Jakarta City Travel Guide: Exploring The Beauty of Indonesian Capital

Jakarta is the beautiful capital of the Southeast Asian country, Indonesia. Being an archipelago of more than 18,000 islands, the nation is filled and overflowing with the most wonderful sights and experiences. Its capital alone holds enough things to do to last an entire month of walking around the city without pause, and still not being able to explore every nook and cranny. It is so full of different types of attractions to visit, and is very rich in historical and cultural heritage. To help you wander through this wonderful place, here's a mini Jakarta travel guide.

Seeing Jakarta's History: The Old Town
The best place to go to for a look at what Jakarta was in the old days is definitely Jakarta Old Town, or Old Town Batavia, an area formally stated as heritage in 1969. Even European travelers and voyagers as early as the 16th century saw the beauty of the place and called it "Jewel of Asia" and "Queen of the East".

In Old Town Batavia, history is brought back to life with the magnificent and picturesque scenery of old colonial Dutch architecture and surroundings. The streets are lined with museums and other interesting tourist attractions. Some of these are Gedung Arsip Nasional, Cafe Batavia, Postal Office, Museum Bank Indonesia, and the Museum Fatahillah.

Other than the many buildings you can freely walk into, you can also see many street vendors and open markets in the area. Visit the old drawbridge, Sunda Kelapa old harbor, and delight yourself in the old Javanese leather puppets at the Puppet Museum.

Every Monday, most of the museums in Jakarta are closed. The best day to visit is on Sunday, because usually there would be a puppet show at the Puppet Museum. At the same museum, you can also see the funeral of Jan Pieterszoon Coen. He was an officer of the Dutch East India Company in Indonesia (VOC) in the early 17th century who renamed the city into Batavia from its older name, Jayakarta.

Immersing Yourself in Indonesia's Culture: Taman Mini Indonesia Indah
Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) is literally translated to English as Beautiful Indonesia Miniature Park. This large 250 acre park, located in the area of East Jakarta, is indeed one of the most beautiful and perfect places to feel like you're actively participating in the culture of the beautiful Indonesia.

An hour is not enough to witness everything you need to experience in this colossal park, as it is a conglomeration of everything Indonesian. The entire archipelago is crammed into the place, and the best thing to do is to let yourself be swept away by the sheer magnificence of experiencing all you can of the country in the shortest time possible. If you take a cable car inside the park, you will see the beautiful of Indonesian archipelago miniature in the middle of a lake.

Encyclopedia Britannica dubs TMII as a living museum, because of all the culture you can get from the entire experience. Each of the 34 provinces of Indonesia are represented in the park as pavilions. Each of them have their own unique surroundings, furniture, and ornaments to give the true feel of the territory. There are also more informative and fascinating museums that you can visit while inside the park, such as the Reptile Museum where you can see a dragon Komodo, Military Museum, Indonesian Museum, etc. You can also walk around and enjoy the calm beauty of the different sub-parks and have fun at the recreational facilities.

The best day to visit TMII is on Sunday, because the pavilions in the park usually perform their traditional dances and shows only on Sunday or public holiday.

Visiting the National Landmark of Jakarta: Monas
And of course, your stay in Jakarta would not be complete without seeing the monument built to remember the day Indonesia became a free country: the Monas, stand for Monumen Nasional. It was built by the first President, Mr. Soekarno, in 1961 and opened to the public ten years later. In Soekarno era, it was the highest building, the 132-meter monument powerfully tower high over Jakarta, a visible testament to the fight for freedom from colonial rule.

When you go there, you can reach the top of the Monas via elevator and see all of Jakarta. Afterwards, you can visit the Independence Room, which holds the national flag as well as other important artifacts. At the base of the Monas is the National History Museum, and the surrounding area is a beautiful park named Merdeka square. In the museum, you will find 51 dioramas telling the story about Indonesia's struggle for independence.

Sunday and holiday are not best days to visit Monas if you want to reach the top, because there are many students and people want to reach the top causing a long queue. There is only one lift with maximum 11 persons maximum capacity while hundreds of people want to enter the lift every holiday.

The above destinations are easy to reach, but many people in Jakarta cannot speak English. That is why you need an English speaking driver or a tour guide. This Jakarta Tourist Guide can help you reach the best destinations in Jakarta and explore more about the beauty of the city.

Visit here if you want to see some beautiful pictures of the city.

Article Source: Marsudi_Suwarnaadi

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Hervey Bay - Temptation City

Use the Web to find affordable whale watching in Hervey Bay deals. Whale watching, among all other big attractions in this coastal city is what makes local tourism go round. Countless visitors from all over flock to the said city just to get a jaw dropping glimpse of the lovable creatures when they demonstrate 'mugging'.

It's the mammals' way of saying 'hello' by going closer near the boat. Surely, this kind of holiday getaway will be amongst your once in a lifetime experiences that you will treasure forever. So, the next time you're going on vacation, put 'whale watching in Hervey Bay' on your itinerary.

So, what else is exciting about the so-called Jewel in Queensland's Crown? As you know, Hervey Bay is easily accessible to all holiday makers, being reachable by air from Brisbane in only 45 minutes! Aside from having earned the title of Whale Watch Capital of the World, the said city is likewise the gateway to an important World Heritage site, the Fraser Island.

A unique part of the Fraser Coast region, such island is definitely a favourite attraction among many tourists for its unusual formation of sand and rainforest. Such natural wonder gives adventure seekers a reason to explore its magnificence.

Further, the crystal clear waters around the bay city makes for a very ideal site for various aquatic activities, sports and adventure for the beach bums. In addition, game fishing lovers will be glad to know that there are designated spots for such activity.

Be on the lookout for Hervey Bay fishing charters offered by establishments in the area to cater to such need. There are also fishing clinics for beginners who want to know the basics and proceed to catching fish that are of the correct size and age. When in Hervey Bay there are many valuable things to do.

The Internet is your best guide to see what goes on this magnificent place. Discover the essence of what makes life on the Fraser Coast so special by getting help from the World Wide Web. As you know, such region is immersed in arts and culture that inspire people, in history that educates, and in various recreational activities that rejuvenate the weary soul. If you're hunger for knowledge about such things, the Hervey Bay Regional Gallery is for you.

This modern structure that boasts of a Category A status and as such, is the perfect venue for hosting high-quality touring exhibitions. Various state and national galleries join in such events to promote the works of artists coming from within the region. Additionally, the gallery offer the public new exhibitions every six to eight weeks, where you're assured of total enjoyment seeing the latest awesome works on show.

This is your chance to view the latest works of art, enjoy music from gifted local performers and interact with art aficionados during the opening event for every exhibition. Don't miss such wonderful chance to enjoy the arts where even children can also participate.

The gallery is urging kids to get involved in the arts by offering a range of art workshops. Surprisingly, the gallery also features Quilt shows for a diverse range of quilted items that embody the nitty-gritty of quilt making. Feast your eyes on elaborate textiles and intricate designs that will surely delight any tourist to no end.

Another treat that you shouldn't miss is the collective display of works on fabric artworks from the Hervey Bay Spinners, weaver and dyers. Such is a splendid showcase of the work of local fabric artists from around the Fraser Coast. With that said, wouldn't you be tempted to visit Hervey Bay? What else can make you?

Article Source: German_Nies

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