElephant house due to the giant bronze elephant
Dutch period. Open, 9am till 3pm, Tuesday tothat was a gift from the King of Thailand, and
Sunday. Admission: 1,000Rp Wayang Museumthat now stands outside. Open, 8.30am till 2.30pm,
– This museum is also on the TamanTuesday to Sunday. Admission: 750Rp. Guides are
Fatahillah, and has a great assortment of Wayangaround who can conduct tours in various different
puppets. It also has examples of puppets fromlanguages.
other Countries like Cambodia, China and India.