Entertainment venues ready for school holiday rush

Leony Aurora, Jakarta

Entertainment venues in the capital are gearing up to welcome the school holiday with special programs, although most involve higher ticket prices.

Taman Mini Indonesia Indah in East Jakarta plans to highlight the school holiday with the screening of new release Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban all through July with a ticket price of Rp 40,000 (about US$4.26).

"We will run the film three times a day at the IMAX theater," the park's spokesman Purnawijaya Alibasa said on Thursday.

The third Harry Potter film was shot on 35- and 70-millimeter film, and the one to be shown in the 800-seat IMAX theater is the latter, ensuring better picture quality.

Aside from that, the park will hold a handicraft and food bazaar from July 4 to July 18, during which the entrance fee will be discounted by 25 percent and shows on the grounds by 10 percent to 50 percent.

It also plans to stage the Pinocchio operetta on June 27.

Visitors to Taman Safari in Bogor will be able to enjoy a new cowboy show, titled Wild Wild West, from June 20.

"It will have action scenes such as shootouts and men falling from high places," spokesman Yulius Suprihardo told The Jakarta Post recently.

The half-hour show, billed as the first in Indonesia, involves 36 actors and actresses plus live animals, namely horses, border collie dogs and vultures. The cowboy show will be performed twice a day, even after the holidays are over.

The park has recently raised its ticket prices, from Rp 25,000 for adults to Rp 30,000. "But now all visitors can watch the dolphin show without paying extra," said Suprihardo.

Fantasy World and Sea World in Ancol, North Jakarta, will apply holiday prices, which are higher than workday prices, with the first charging Rp 60,000 from June 19 and the latter Rp 25,000 starting June 28.

Students who rank among the top three in their class will be eligible to enter Sea World free of charge in July, providing they produce their most recent report card.

Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta is not putting on extra attractions during the school holiday. "We just have the regular attractions, like elephant and horse riding and guided tours," said Maskana, a public relations officer there.

Nevertheless, with entry costing as little as Rp 3,000 for adults and Rp 2,000 for children between the ages of three and 12, the zoo has proven to be the most favored among families, with more than 5,000 visitors per day being recorded at holiday time.