Indonesia Tour in a Day at Taman Mini

Friends Jo and R were in Jakarta for 3 weeks to attend a company training. Good thing I'm in Jakarta this week to accompany them for a tour. Since we're both short of funds for shopping, we went to Taman Mini Indonesia Indah for a cultural & budget friendly tour.

Located in East Jakarta, we reached the place by a cab. The recreational theme park showcases diversified Indonesia's culture of the 26 provinces that made up the country. Initiated at 1972 by
the late President Suharto's wife, Siti Hartinah. It has an area of about 250 acres (1.0 km2). With pavilions representing different provinces, entrance to the park cost us Rp9000 (about $1 USD). It was cloudy when we arrived, so we tried riding Aeromovel Indonesia, a wind powered monorail.It cost Rp 15000 (about $2 USD) for a 20minute ride.

Next we tried, Skylift Indonesia cable car. This one I enjoy more than the monorail as I get more of the park view from top. Ticket cost Rp 25000 (about $3 USD) for a 15minute ride.

View of the miniature Indonesia archipelago at the central lake from the cable car. Weather is cloudy.












View from the top, ethnic Indonesian replica houses.












The Monas monument replica.

We rented bikes to tour around after the cable car ride, for Rp 10000 (about $1.2 USD) per hour. We stop per pavillions with old Indonesian house replicas of various people from the old times.

Indonesian Museum pavilion entrance depicting Hindu architecture as one of the major religion of diversified Indonesia.

House replica from Bengkulu province, called Nobility house.


Replica house from South Sumatra (Sumatera Selatan)province. Could be one of the houses of noble Indonesians .













Visitors can actually go inside the houses for the feel of it, but only when you take off your shoes/sandals.










Replica house from West Sumatra (Sumatera Barat).

This one is so tall! Its from West Kalimantan (Kalimantan Barat) province. Stands on wooden poles, its called Baluk. The house protects the ethnics from high floods and animal attacks during those times.

Some of the replica houses now be rented out to cater some events within the park. This one is from the province of South East Sulawesi (Sulawesi Tenggara).

Houses from province of East Java (Jawa Timur).

From the province of Lampung, a province also from Sumatra island.

It was only in year 2000 that Indonesia recognize Chinese culture as an integral part of them that a pavilion and Confucian temple was then also built within the park.

For kids there is a pavillion of a castle like structure with rides for their heart's delights. Entrance is Rp 5000 (about $0.50 USD). But it was closed during our visit.

Taman Mini Indonesia Indah is ideal to give insight of the country's rich culture and architecture that doesn't cost you much. Though some parts of the park are not so well maintained, its still a must to visit when you're in Jakarta and very much interested to know the country in a day :).

Pera Natin Toh!

In any case of corruption you might encounter when dealing with any government offices, our very own Department of Finance has initiated a site where you can file your complains online. Time for a move to help the government save taxpayers money from hungry crocodiles that eats up most of the funds and lounging away in luxuries, while ordinary Juan breaks his back on work on most days.

Links here: pera ng bayan.

Gap Kids

One discussion I had with a Pinoy officemate from Dubai:

Sir M: hay salamat, konting araw na lang uuwi na ko (smiling while doing his routine work)

Ako: wow, buti ka pa sir, saya naman nyan

Sir M: eto nga, tinatamad na ako magtrabaho

Ako: hay naku sir, ako nga kadarating pa lang office, tinatamad na agad...(us laughing..)

Sir M: tulungan mo naman ako maghanap ng itinerary para sa bakasyon ko, gusto ko sulitin, mamasyal
palagi, kain sa labas, saan ba maganda pumunta na malapit sa Manila para hindi maubos oras sa byahe?

Ako: ay cge sir, bigyan kita ng links na im checking always whenever i want to set a trip (me while browsing the net, i still keep on talking), ilan na ba anak mo sir? naku matutuwa sila sigurado
kasi uuwi ka na, ako na eexcite para sa iyo hehe

Sir M: i have 2 teenaged daughter & son, maaga kasi ako nag asawa

Ako: wow, eh di ang bonding nyo mas ok na kasi malalaki na pala sila

Sir M: (face a little seddened), ewan ko, alam mo antagal ko na kasi nag aabroad, since mahal nga dito sa Dubai and they're attending college,yearly lang ako umuuwi...di ko alam kung natutuwa nga sila pag umuuwi ako.Feeling ko nga pag nasa bahay ako, tensed sila. Hindi sila sanay na andun ako, feeling ko nagbibilang sila ng araw kelan ako aalis uli...

Ako: wag ka naman ganyan sir, siyempre natutuwa sila na makita ka... (my thoughts freezed that moment, and time travel
back when i was 12)......

OFW din si tatay. From the time na magkaisip ako, minsan ko lang siya makita, once a year din. Di pa uso
ang skype, mobile phone at webcam noon. We do snail mail, and see each other by pictures sent by mail.Uso pa nga postcard and occassion cards. One time na umuwi siya, tuwang tuwa kami, bukod sa mga chocolates at pasalubong, natutuwa kami makita siya, bilang bata, na palagi mong nakikita ang ibang bata na kasama ang nanay at tatay nila,masaya din kami na me tatay kami nkakasama sa pamamasyal. Pero...dahil nga sa lumaki kami na bihira siya makasama, alangan sa pakiramdam pag kasama siya...

Isang hapon sa bahay kasama si Tatay...

Tatay: Den, ipagtimpla mo nga ako ng kape

Ako: Cge po tay
Iniabot ko sa kanya ang tinimplang kape, na hindi naman talaga ako sanay gawin, feeling ko
napatamis ng sobra yata...Ininom nya lahat, at ngumiti...

Tatay: Den, pag tuwing bakasyon ko, ikaw na palagi magtitimpla ng kape ko, kasi masarap

Ako: Naman po, talaga?

Tatay: Oo, masarap pa nga sa mga ready made na binibili ko sa labas

Ako: Binobola mo na naman ako "sir"....
Natigilan ako. Teka, tinawag ko nga ba si Tatay na Sir? I looked at him, he seems surprised as well, pero nag dedma lang kunwari
walang nadinig, pero nalungkot ang mukha nya. Nahiya ako, at lumabas ng bahay.
Bakit ako ganun, di ko ba sanay tawagin siyang tatay?
Ano na ba nagawa ng pagkakalayo namin para masanay kami sa bahay na wala siya? Ni hindi kami makapag usap ng hindi kami worried
kung ano iisipin nya sa amin bilang anak nya...One time na nagka aberya ako sa highschool, natakot ako na malaman ni tatay.
Hindi dahil sa grades ko sa conduct, kundi ano na lang ang iisipin nya sa akin, kung magagalit ba siya or what...Natapos ang bakasyon
ni Tatay, na aminado kami, na parang wala lang sa amin noon, guilt still haunts me now, na sana pala mas madami akong sulat sa kanya, mas
magiliw ako sa kanya, sana ganito, sana ganyan...Until nawala si Tatay sa amin....
Ramdam ko ngayon ang sakit nya dati ke Sir M. Mahirap na nga lumayo sa pamilya, na malayo sa lumalaking anak, lalo pa pala ang masanay sila na wala sa tabi mo..
Pag ako nagkapamilya ng sarili ko,ayoko lumayo sa mga magiging anak ko, sana.....

My Pre-Birthday Getaway at Canyon Cove, Nasugbu, Batangas

A week prior leaving Jakarta, my siblings & I decided to have an out of town trip, courtesy of my sister in law. Its my nephew Matt's fine day to go out as his immunity is high at this time of the month before his chemotheraphy, and the beach breeze will do the kids good. We headed south and went to Canyon Cove in Nasugbu, Batangas.

Its a 2 hour drive from Tagaytay, we've finally reached the resort at 3pm.

We availed 2 rooms for us, both spotlessly clean. It has an LCD Tv, a mini bar, personal ref, comfortable beds. The place was relaxing, but there are noticeably unfinished units.Bringing of food inside rooms are not allowed, but we managed to sneaked in our bottled waters and few snacks inside hehe.

There are pools if you're not much of a beach fan: pools are divided into three, for toddlers (1 1/2 ft), kids (3 1/2 fr) and adults (5 ft or so).

There's a playground for the kids.

The view facing the beach is so nice. We took the kids the next early morning to have a dip in the beach as its believed to be good for them. Nothing so relaxing than walking in the shores and marvel at God's wonders.

Only one thing that didn't pleased me was the overpriced buffet, priced at Php600 per pax but not much of the menu presented. We decided to have our dinner instead outside the resort, at the Kainan sa Dalampasigan, a garden restaurant about a kilometer away from the resort, near PLDT office Nasugbu. Good thing we arrived on time as the restaurant is only open daily until 8pm only.

Canyon Cove room rates are updated on their site.Its address is Far East Road, Piloto Wawa, past the St. Francis Assisi church, signs along the road are visible.