Brilio.net/en - On any given weekday, Jakarta's train system could be every commuter's nightmare. It may be one of the fastest and convenient ways of going in and out of the city, but it's also constantly packed around rush hour, with barely any space to stand, let alone sit. If there's any time of the week we can recommend taking the train, it would be the weekend, when the cars are far less crowded, offering an enjoyable ride while getting the best out of the Big Durian.
Here are some cool spots in Jakarta you easily reach by train:
1. The National Monument (Monas)
Monas (Photo via Wikimedia & YouTube)
Stop at the Gambir Train Station and take a 10-minute walk to the National Monument (Monas), built by Presidend Soekarno in 1961 to commemorate Indonesia's struggle for independence. Standing at 132 meters high, taking the elevator to the top of this monument reveals a view of the city you definitely don't get to see often. A new perspective once in a while wouldn't hurt.
2. The National Museum
National Museum (Photo via Sportourism)
National Museum (Photo via Ratnaikaporawidya)
As the oldest and biggest museum in Indonesia, the National Museum (Museum Nasional) boasts a large number of archaic artefacts, such as gold and diamond jewelry from the 4th-century Kingdom of Kutai, ancient potteries, tools, coins, and more. You can reach this awesome museum by foot from the Gambir Train Station.
3. Bank Indonesia Museum
(Photo via Thetwoandeight)
© 2016 brilio.net/NA
Museum Bank Indonesia
© 2016 brilio.net/Retno Wulandari
A miniature of Jung Java (Javanese traditional vessel)
© 2016 brilio.net/Retno Wulandari
The display
© 2016 brilio.net/Retno Wulandari
Nestled in the romantic Jakarta Old Town (Kota Tua), Bank Indonesia Museum has plenty of interesting things to offer. It takes visitors on a journey through Indonesia's economic history, from the time of its ancient kingdoms, the colonial era, all the way to the modern Indonesia, with sculptures and props to serve as illustrations. The best part? No entrance fee needed! Get off the train at Jakarta Kota Station and this beautiful neo-classical building will be right on the other side of road.
4. Fatahillah Museum
Museum Fatahillah. (Photo via Pedomanwisata)
Actually not a statue. (Photo via Muhammadarkhan)
This former office of the Dutch East Indies Governor General offers a journey through Jakarta’s cultural history, including inscriptions and epigraphs from the ancient kingdoms era, the relic from the colonial era, and many more. The name derives from Indonesia national hero Fatahillah, a warrior who seized the nearby port of Sunda Kelapa from the Portuguese, and later on gave the name “Jayakarta”, which then became Jakarta. Like the Bank Indonesia museum, this one, too, is located in Kota Tua.
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