There are many beautiful and interesting places in Jakarta and west Java. Here are some of well-known interesting places with photos to guide you choosing places to see on your trip. Ticket prices shown below may change anytime without notice.
Kebun Raya Bogor (Bogor Botanical Gardens)
botanical garden in the South East Asia, covering an area of 87 hectares and has 15000 collection of trees & plants. One of the most famous flowers in the garden is Amorphophalus Titanium. The flower originated from Pagar Alam, Sumatra. It is 2 meters in height and blooms only once in 2 till 5 years. The other famous collections are the giant bamboo, the giant kenari babi tree, iron tree, orchids, sausage tree, tarzan tree, giant lily ponds, etc. Know more about Bogor Botanic Gardens >>
The garden opens from 08.00 – 17.00 everyday, with ticket fees:
- IDR 15,000/pax for domestic visitor
- IDR 26,000/pax for international tourist
- IDR 30,000 for car
Location: Jl. Ir. H. Juanda No.13, Paledang, Kecamatan Bogor Tengah, Kota Bogor, Jawa Barat 16122
Taman Safari Indonesia
Taman Safari offering adventurous tour in a jungle with a large collection of worldwide wildlife without cages. So, we can see & learn about animals from around the world in their habitats. The animals will also entertain you with circus & educational shows. In the jungle, you will also find an amusement park containing water park, jet coaster, restaurant, etc. It’s great for family tour. Learn more about Taman Safari >>
Ticket fees:
- IDR 195,000/pax for domestic tourist on the weekday
- IDR 230,000/pax for domestic tourist on the weekend and public holiday
- IDR 400,000/pax for international tourist
- IDR 20,000 for car
Official website: https://tamansafaribogor.com
Puncak Highland
Puncak is a highland area located in the borderline between Bogor & Cianjur. In this area, you will see an extend of large beautiful tea plantation. Actually, the desired things are not only about the beautiful landmark with the cool atmosphere, but there are also so many great things, activities, & places like tea walk, Talaga Warna (colored lake), paragliding, riding horse, resorts, flowers garden, and botanic garden. Learn more about Puncak >>
With so many tourists from Jakarta in the weekend & holidays resulting in the long hours jam, local government implementing the one way system from & to Puncak. On Saturday, 09.00AM – 11.00AM, one way from Ciawi to Puncak; 15.00PM – 17.00PM, one way from Puncak to Ciawi. On Sunday, 09.00AM – 11.00AM, one way from Ciawi to Puncak; 15.00PM – 18.00PM, one way from Puncak to Ciawi. This schedule may change by police prior notice. So, it is advisable for you to visit Puncak in the weekdays.
Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII)
culture in one place, then TMII is the right place. It is like the miniature of Indonesia. Although it is a miniature, it covers an area of more than 150 hectares.
Ticket fees on weekday (not include museums and amusement rides):
- IDR 15,000/pax
- IDR 15,000/car
Official website: http://www.tamanmini.com
Old Town Batavia
Jakarta and see what Jakarta looks like in the Dutch colonial period, then you need to visit Old Town Batavia. On the area, you can see some old buildings, museums, old harbour, drawbridge, etc.
Long time ago, before Dutch came to Indonesia, there was the most important port in Java. It was named Sunda Kelapa port and was part of Sundanese Kingdom which has the capital in Pakuan (now Bogor), and was secured by Portuguese which has an agreement with the Kingdom to give them authority on the port. On 22nd of June 1527, Demak Sultanate in Central Java sent Fatahillah to attack and acquired the port. Fatahillah won and changed the name into Jayakarta that means ‘win’ or ‘glorious city’. That is why people and government celebrate Jakarta anniversary every 22nd of June.
In 1619 Dutch East Indies Company (VOC) lead by Jan Pieterszoon Coen attacked and destroyed the area. Then, he built a town and renamed Jayakarta into Batavia. He built a city hall and a square in front of the hall. After Indonesia Independence Day, 17th of August 1945, the city was renamed back to Jakarta, a short name of Jayakarta; but the specific area was named the old town (in Indonesia: Kota Tua). The port was also renamed back to Sunda Kelapa port.
Monument National (Monas)
Monas is is the national monument built by Mr. Soekarno, the first President, to commemorate the struggle for Indonesian independence. It was the highest tower in Indonesia. It is located at Freedom square in the central of Jakarta. The shape of the tower is representing Indonesia culture or traditional tools: mortar & pestle. The 132 meter tall marble obelisk is topped with a flame coated with 35kg of gold. In 1995, to celebrate 50 years of independence day, the gold flame was added by 15kg gold. The total gold weight is become 50kg then. The flame, which has 17 meters in height & 6 meters in diameter, symbolizing a never extinguished spirit of Indonesian people. You could reach the top of the tower, just below the flame, by elevator. But, sadly there is only one elevator caused long queue everyday. On the top, you can see the view of Jakarta city.
Ticket fees: IDR 20,000/pax (closed every Monday)
Ancol Bay
This Ancol Bay is located on the north of Jakarta. Here you will find a wide range of attractions and recreational parks including Dunia Fantasi (Fantasy World), SeaWorld, beaches, Atlantis Water Adventure, Pasar Seni (art market), golf course, seaport to go to Thousand islands, etc. The video below shows you the warmth of this big amusement park.
Ticket price to Ancol Bay (not include amusement rides):
- IDR 25,000/pax
- IDR 25,000/car
Official website: http://www.ancol.com/
Galeri Nasional
This is a nice place for art lovers. The museum collects & shows many art masterpieces including paintings, sketches, photography, carvings, etc. from Indonesia and other countries. It is located on the heart of Jakarta.
Kawah Putih (White Crater)
This gorgeous crater lake natural created in a volcanic crater is located 50 km from Bandung city. The Kawah Putih Lake consists of one of the two lakes which are part of Mount Patuha, a volcanic mountain, but it has not seen any major volcanic activity since 1600. The color of the water is a striking shade of blue and when the weather is cloudy, the whole area is shrouded in mist which gives it a mysterious appearance. It will take you around two hours to reach this place from the center of Bandung.
Ticket fees:
- IDR 75,000/pax for international tourist
- IDR 150,000/car
Lake Patenggang & Rancabali Tea Plantation
This scenic and romantic spot is a two-hour drive from Bandung but not far from Kawah Putih and is located around 1,600 m above the sea level. The lake is surrounded by beautiful tea gardens and green hills.
There is a small heart-shaped island in the middle of the lake called Sasaka. Visitors can hire small boats to go to the small island, explore the serene lake and the nearby areas.
Feel tired? Don’t worry, there is a glamping complex on the side of the lake. It is a glamorous camping, means camp with high end facilities provided.
Tangkuban Parahu Volcano
The name literally means ‘upturned boat’ in the local language, based on the legend behind its creation. This dormant volcano is located 30 km north of Bandung, where tourists can hike among the scenic trails to the edge of the crater or ride up to the location to enjoy the hot water springs or view the boiling hot mud. You can even buy eggs which have been cooked on the hot surface there, although it is better to do research on whether there has been any alert on the volcanic activity which may prevent visitors from going up the volcano.
Ticket fees:
- Monday to Friday: Rp. 200,000/pax for international
- Weekend and holiday: Rp. 300,000/pax for international tourist
Saung Angklung Udjo
Learn to Sundanese or local art and culture by visiting Saung Angklung Udjo. This center was established by Udjo Ngalagena and his wife Uum Sumiati in 1966, primarily to make people aware of the different handicrafts, musical instruments, traditions and performing arts of this part of the country. It also serves as an education and learning center for people who want to know more about the traditional bamboo artifacts and instruments.
You can enjoy the shows performed by local artists and talented students. They perform angklung orchestra, traditional dances, and puppet shows. You will also learn how to play angklung and enjoy become part of orchestra covers few famous songs. In the end, the local dancers, musicians, and students will ask you to join dancing together.
Ticket price: IDR 100,000/pax
NuArt Sculpture Park
I Nyoman Nuarta, an award-winning artist, built his own sculpture art park, NuArt, in 2000 near his mansion in Bandung. Most of his work are made of copper and brass. The park is open for public daily from 9 AM to 6 PM. Once you arrived at the park, you will feel an artsy ambiance with cool atmosphere because the park is surrounded by lots of trees.
Ticket entrance: IDR 50,000/pax
Factory Outlets in Bandung City
Bandung is also well-known as Shopping City. In the city you’ll find many factory outlets and distros. In Bandung, factory outlet means a store selling overruns and export leftovers at cheap prices. There are many brands for sale: Eddie Bauer, Nautica, Elle, Hugo Boss, Levi’s, DKNY, Esprit, Calvin Klein, Armani, Crocodile, Nike, Reebok, Gap, Banana Republic, Guess, Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Ralph Laurent, Adidas, Puma, J. Crew, Allure, Benetton, Cerruti 1881, Victoria’s Secret, NY & Company, The Executive, Old Navy, Hush Puppy, Versache, Cherokee, Zara, etc.
The factory outlets is now become a big industry in Bandung. Some FOs do not only sell original brands from the factories, but they also make fashion products locally to be sold at the outlets. So be careful to identity fake products before you buy them.
If you want to shop, our recommendations are: Rumah Mode, Polo Ralph Laurent, Grande, Cascade, Heritage, DSE, Toko Tiga, and Paberik Badjoe. There are four main streets in Bandung where you can find a lots of FOs: Setiabudhi street, Dago street (Ir. H. Djuanda), Cihampelas street, and Riau street (R.E. Martadinata). If you don’t want to hunt famous brands, you can try to shop at some distros (distribution outlets). At distros, you’ll find many local brands clothes and t-shirt (especially for young people) produced by some small scaled industries in Bandung. Most of distress located on Trunojoyo street.
