Residents flock to recreational sites<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta residents packed the city's popular
\nrecreational sites during the post-Ramadhan Idul Fitri holiday
\nhere on Wednesday and Thursday.<\/p>\n
The Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta, the Indonesia in Miniature
\nPark (TMII) in East Jakarta and the Ancol Dreamland Recreational
\nPark in North Jakarta, all recorded their largest visitor
\nattendances this year.<\/p>\n
A public relations official at the Ancol Dreamland
\nRecreational Park, Berto, said the park recorded some 80,000
\nvisitors on Wednesday and at least 200,000 visitors on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"Besides New Year festivities and school holidays, the Idul
\nFitri holiday period is one of our peak seasons. This year, we
\nhad more visitors than the previous Idul Fitri,\" said Berto.<\/p>\n
During Idul Fitri earlier this year, Berto said, the park
\nrecorded a total of 150,000 visitors for the two-day vacation on
\nJan. 8 and Jan. 9.<\/p>\n
\"Several favorite places in Ancol are Fantasy Land (Dufan),
\nthe swimming pool and public beach,\" he said, adding that the
\nrecreational park also offered several art and musical
\nperformances, such as traditional dangdut concerts and
\ntraditional dance reog ponorogo shows from Central Java.<\/p>\n
The 552-hectare recreation park also provided various
\nprograms, enjoyed by children and their parents, at the Pondok
\nPutri Duyung Cottage, the Pasar Seni art market and the former
\nTeater Mobil.<\/p>\n
\"We used to go to the recreational parks outside the capital,
\nsuch as Taman Safari Zoo and the Ciater natural hot springs, both
\nin West Java. But this year we went to Ancol because we also want
\nto enjoy the New Year celebrations,\" said a visitor, Andri Yenni,
\nfrom Rawa Badak in North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Ancol also plans to hold a huge fireworks display along its
\n5.5-kilometer beach, and several music performances by local
\nartists on Dec. 31.<\/p>\n
Spokesman at the Ragunan Zoo, Madinah, said the 835-hectare
\nzoo recorded some 32,839 visitors on Wednesday and at least
\n150,000 visitors on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"Previously, we recorded a total of 188,536 visitors during
\nthe two-day Idul Fitri festivities in January,\" he said, adding
\nthat the zoo only recorded 5,000 to 20,000 visitors on regular
\ndays.<\/p>\n
With tickets costing Rp 3,000 (30 US cents) for adults and Rp
\n2,000 for children, a family can see at least 270 animal species,
\nwith the total population amounting to 3,200 individual animals.<\/p>\n
\"Favorite places in the zoo are the snake pit, the primate
\nenclosure and the tiger cage. Most parents are interested in
\nshowing their children wild animals, which are rarely seen in
\ndaily life,\" Madinah said.<\/p>\n
\"I also want to take pictures of my family with some tame
\nanimals, such as orang utans and elephants,\" said a visitor,
\nIskandar Mirza from Cilandak, South Jakarta, who visited the zoo
\nwith his wife and two-year-old son.<\/p>\n
The TMII also recorded a large number of visitors on Wednesday
\nand Thursday. The park admitted 39,000 and 100,000 visitors on
\nWednesday and Thursday respectively.<\/p>\n
TMII spokesman Dandul Hartyono, however, said the park
\nreceived virtually the same number of visitors during the Idul
\nFitri holidays last January.<\/p>\n
Dandul said the park had organized special attractions to lure
\nJakartans, especially those who couldn't join the annual exodus
\nto their home towns to celebrate Idul Fitri.<\/p>\n
\"Most visitors flocked to the 26 provincial pavilions in the
\npark, offering traditional cuisines, art performances and
\nsouvenirs, which should comfort the 'homesick' among Jakarta
\nresidents,\" he said. (07)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/residents-flock-to-recreational-sites-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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