Jakartans look for relaxation and fun at the weekend

Jakartans look for relaxation and fun at the weekend

By Johannes Simbolon

JAKARTA (JP): After working hard throughout the week, where do
Jakartans go for the weekend?

Puncak is still able to draw most of the weekenders with its
pristine air and beautiful panorama. But, some people may have
got bored with the view. Others may no longer be able to stand
the traffic jam which routinely occurs every weekend on the road
leading to the mountainous area.

There are now many alternatives which can offer more fun and
relaxation.

People who love riding on bikes may join the Depok Explorer
Cycling Club. The club's chairman Agus Setiawan, a contractor
living in Depok, south of Jakarta, told The Jakarta Post the
club's members spend one weekend every two months riding bicycles
across villages, forests, and mountains nearby Jakarta.

Last month, the club made what they called a "cross-cultural
travel". They traveled on bikes 70 kilometers across the area of
the Badui, an isolated people, in West Java.

"We prefer seeing villages, national parks or reservation
areas during the weekend. That's the reason we formed the club
some years ago," Agus said.

The club's agenda this year includes traveling from Cirata to
Jatiluhur, from Cipatujah to Pangandaran, going up and down Mount
Salak, and crossing the southern part of Bandung. All the
locations are in West Java. But the club's members also plan to
travel on bike 90 kilometers from Kalianda to Way Kambas in
Lampung later this year.

Membership dues are negligible, only Rp 2,000 (84 U.S. cents)
a month. Those who join the trip also have to pay between Rp
20,000 and Rp 45,000 for food throughout the adventure.

"The club's members were initially all residents of the Vila
Pertiwi housing complex where I live. Now, we have members from
many parts of Jakarta," Agus said.

People who seek a wild adventure can try white-water rafting
on the Citarik River in West Java. However, people from Jakarta
have to drive for about four hours to get to the starting point
in the village of Cikidang.

Two adventure companies, Arus Liar and Buaya Jeram Sungai,
have opened services there. The firms charge Rp 90,000 a person
for a two-hour rafting ride from Cikidang to Gobang village.

In the past, sea lovers in Jakarta had only a few locations to
go to, including the Seribu Islands and Ancol. Now, there are
some other alternatives: Anyer in the east and Pelabuhan Ratu in
the south. Both have been impressively developing as tourist
resorts over the past several years.

Adi Warsita, who owns an island in the Seribu Islands and is
an executive with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, said he preferred Pelabuhan Ratu over the Seribu
Islands for fishing.

"The fish are bigger and the panorama is more beautiful in
Pelabuhan Ratu than on Seribu Islands," Adi said.

Another alternative is going on a cruise ship. PT Pelayaran
Awani Dream Modern offers a Krakatau-weekend package of cruising
on its Awani Dream 2 ship. The ship leaves Jakarta on Friday
evenings for Lampung, and then goes to Krakatau, the Seribu
Islands and heads back to Jakarta on Sunday afternoons.

The cost is between US$210 and $790 per person, including an
accommodation with a four-star hotel standard, food and
entertainment. The entertainment includes a 120-seat cinema,
three karaoke lounges, a 300-capacity discotheque and a live
music lounge featuring a foreign band.

Company assistant marketing manager Rico Turisno said a family
with two children would spend roughly Rp 1 million for a trip on
the Awani Dream, which was about the same as a family would spend
if they went to Puncak and enjoyed as much entertainment as on
the ship.

The occupancy rate of the 950-room ship was about 80 percent
to 90 percent during weekends, he said.

"We are competitive with Puncak," Rico said.

Families who don't like to leave Jakarta can spend their
weekends at hotels. All hotels vie to offer an attractive weekend
package.

The Shangri-La hotel discounts the rate of a deluxe room by 40
percent to $149 (excluding tax and service) for families during
weekends.

"Children can swim at the hotel's swimming pool as long as
they like and are also given coloring books, while adults can
practice golf on the putting green," hotel spokeswoman Romi
Herlambang said.

Meanwhile, the Regent hotel offers a $190 weekend package.
including two deluxe rooms and breakfast. On weekdays, the rate
of a deluxe room is $240. The rates exclude tax and service.

Hotel spokeswoman Hanna Hoed said the hotel provides children
with instructors for swimming and cooking while their parents can
practice yoga or aerobics.

Tourism observer Diyak Mulahela, director of the Institution
of Information and Tourism Development noted that the economic
development of Indonesia has made some people very rich, which
allows them plentiful alternatives for weekends. Some have villas
in Puncak or in other tourist resorts near Jakarta and can even
afford going overseas every weekend.

Ansett Australia airlines' spokesperson Rachel Eaves said many
rich and famous Indonesians went to Sydney, Melbourne or Kuala
Lumpur on weekends. If they go to Sydney or Melbourne, they
mainly stay for three days, leaving on Friday night and coming
back on Monday morning.

Ansett flies to the three cities from Jakarta daily. A ticket
to Sydney and Melbourne costs $630 round-trip, while to Kuala
Lumpur costs $180 round-trip.

In Sydney, Indonesians shop, tour the city, visit friends,
enjoy the nightlife, as well as go to museums, casinos, theaters,
and many other places.

"It's also popular for Indonesians to hire an expensive car
like a Rolls Royce or a vintage car, with a driver, so they can
see Sydney in style," said Rachel.