For residents of Jakarta and surrounding areas who do not have a tradition of going home, the eid fitr holiday remains a special moment. It is short, but very valuable. It was only during the eid fitr moment that the Capital was empty. Really rare and it feels like it needs to be utilized as well as possible. The citizens of Jakarta seem to know very well the "pleasure" of the streets of the capital that seemed destined to traffic jams changed during eid fitr. The driving time from one point to another suddenly cut out during eid fitr, every year it must be a story that is told with such enthusiasm when meeting colleagues.
You who are not going home might be a shame if you waste this opportunity just by staying at home when eid fitr. In fact, for some people, the streets for adventure in the Capital City during Eid is obligatory. When else, try?
Outside of the empty eid fitr holiday, the lives of Jakarta people every Monday to Friday tend to get stuck in a routine. Then, on weekends, various vacation and refreshing destinations are invaded by fellow Jakarta residents who flock to get fresh air, for a moment, before getting stuck in their routine.
When most people who used to crowd the capital back to their hometowns, even trying new roads in the Jakarta area and its surroundings should be a choice. Even though the streets are empty, several mainstay destinations in Jakarta often become a knot of the crowds of people who vacation during eid fitr. Ancol Taman Impian, including Dufan, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, or Ragunan Wildlife Park, for example.
Then where should you take a vacation to take advantage of the eid fitr moment in Jakarta?
If you don't have an idea yet, museum hopping can be an exciting and useful agenda choice. Make a note, Jakarta has 64 museums, with a variety of uniqueness each. Dozens of museums are so iconic. Call it the National Museum, the Fatahillah Museum, the Bank Indonesia Museum, and don't forget the National Monument (Monas). The agenda of moving from one museum to another can be done relatively efficiently, given the condition of the road that was quiet.
In the Medan Merdeka area that surrounds Monas, for example, you can devour three museums directly in one day if you leave early in the morning. You can breathe fresh Jakarta morning air which minimizes vehicle pollution during eid fitrat Monas by cycling. The Monas Regional Management Unit (UPK) has provided this free bicycle service some time ago. All you have to do is guarantee your ID Card (KTP) when you want to borrow a bicycle, after installing and registering for the "GOWES" application on your cellphone.
You can also enjoy a colorful dancing fountain show at Monas which is usually only held on weekends. The relatively quiet Monas will certainly make you free to explore the various sides without the need to queue for long; enjoy every diorama that tells the story of the history of the nation's struggle in the museum area. A good photo without distractions becomes a bonus in itself.
From there, you can cross to Medan Merdeka Barat, visiting the Elephant Museum aka the National Museum. This museum is the largest and oldest museum in Southeast Asia. Various sundries which are summarized in 140,000 historical collections of the archipelago. Starting from ancient menhirs, inscriptions, statues, ceramics, cloth, musical instruments, until the currency and jewelry of the royal era, stored neatly and alluring in it.
There are also statues, ceramics, cloth, and traditional musical instruments. This museum is often also a place for exhibition of national artists' monumental works. Time will feel like walking fast when you browse the cool National Museum and observe thousands of its amazing collections. If you are satisfied around the Elephant Museum, you can move to the Taman Prasasti Museum. Just walk to the back of the Elephant Museum.
The Taman Prasasti Museum is completely different from the general museum inside the room. The appearance of this museum is dominated by an open courtyard. Shady trees shade various statues, carvings, cemeteries and empty gravestones in European style. There are more than 900 gravestones along with statues of various styles and shapes on display in the "garden" outside the main building. The main building of the Inscription Park Museum is designed in Greek style. Characteristic, large pillars on the front.
Although it consists of various designs, generally the classical style colors a large part of the museum area. Supported by a beautiful and shady atmosphere, the Taman Prasasti Museum can be an attractive location for photo hunting with shades of gloomy. That's just a museum in the Medan Merdeka area. There are still a number of areas that you can explore all-round while eid fitr.
On the north-west side of the city, the Old Town area and various museums and old buildings in the surrounding area are certainly not to be missed. Again, usually this area is always crowded on weekends outside eid fitr. You can be content to walk around the Fatahillah Museum, the Puppet Museum, or the Ceramic Museum, all of which are in one area.
If you still have plenty of time, you can also look at the history around currencies at the Bank Indonesia Museum and the Mandiri Museum which is located just a stone's throw from there. If you are fond of photo hunting, of course old buildings that run around the Old City will be a nice object and setting. Not to mention the thick European nuance felt at Kali Besar which is impossible for you to reject if you claim to be a photographer.
Not satisfied yet?
If you still intend to museum hopping and photo hunting, you can drive for about 15 minutes from the Old City to the Maritime Museum in North Jakarta. In the ancient and simple nuanced museum, you can see Jakarta's identity as a trading city with its bustling harbor in the past.
Afterwards, you can also go to Sunda Kelapa Harbor to hunt for photos of the busy loading and unloading of ships and containers. The distance is less than 3 kilometers from the Old City area. That is if you still have enough energy and time. If not, be content with reading a book or relaxing in Fatahillah Park until the night falls. A gust of breeze would feel so cradling and ushering in the feeling that this city is like being owned by yourself. After that, go home peacefully, sipping the peace of Jakarta's face.
Once again, when will you be able to explore and wander freely like this in Jakarta if not during the eid fitr holiday?