Amusement parks, beaches still teeming

Amusement parks, beaches still teeming

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

As the long Idul Fitri holiday was winding down, more than 95,000
visitors flocked to Taman Mini park (TMII) in East Jakarta on
Saturday, one of the most favored of recreation sites for local
families who visit the capital.

The number was higher compared to last year's figure during
the same period.

"The number of visitors this year increased by around 5,000
over a year ago," J. Purnawijaya Alibasa, head of the public
relations department of TMII, was quoted as saying by Antara.

Most visitors on Saturday came from areas outside Jakarta.
They arrived in the morning on buses or trucks and spent the
whole day.

TMII, which hosts dozens of miniature buildings representative
of the different cultures from each province throughout the
archipelago, also offered a few other attractions.

The attractions included traditional dances and music
performances as well as singing by famous child singers.

Each building also has shops selling handicrafts from the
respective provinces.

Ani, 25, a visitor from Kuningan, West Java, said that it was
her first visit to TMII.

"My friends and I came here on two buses. We wanted to see art
performances and traditional houses from places throughout
Indonesia," she said.

TMII charges Rp 7,000 (82 U.S. cents) for adults and Rp 5,000
for children for the entrance ticket. It also charges Rp 7,000
for a car entering the site and Rp 4,000 for a motorcycle.

Separately, Anyer and Carita beaches in nearby Banten province
were also packed with visitors over the weekend.

The traffic to and from the beaches was heavily congested,
causing a 13-kilometer long line of traffic on Saturday.

Udin Hardi, a public minivan driver, told Antara that the
traffic was worse during this year's Idul Fitri holiday than in
past years.

"I had to find alternative roads and charge Rp 2,000 more than
the normal fare to each of my passengers," he said.

Anyer and Carita beaches are popular recreation sites, hosting
plenty of hotels and cottages. Many Jakartans spend their
weekends or holidays there, because it is generally only three
hours away by car.