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.