South Jakarta offers a tour of native Jakartan culture
South Jakarta offers a tour of native Jakartan culture
JAKARTA (JP): South Jakarta to many people is not much other
than the Blok M shopping area, cafes and elite housing complexes.
Only few people know that the area also has several attractive
tourist sites, such as the Ragunan Orchid Garden, Situ Babakan
and Situ Mangga Bolong water reservoirs and Betawi kampongs in
Jagakarsa, and Ciganjur's freshwater fish nursery.
As part of efforts to boost agricultural tourism, Betawi
(native Jakartans) culture and preservation areas in South
Jakarta, the city organized a day-long tour of the sites Tuesday.
"This so-called Nature and Culture Tour is just part of a
program which has been running since 1969, called the Muhammad
Husni Thamrin (MHT) program, which is named after the renowned
independence hero from Jakarta.
"It is a program to upgrade kampongs which are commonly home
to poor facilities and are occupied mostly by poor people," tour
organizer Mimis Katoppo Sasmoyo said.
The tour is a result of the city's research on kampongs funded
by the World Bank several years ago.
"The research indicated that South Jakarta has the most
potential to be developed into a site of cultural and
agricultural tourism because it still has kampongs and huge,
untouchable green areas.
Amazing
"Besides, the Betawi people who live there still maintain
their traditional way of life. This is amazing," she added.
The tour started at the 33-year-old Ragunan Zoo, home to more
than 4,000 animals.
From an initial area of 85 hectares, the zoo has expanded to
135 hectares and is considered Jakarta's water catchment area.
It is now regarded among Asia's finest modern zoos in terms of
size and the variety of animals.
The zoo is also renowned for its wide variety of rare species.
Among them are the komodo (giant lizard), Sumatran tigers and
orangutans.
The zoo currently houses 12 orangutans aged between two and 30
years.
Ragunan Zoo primarily functions as a research and education
center, not just a recreational site. Entrance tickets cost Rp
1,000 (US$2) per person.
The second stop is the Ragunan Orchid Park. Few people in
Jakarta are even aware that such a beautiful park exists in the
capital.
Located on a five-hectare plot, the park has a wide collection
of species and varieties of orchids, such as Dendrobriums,
Oncidiums, Arachnis and Phalaeopsis.
The garden is divided into 42 lots which are used for
cultivating orchids and cutting flowers as well as marketing
sites.
Various ornamental plants can be rented or bought.
The park opens daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A rare and unique species of orchid can be worth as much as
$100.
But this year, farmers have struggled to produce quality
orchid flowers.
El Nino
"We couldn't produce good flowers this year due to the El Nino
effect. The bad climate and weather affected the development of
the flowers," said Syamsul Bahri, one of the plot's owners.
For fans of Indonesian fruit such as star fruit, rambutan,
durian and sapodilla, there is the fruit plantation located next
to the Situ Babakan and Situ Mangga Bolong in Jagakarsa.
Visitors can also buy syrup, fresh juice and fruit for between
Rp 750 and Rp 1,000 each.
Covering 47.5 hectares, the fruit plantation is surrounded by
two water reservoirs which have been left untouched by
development for almost 50 years.
But just last month Governor Sutiyoso announced the
municipality would convert the site into Jakarta's largest Betawi
cultural preservation area.
Despite people's criticism that the preservation program would
"exile" and "fossilize" Betawi people in their own homeland,
Governor Sutiyoso has continued the plan by clearing 70 percent
of the Situ Babakan area.
The next port of call on the tour was the freshwater nursery
house in Ciganjur, which belongs to the municipality. The three-
hectare plot houses a 600-square-meter fishing pool, fish
seedlings and nursery.
The nursery is a must-see for freshwater fish lovers and
special recreational and educational programs are also available.
All of the sites can be visited in one day.
The price of the tour has not yet been set as it is still a
pilot project, said Mimis.
But at least the tour can provide an enjoyable break from the
hustle and bustle of this chaotic city. (edt)