December is a month filled with holiday euphoria. There are Christmas holidays, New Year holidays, school holidays, college holidays and year-end leave. As the capital of the state, Jakarta has lots of interesting places for its residents or visitors to spend the holiday. Some places offer beautiful scenery, some bring the atmosphere of excitement and some provide a different experience. It’s guaranteed to eliminate boredom and provide new passion to welcome a new beginning. Let’s see the most fun things to do in Jakarta in December.
1. Having Fun at Taman Impian Jaya Ancol
Taman Impian Jaya Ancol is one of the favorite attractions to fill the Christmas and New Year holidays. Everyone, old-young-kids, can be happy in this amusement park. There are a variety of rides and exciting attractions that are ready to entertain visitors. Some of the rides that become the highlight are Roller Coaster, Tornado, Hysteria, Ferris Wheel, Rafting and Power Surge. In addition there is also Seaworld, a zoo and a brown sand beach.
Taman Impian Jaya Ancol is more than just a theme park. There are the conservation of dolphins, the art market, ecopark, illusion museum and wax statues of famous characters. Taman Impian Jaya Ancol also offers an opportunity for culinary enthusiasts to have fun. There are 11 restaurants each featuring interesting concepts and diverse menus, starting from seafood, Indonesian food, Sundanese food, Balinese food, Chinese food, Thai food, Japanese food to Western food. On New Year’s Eve, Taman Impian Jaya Ancol will hold a lively fireworks show. What a great things to do in Jakarta in new years eve!
How to Get There
Taman Impian Jaya Ancol is located in Pademangan, North Jakarta. The admission to enter the gate is Rp 25,000/person; Rp 25,000/car; Rp 15,000/motorbike. To play on the rides, you will be charged again, prices ranging from Rp 50,000 to Rp 300,000. Opening hours is 10 am – 6 pm on weekdays and 10 am – 8 pm on weekend. Chances are you’ll spend all day because you will have lots of things to do in Ancol.
2. Having Fun at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII)
Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII), which is a culture-based recreational area, is never quiet during year-end holidays. Not only residents of Jakarta, residents from the suburb area and from other provinces also enliven TMII. Besides cheap, TMII is suitable as a family vacation. It is common for families to come to TMII to hold a picnic. Some rides are always crowded with visitors queue, among them are Snow Bay, Keong Mas, Freshwater World, and Skylift,
Welcoming the turn of the year, the manager of TMII will also hold a series of art and cultural events. Visitors can see the diversity and cultural richness of Indonesia. On New Year’s Eve, TMII will perform dangdut, campur sari, shadow puppets, and fireworks show.
How to Get There
Taman Mini Indonesia Indah is located in East Jakarta. The admission to enter the gate is Rp 10,000/person; Rp 10,000/car; Rp 6,000/motorbike. To play on the rides, you will be charged again, prices ranging from Rp 10,000 to Rp 180,000. Opening hours is 7 am – 10 pm. TMII is just one of attractions in Jakarta.
3. Visiting Jakarta Old Town
Unlike the other museums, Jakarta Old Town which is also a historical attraction is even busier during the holidays, especially year-end holidays. In Jakarta Old Town there are museum of Jakarta, puppet museum, maritime museum, ceramic museum, Bank Indonesia museum and Bank Mandiri museum. The Jakarta Old Town is filled with old-fashioned, instagramable colonial buildings. No wonder visitors always take time for selfie.
Jakarta Old Town is a cheap tourist destination. Some of the attractions are human statues costumed by the army, Doraemon mascots, Sponge Bob mascots and Ondel-Ondel. The museum fee is very affordable, only Rp 5,000. To get around the area of Jakarta Old Town, visitors can rent a bike that costs Rp 20,000 / 30 minutes. Once tired of riding around, visitors can relax in cafes around Jakarta Old Town.
How to Get There
Jakarta Old Town is located at Taman Fatahillah Street, Tamansari, West Jakarta. There is no admission to enter Jakarta Old Town area. Opening hours is 7 am – 10 pm. Museum hours is 9 am – 3 pm. Please note that every Monday museum is closed. Nevertheless you still have lots of things to do in Jakarta Old Town.
4. Mall Hopping
The malls always offer exciting entertainment to enliven Christmas and New Year holidays. Year-end moments are used by the malls to attract visitors with a lucrative discount program. Discounts are given from the first week of December to the end of the year. The mechanisms of discounts vary from midnight sale to big sale. So it can be understood why people think the end of the year is the right time to shop till you drop.
In addition, some malls take the Winter Wonderland theme so that visitors can feel the winter atmosphere. Visitors can try ice skating and play in the snow playground. There are many attractions that can be found in the mall at the end of the year such as giant Christmas tree, fountain show, laser show, cosplay, music performances and charity. Mall is definitely a versatile place, ranging from shopping, hanging out, watching movies, eating, to strolling. There are still many things to do in Jakarta in new years eve!
How to Get There
Take time to visit the famous malls like Pondok Indah Mall at Metro Pondok Indah Street, Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta – Gandaria City at Sultan Iskandar Muda Street, Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta – Grand Indonesia at M.H. Thamrin Street, Menteng, Central Jakarta – Plaza Blok M at Bulungan Street, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta – Mall Taman Anggrek at Letjen. S. Parman Street, Petamburan,West Jakarta
5. Visiting KidZania
December is the time of school holidays. For a while, children can forget books, homework, courses and extra-curricular activities. Holiday can be filled with educational games in KidZania, which is a special theme park for children aged 2-16 years. Here children can play the role or profession of adults, such as being a doctor, pilot, police, chef, scientist, etc. Kidzania was built like a replica of a real city, complete with motorways, hospitals, supermarkets, salons, theaters, factories and much more.
Because it is dominated by children, Kidzania is very concerned about safety and comfort. Security officers are placed at the entrance, exit, emergency exit and other strategic locations. High resolution CCTVs always keep an eye on the inside and outside of the room. Staffs have been trained to deal with emergencies that may occur.
How to Get There
Kidzania is located in Pacific Place Mall, Jenderal Sudirman Street, South Jakarta. The admission is Rp 50,000 for children aged 2-3 years, Rp 150,000 for children aged 4-16 years and Rp 100,000 for adults. Opening hours is 9 am – 4 pm on Monday – Thursday and 9 am – 8 pm on Friday – Sunday.
6. Staycation
Year-end holidays are the right moment to gather with family, relatives and close friends. To welcome Christmas and New Year holidays, many hotels in Jakarta are offering staycation promo deals with discounts up to 40%. The promo is reserved for families who want to vacation in Jakarta. In addition to family, the promo is also suitable for guests who just want to pamper themselves in between daily routine in the capital.
Staycation provides guests with comfort. Guests who stay can enjoy the facilities at the hotel such as free breakfast, swimming pool, kids club, fitness facility, spa and candle light dinner. Even some hotels provide shuttle service to the malls. Hotel with cool views and a clean environment can make staycation become memorable. But as always, pay attention to the terms and conditions that apply.
How to Get There
Some of the hotels that give staycation promo are Millenium Hotel Sirih at Haji Fachrudin Street, Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta – Hotel All Seasons at Talang Betutu Street, Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta – Hotel Aryaduta Jakarta at Prapatan Street, Gambir, Central Jakarta
7. Visiting Thousand Islands
Year-end holidays are perfect filled with a trip to the Thousand Islands. The beauty of the beach and the underwater is not less to Bali. Thousand Islands is a favorite alternative attraction because it is close and cheap. The average price of the tour package to Thousand Islands is around Rp 350,000.
A walk on the beach, snorkeling and diving are the main activities to enjoy the charm of the Thousand Islands. In addition enjoying grilled fish is mandatory while visiting the Thousand Islands. Grilled fish is a typical dish of the Thousand Islands. There are dozens of food stalls offering grilled fish. Freshness of the fish is guaranteed and the price is affordable.
How to Get There
The only way to get to the Thousand Islands is to use a boat. There are 3 options for visitors, ie with wooden boats, PELNI boats or speedboats. Wooden boats depart from Kaliadem Seaport, Muara Angke. Ticket prices range from Rp 40,000 to Rp 86,000, depending on class and destination. As for the PELNI boats depart from the Sunda Kelapa Seaport. Ticket prices range from Rp 15,000 to Rp 125,000, depending on class and destination. Visitors can also take a speedboat that departs from Marina Beach, Ancol, Jakarta. As the name implies, you can imagine there are many things to do in Thousand Islands.
More fun things to do in Jakarta in December
8. Having Fun at JungleLand Sentul
In addition to Taman Impian Jaya Ancol and Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, the attraction that is also crowded by Jakartans is JungleLand Sentul. Only 1 hour drive from Jakarta, this amusement park is a choice of visitors who want to take a vacation while enjoying the freshness of mountain air. JungleLand Sentul is an outdoor theme park that has no less than 33 rides that can be enjoyed by various ages. One of the favorite rides is the aircraft simulator.
Welcoming year-end holidays, JungleLand Sentul will offer ticket promo to visitors. Ticket discount is quite tempting, up to 35%. Not only that, a variety of interesting events will be held. There will be a Santa Claus who shares gifts to visitors. This rare moment can be immortalized by taking pictures with Santa Claus.
How to Get There
JungleLand Sentul is located in Jungleland Boulevard Street, Sentul Nirwana, Bogor. The admission is Rp 165,000 for Monday – Friday; Rp 220,000 for Saturday – Sunday; Rp 250,000 for high season. Opening hours is 10 am – 5 pm on weekdays and 9 am – 6 pm on weekend. If you have another chance, take time to explore Sentul, to find out things to do in Sentul.
9. Visiting Monas
Some might say it’s incomplete coming to Jakarta without visiting Monas. In the morning, Monas area is often used for sports such as jogging, walking and gymnastics. On holidays the place is always filled with visitors who enjoy the beauty of panorama, see the history of the independence in Monas museum, climb to the top of the monument or just take pictures.
Monas, which is an icon of Jakarta, is also a place for New Year’s Eve celebrations. Since fireworks are not allowed in the Monas area, visitors will come with their own trumpet. They will also hold a picnic while waiting for the turn of the year. Street vendors will also enliven the Monas area by selling food, drinks, clothing, and souvenirs.
How to Get There
Monas is located right in the middle of Medan Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta. Payment of admission uses e-Money, which is Rp 10,000 for adults and Rp 2,000 for children. To get to the top of Monas visitors will be charged again, which is Rp 5,000 for adults and Rp 2,000 for children. Opening hours for Tuesday – Friday is 8 am – 4 pm and 7 pm – 10 pm; while for Saturday – Sunday is 8 am – 4 pm and 7 pm – 0 am. Please note that every Monday Monas is closed. But don’t worry, there are still lots of things to do near Monas.
10. Counting Down at Bundaran HI
In addition to Monas, Bundaran HI also becomes Jakarta’s famous icon. At New Year’s Eve, Bundaran HI will become one of the celebration points visited by Jakarta residents. Every year, neither rain nor rain, New Year’s Eve is always celebrated lively here. Although there will be no entertainment stage, it will not reduce the enthusiasm of people to get together and enjoy the New Year’s atmosphere.
New Year celebration at Bundaran HI is not as glamorous as Ancol or five-star hotels. There will be only fountains decorated with colored lights and fireworks displays. Nevertheless, thousands of people will come to Bundaran HI before the turn of the year. Always be careful in the crowd, watch your stuffs. Pickpocket is a real threat to watch out for.
How to Get There
Bundaran HI is located in Menteng, Central Jakarta. It opens 24 hours.
Ok guys, now you know the fun things to do in Jakarta in December. Get yourself off, prepare your wallet and have fun. Let’s visit Jakarta Indonesia.