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 :).