Geology Museum (Bandung)

When visiting to Bandung, by chance we passed the geology museum. This museum was located in Jl. Diponegoro 57. As the museum lover, we immediately change our destination to this museum. This building was big enough, and it has a big yard outside. In our mind this museum would be the same like the other museums that have a poor maintenance. But we were wrong!! When we are going inside this museum, I asked about the entrance fee to the young lady at information counter that welcomed us friendly. We were shocked, because it was FREE … yes we didn't have to pay any cents at all. All we have to do just to fill the guest book, after that they even gave us a sticker of the geological museum. Wow, it's amazing... No entrace fee at all..

The museum that previously named Geologische Dienst was declared on May 16 1929. This museum had 2 floors with art deco's style. The museum is divided into three area of exhibitions, Geology of Indonesia in the West wing, History of life in the East wing and Geology for human life on the top floor. In this museum we can found the many type of rock, the mineral, the fossil, and several artefacts from the several location at Indonesia. It has a lot of collections include with the detail information. It declared, that this museum is the biggest and most complete at South-East Asia. When I visited, I saw several foreign tourists who were looking around thoroughly.

When entering the room, I amazed, this museum is different from other museums in Indonesia. They had an organized, with clean floor & clean glass display, comparable with the museum at Singapore. We can found seat for rest at several locations. The toilet was also clean and have a good maintenance. It was excellent for a museum that did not charge the entrance fee. On the first floor it displayed mineral stones, and from its information it amazed me that Indonesia were blessed with a huge natural wealth, and someone said that Indonesia is blessed with the greatest and most diverse biological resources in the world, after Brazil.

They also displayed evolution of human life is explained in both Bahasa Indonesia as English, a collection of life size dinosaur replicas. In the far corner a selection of skulls can be found, amongst which a replica of the popular ‘Java man'. And we can found volcano area, with explanations on formation and working of these in Indonesia abundant gunung api, literally: ‘fire mountains'. It is good knowledge for students and for our kids.

At the second floor, we can found miniatures of tanker ship, offshore oil drilling, coal mine, etc. It shows the equipments to do all those activities. Very informative. And it amazed me again, they had a lift elevator for disabled person, with a wheel chair inside... Wouw, it never found at other museum in Indonesia.

In front of museum, we can found a souvenir shops. They sell many things of geology stuff with affordable price. There are bracelet form natural stone, handicraft from stone, and even snacks & beverages.

A big place, clean, tidy, free of charge, educative, what else you look for ?? This place is a great place to educate your kids during your vacation to Bandung beside going to mal and hunting at Factory Outlet (your favourite destination).

But be aware of they opening hours. Geology Museum opens from Monday - Thursday 9 am-3.30 pm, Saturday & Sunday 9 am - 1.30 pm. They closed on Friday & public holidays. Please contact (+6222) 720 3205 , (+6222) 720 3208 for further details.

Have a nice trip,

Uniquely Indonesia....

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Taman Prasasti Museum (Jakarta)

Taman Prasasti means Inscription Garden. This museum located at Jl Tanah Abang I No. 1 Central Jakarta. It location is not easy to find and with small parking lot. Like other museums at Indonesia, the entrance fee is very cheap, which is Rp 2,000 for adults, Rp 1,000 for students and Rp 600 for kids/students. Operating time is 9:00 am until 3:00 pm on Tuesday's - Sunday, while Monday and public holidays the museum is closed. For detail information, schedule and ensure the admission fee, please contact to the phone number: (021) 3854060.



To get there, you went through Jl. Jend. Sudirman to the north, passed by Jl.M.H. Thamrin, turned to the left at Arjuna Wiwaha statue roundabout to Jl. Budi Kemuliaan, then turned to the right to Jl. Abdul Muis. Jl. Tanah Abang 1 is the third street to the left.

This museum is not a usual museum, first because this is an outdoor museum, and second this is a cemetery. Everything in this museum are related to cemetery such as statue at funeral, tombstone, funeral transportation, weird isn't it ? Take a tour to cemetery...

This place's name was Kebon Jahe Kober, it was a cemetery for Dutch and Europe's people at Indonesia. At 1795 this cemetery used for VIP people from Indonesia's government. But after 1975 this cemetery was closed, but Jakarta's governor - Ali Sadikin - see the opportunity of this place for tourism, so at 19 Juli 1977 , Governor Ali Sadikin inaugurate this place as Museum Prasasti (Insription Museum).

Most collection inside this Museum are fine work from talented carver, they are very beautiful, very detail in design and have a high quality material. At this museum there is a wooden carriages that used to bring the coffins in funerals, which usually drawn by two to four horses. Total collections stored in the museum about of 1,734 pieces collections of gravestone inscriptions, monument / memorial, trophies, statues, etc. There are many tombstones here from government, artist, scientist, military and even priest. Several of the most important tombstones here are; Lady Marianne Raffles' [wife of Governor Raffles], Soe Hok Gie, J.H.R Kohler, Dr. W.F. Stutterheim, Dr. H. F. Roll, Pieter Erberveld, Olivia Mariamne Raffles, Miss Riboet and several Dutch Governor

When we came to this place there are not only few visitors, just a group of young people who take a picture with models. This place famous in outdoor photo session or for film making. I saw once on the TV this place used for music video clip. Ticket officer offers a guide service to explain the history of this place. But we decided to take a look by ourselves. They give a free small booklet about history of this museum, what inside this museum, etc.

We can feel the fresh air because there are a lot of trees, but beware of mosquitos, you can found a lot of mosquito especially during afternoon. Better if you using anti mosquito lotion to get mosquito away from you. There is a sidewalk along the area, so we can look around this museum easily. Too bad, lot of precious things are in the very bad condition because of poor maintenance.
We saw many of tombstone are broken. The toilet also has a poor condition... It ashamed, that we cannot take care our heritage. We hope Indonesia's government will put more attention about it.

Have a nice trip.
-UniquelyIndonesia-

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Saung Angklung Udjo

For you who on vacation to Bandung, but bored to go to Factory Outlet or malls, you might try something else. Want to see the traditional music and art from Indonesia ? Come visit to Saung Angklung Udjo. Angklung is one of the traditional musical instruments made of several Bamboo pipes with different sizes in a frame, and to sound it by shaking the angklung to produce certain tone, which are usually played together for the harmonization of tone.

Here we can watch the presentation of art from the traditional puppet show, traditional dances, music arumba (strain clumps of bamboo), masks dance, and the choirs of Angklung music played by hundreds of children. Show time of Bamboo Afternoon Performance from Monday to Sunday, from 3.30 pm to 5.30 pm. There also has souvenir shops (art shop), which sells Indonesia's traditional artcraft, especially Angklung-related. The price is affordable too. It sells keychain, refrigerator magenetic pad, mini Angklung, set of Angklungs that can be played. There are also leather puppets, masks, and ornaments for home decoration.

The admission fee for the show is Rp 50,000 for local people and Rp 80,000 for foreign tourists. It is easy to find this place. From Cipularang express highway, take exit at Pasteur, go thru flyover until a signage to "Cicaheum", go down and follow the road, You will saw a t-shirt shops along the road, then about 100m before Cicaheum's bus station, go to the left (there is a signage) at Padasuka street. Then you will find another signage at right side of the road. Parking lot is quite big, easy to park your car.

If you interest to visit Saung Angklung Udjo, you may contact them to make sure the place is open and asking for schedule of the show.

Saung Angklung Udjo

Jl. Padasuka 118, Bandung

Telp : (022) 7271714

And please take a look for map to Saung Angklung Udjo

Have a nice trip
-UniquelyIndonesia-

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