Escaping the city on the weekend

Smiling faces abound in the city on Fridays as people from all walks of life prepare to get away from their routines by traveling to favorite holiday spots for the weekend. The Jakarta Post's team of reporters, Christiani S.A. Tumelap, A. Junaidi, Lukman Natanegara, Johannes Simbolon, and K. Basrie explore how Jakartans get away for the weekend in the article below and in others on Page 8.

JAKARTA (JP): Thank God, it's Friday! is how city dwellers welcome the weekends so that they can recharge their batteries and take a break from the daily grind.

The city's hustle and bustle and the bumper-to-bumper traffic on weekdays means that people in the capital always eagerly await the weekends, wishing that days off could come around sooner.

Weekend getaways are seen as a great remedy for the exhaustion and stress of city life.

"Given the stressful workloads that urban dwellers encounter each weekday, recreational diversions are thus a necessity," said sociologist Sardjono Jatiman of the University of Indonesia.

For poor locals, public places like the Monas park in Central Jakarta, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah in East Jakarta, the Ragunan zoo in South Jakarta and Ancol Dreamland in North Jakarta are the most preferred weekend destinations.

They also visit the mushrooming shopping malls and plazas in the city and surrounding areas, but just to window-shop.

Noted physician Kartono Mohammad said that getting away on weekends was an effective remedy for boredom and saturation.

"At least, it can help reduce the problems," Kartono said.

Some people like to stay home on the weekends, but others -- both rich and poor -- prefer to go out on their days off. They spend their precious weekend hours in different ways: They stay overnight at fashionable resorts away from the city, browse in shopping malls, hang around discotheques and cafes, explore their hobbies or picnic in parks.

"The real essence of weekends is leisure. It's to enjoy yourself by doing something you like. It doesn't necessarily mean that you have to take a three-day trip, or go somewhere to spend the whole weekend," Sardjono said, adding that people did not have to join groups to have fun.

"You can find leisure by yourself," he said.

One of the most popular weekend itineraries for Jakartans is to get away from home for several hours or for the whole weekend.

Jakarta and its surrounding areas offer abundant holiday spots for the city's 11 million inhabitants.

Holiday spots for weekend getaways around the city range from the famous mountain resorts of Puncak to its surrounding areas of Cisarua, Cipanas and Sawangan in the west to the Pulau Seribu islands in Jakarta Bay. The mountain resorts are popular for many Jakartans because of their fresh air and cool temperatures, while the islands are a good place to unwind for those who can't stand crowds.

Holiday resorts have many hotels, villas and spas to meet the demands of weekenders.

The cost of accommodation in Puncak ranges from Rp 50,000 (US$20.75) to Rp 300,000 a night.

Much better

Some believe that weekends in remote villages are better ways to relax than hanging around the hurly-burly of Jakarta.

"Sometimes we need new ambience and new atmosphere to ease our fatigued minds," Gigi group band member Dhani Widjanarko said.

Kartono said, "It's so nice to meet people and haggle at the Bogor traditional fruit and vegetable market, for instance, compared to going to malls in Jakarta where there is no two-way communication because the prices are fixed on tags."

On the road from Jakarta to Puncak, one can enjoy not only fresh weather and friendly atmosphere but also a diversity of recreations for children and adults. A safari zoo, parks, traditional and modern restaurants, discotheques and pubs line the main road.

It is said that the Puncak's nightlife on weekends is as cheerful as downtown Jakarta's.

Because many Jakartans spend the weekend in Puncak, there are traffic jams on the highways and roads leading there Thursday evening and on the way back to Jakarta on Sunday evening.

"No big deal. It's part of the weekend party and it has been happening for many years," said Lastri, a civil servant who always spends his weekends around Puncak.

Pulau Seribu

Spending the weekend on the nearby Pulau Seribu islands with a lover or family is also high on the agenda for many Jakartans.

A wide range of cruises are available for rent at Ancol dreamland. It takes less than 30 minutes to go there from Jakarta. Just call an agent and they will take you to your favorite island, such as Pulau Ayer or Pulau Puteri. The estimated cost for a two-day weekend is between US$125 and $200 per person.

Water-sport services, such as snorkling and fishing in the protected, clean sea, are available.

Since last year, there has been a three-day cruise on weekends sailing to Pulau Seribu and Lampung in the southern tip of Sumatra and near the Krakatau volcano on the Sunda Straits.

The new ship Awani Dream 2 leaves Tanjung Priok port Friday evening and berths near one of the islands. Night entertainment on board is great fun.

For those with plenty of cash, weekends in far-away places, such as Surabaya and Bali are a good option. Businesswoman Inke Maris, for example, named Bali as her family's most popular destination.

Others fly overseas to hang around cities like Singapore, Hong Kong, Perth in Australia or Genting Highlands in Malaysia. But how do they spend their time there? Relaxing, exploring, shopping, gambling or on other pursuits.

Lani, a secretary of a foreign company based in Central Jakarta, recently spent the weekend in Singapore.

"I spent much of the time sitting down on the famous Orchard Road, sipping glasses of Coca Cola and enjoying the atmosphere," she said.

Enjoying weekends is as important as life itself.

So, have a good weekend and get ready for tomorrow, which is... Monday!