Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (Indonesia Miniature Park)
So… you don’t have all the time in the world to explore Indonesia and it is the one and only time you will ever get to go there… what do you do?
VISIT Taman Mini Indonesia!!
Situated in Pondok Gede, East Jakarta, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (Beautiful Indonesia Miniature Park) is a culture-based amusement park that highlights the cultural diversity of Indonesian people. The park features furnished and decorated replicas of houses, clothings, arts, crafts and other traditional exhibits of various ethnic groups in Indonesia, making it a complete synopsis of Indonesia.
Indonesia’s natural richness is also appreciated in several parks that reveal the vast collection and impressive beauty of Indonesian flora and fauna, such as the Orchid Garden, Jasmine Park and fresh water aquarium. The orchid garden features hundreds of Indonesian orchid varieties. There are also two large walk-in aviaries that house hundreds of birds from the western and eastern parts of Indonesia under one roof in a controlled setting resembling their natural surroundings.
Taman Mini also has dozens of museums on nature, history, culture, and technology, such as Indonesia Museum, Museum of Insects, Fauna Museum, Heirloom Museum, Transportation Museum, and The Centre of Science and Technology Visualization. Museum Purna Bhakti Pertiwi, just outside the gates of Taman Mini, is a must see. The museum is a bountiful show of the spoils, housing some 11,000 items of furniture, artwork, textiles and many others that were collected as gifts by the late President Soeharto during his 32-years’ presidency. Items on display include a ship sculpture carved entirely out of jade, lavish collections of crystal, silver, ivory, marble and gold, and a 15th century Chinese jade wedding bed.
Another must-see, especially for children, is the gigantic Keong Mas Imax theater. The snail- shaped theater screens several three-dimensional educational films on Indonesian culture and nature. The shows feature the richness of Indonesian culture and its amazingly beautiful archipelago. Keong Mas also occasionally shows other thrilling 3-D movie titles suitable for children of all ages.
Cultural performances and events from the various provinces are held regularly at Taman Mini, especially during weekends and holidays, to showcase Indonesia’s rich cultural heritage.
There are a number of transportation options for visitors to explore this 165 hectare (400 acre) park. Visitors can use their own transportation to go from one location to another. They can also see the entire park from the mini train, aeromovel (wind-powered monorail train), or cable car (sky train).
The park is open seven days a week, giving guests ample time to explore and enjoy the sights. And if a day tour is not enough, visitors can spend the night at the on-site Graha Wisata Remaja or Desa Wisata hostels and cottages.
- Culture and Customs of Indonesia pp. 212-220 by Jill Forshee
- Indonesia (Lonely Planet Travel Guides)
p. 109, by Justine Vaisutis
- Taman Mini Indonesia Indah by Tom Galvin