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

Indonesia, a Country of thousands of beautiful andfrom other Countries like Cambodia, China and
exotic Islands, that spark off your imaginationIndia.
with thoughts of fine sandy beaches, huge templeThis building was formerly the museum of old
complexes, great diving and the giant dragons ofBatavia and was built in 1912 on the site of the
Komodo. The islands of Indonesia are spread overformer Dutch church which was demolished in
a vast expanse of ocean and technically speaking1808 as the Dutchman 'Daendel's' plan to rid the
is divided by two Continents.City of its unhealthy areas. In the downstairs
Some parts of the Country can be as differentcourtyard, there are memorials to previous
from each other as black is from white. Thegovernors who were buried on site. Open, 9am till
hustle and bustle of the modern capital Jakarta is3pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Admission: 1,000Rp
like another planet when compared to theFine Arts Museum - Built in the 1860's, the palace
traditional Papuan tribes of the Baliem Valley.of Justice building is now the Fine arts museum. It
Jakarta - Not only is it the largest City in thehas a nice collection of contemporary paintings
Country, Jakarta is also the heartbeat. Indonesian'sfrom prominent artists. They also have some
from all over the archipelago come to the City toceramics on show from Chinese items to
try and find their fortune or just to survive. TheMajapahit offerings. Open, 9am till 3pm, Tuesday
face of the City is constantly changing due to theto Sunday. Admission: 1,000Rp
construction of new skyscrapers, shopping mallsGereja Sion - This church was built in 1695, and is
and hotels.the oldest Church in Jakarta. It is on Jl Pangeran
Jakarta is mainly a business and political City andJayakarta near the Kota train station. The
not really a tourist destination, but the olderexterior of the Church is actually pretty plain but
colonial parts of the City are very interesting andinside copper chandeliers, the original organ and
the museums have a lot of fascinating exhibits.the baroque pulpit makes it very appealing.
Jakarta, like you would expect, is the mostThough thousands of people have been buried
expensive place in Indonesia, as well as the mosthere there are very few tombs left remaining.
polluted and most congested. It can be very hardSunda Kelapa - Just a 10 minute walk from the
to cope with all of the hustle, dirt, crime and cost,Taman Fatahillah, the old City port of Sunda
but if you can you will find an exciting City withKelapa is full of wonderful Macassar schooners
plenty to offer.and the brightly coloured sails of these boats
Kota - This is the old Town of Batavia, which wasmake for great viewing. The ships are still a vital
the capital of the Dutch East Indies and the bestmeans of transporting goods to outlying Islands.
example of the colonial era in Indonesia. ThoughGuides hang around the docks and for a few
much of the old town has been destroyed orthousand rupiah will show you around and tell you
demolished over the years, some of the oldsome insightful stories. You can also take a ride
Colonial buildings are still in active use, and the areaout to the offshore fish market for around
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 warehouse
square known as Taman Fatahillah and this is thethat was built in 1645 and is by the entrance to
key to being able to orientate yourself around thethe Sunda Kelapa. It has examples of Indonesian
sights of the old Town. The canal of Kali Besar iscrafts from around the ages and has photos of
one block to the west of the square and runsthe voyages from Europe to Jakarta. The building
alongside the Ciliwung River. This was a veryitself is well worth the visit and the lookout posts
prosperous area and on the west bank are someare part of the old City wall.
of the high class homes that date from theJust before the entrance to the museum proper,
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, constructed in
their routes and the city train also has a stop1862, is considered the paramount museum in
here.Indonesia, and one of the finest in South East
Jakarta History Museum - This museum is housedAsia. It has a huge ethnic and relief maps of
in the old town hall of Batavia, which is on theIndonesia on which you can track your travels.
south side of Taman Fatahillah. It is a well builtThe museum has a variety of different cultural
building, which was originally constructed in 1627displays that show a diverse collection of clothing,
and added to in the early 1700's. It was frominstruments, model houses and religious items. In
here that the Dutch administered their colony, andaddition the museum has a fine collection of
the cities law courts were also here as well asChinese ceramics that even date back to the Han
their main prison compound.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: 1,000Rpthat now stands outside. Open, 8.30am till 2.30pm,
Wayang Museum - This museum is also on theTuesday to Sunday. Admission: 750Rp. Guides are
Taman Fatahillah, and has a great assortment ofaround who can conduct tours in various different
Wayang puppets. It also has examples of puppetslanguages.