Taman Safari

We decided to take the kids to Taman Safari this last saturday. I was a little nervous about going to Taman Safari on a saturday since all the guidebooks and blogs we have read always say to avoid going to these kinds of tourist places on the weekends.  The reasons of course are the bad traffic and the number of people. 

Our driver suggested that we leave at 6:30am.  We ended up leaving closer to 7am.  We arrived at Taman Safari around 9am.  That's pretty good considering how bad traffic can be.  There is essentially one road in and out of the city into the country.  The road also necks down to one lane so traffic can get really bad, especially around the split where one side goes to Puncak and the other side goes to Bogor.  My driver said that one time he was there at that intersection for 4 hours!

We bought some carrots and bananas before entering the park.  Our driver did the bargaining for us with the roadside vendors.  The price we got was 2000 rupiah for a bundle of carrots and 20,000 rupiah for a branch of bananas.  We paid 36,000 rupiah total.  We bought 8 bundles of carrots and 1 branch of bananas (FYI there are alot of bananas on one branch). 

The tour took us about an hour and half to drive around the park.  We took our time. 

Entrance into the wildlife park.  We showed the cashier our Kitas and got the local pricing.  It was 360,000 rupiah for the 5 of us and our driver.

Right after you enter the park, there are restroom facilities available.  The charge is 1000 rupiah to use the restrooms.  You can also opt to take a tour bus instead of driving your own vehicle through the park.  I would recommend the personal vehicle option.  We saw the people on the tour bus trying to drop carrots and bananas down to the animals.  You can't get the up close and personal experience with the animals from a bus.

The first animals we saw were elephants and zebras on the left and monkeys on the right.  We threw a couple of bananas to the monkeys.  I was a little nervous about the monkeys since I didn't know if they would get too excited and try to climb onto the car or into the car through the windows.  The monkeys just stayed on the ground.  They seemed content to just have food thrown at them.

Mmmm...carrot!

There were llamas scattered throughout the park so lots of opportunities to feed and touch the furry critters!

Also saw Hippos several times throughout the park.

African cows...large horns make them look rather intimidating don't you think?

Being so close to the rhinos made me just a little bit nervous.

Kids love giraffes!

There were separate areas for large predators like lions, and tigers, and bears (oh my!).  There are signs saying to roll up your car windows as you enter these areas.  We noticed live wires maybe 6 inches off the ground surrounding the areas where the more dangerous animals are kept.  I don't know about you, but we kept our windows closed...not sure I trust the puny live wire to keep the predators away from the car.  I have to admit that I was so thrilled to be so close to these animals that I'd only ever seen at a distance at most zoos.  Even the lions were only a few feet away from the car...amazing!

There were a couple of places where you had to drive through some water.  DH and I thought it was a nice touch.  Not only do you get to see the animals, you get to go off roading...ha ha. Not really since you are still driving on a paved road, but it was fun. The kids got a big kick out of driving through the water.

 

Where's my carrot?

After the drive through tour, we stopped at the baby zoo. 

We had lunch at SFC

We figured out what happens to the animals when they die...they end up at SFC as decorations.  There were animal heads on the walls as well as this elephant's skeleton.

We stopped and saw the elephant show.  There are a variety of free animal shows throughout the day.

For 10,000 rupiah per person, you can have your picture taken with a baby tiger, baby lion, baby leopard, or an orangutan.  We opted for a family picture with the orangutan.

The kids loved Taman Safari and asked when they could come back.  We would love to see more of the shows.  There is also an amusement park area as well as a water park.  I think we will bring the kids back again another time.

We left around noon and got home around 3pm.  Again, not bad considering that you never know how traffic might be.  So, it really wasn't bad going on a saturday.  We did get there early and since our kids our young, they were tired already after a few hours.  Families with older kids could probably spend the entire day there and not run out of things to see or do. 

Bukit Bangkirai

We did not take the family to Bukit Bangkirai.  DH went on his own one weekend while he was still in Balikpapan.  I wish I would have had the opportunity to go.  That is one thing that I would love to do while in Indonesia...visit a true tropical rain forest.

Bukit Bangkirai forest is located in East Kalimantan about 58 km (36 miles) outside of Balikpapan. From what I understand, it is considered a virgin tropical rainforest.  This conservation parkland is approximately 1500 hectares. The most famous attraction at Bukit Bangkirai is the Canopy Bridge.  The bridge connects 5 large Bangkirai trees and is 30m or almost 100 ft. above the ground. The bridge is about 64 m (210 ft) in length.

Bangkirai trees live for up to 150 years and can grow to 50 m (164 ft) in height and 2.3 m (7.5 ft) in diameter.  Those are some large trees! 

Sometime I'll try and get DH to write a blog post about his trip to Bukit Bangkirai.  For now, here are some pictures from his excursion.

Regency Water Park

Right after we arrived in Jakarta in late February, we were informed that DH would be spending 4.5 weeks in Balikpapan at a client location.  After being on our own for a few weeks, I decided to take the kids to Balikpapan to visit DH for spring break.

We took the kids to the Regency Water Park in Balikpapan.  The kids had  a good time.  We were informed by an expat doctor that the water was clean and up to Western standards.  After the kids played in the water, we bought tickets to go see a 4D show at the onsite theater.   You wear the 3D glasses and then during parts of the show, you get water/bubbles splashed on you.  The kids enjoyed the show. 





Swimming pool at the waterpark.  You can rent inner tubes and other fun water toys.  I saw some kids in paddle boats.





Where my kids spent most of their time.  Almost the entire pool area is shallow.  The only deeper parts are the areas where the slides dump into.  There is a smaller toddler sized slide on the backside of this pool.  There is also another larger slide.  My son that is 6 really liked both of the larger slides in this pool.  For the really large slide with the pirates on top, the water doesn't move that quickly and it is difficult for an adult to slide down without an inner tube. The girls just enjoyed splashing and walking around the pool areas.

There are also even larger slides in the waterpark, but you have to be a certain height.  My kids were all too young to go down the larger slides so we spent most of our time in just the 2 areas pictured above.

Around the pool areas are little huts where you can put your things.  They are also a good place to get out of the rain. It was actually raining when we first arrived. Even for a weekend, the park was relatively empty.  More people came later on, but at least when we were there, it was never crowded.  We arrived around 9 am and left around 1pm.

I have no idea how this waterpark compares to the ones in and around Jakarta like Waterbom.  I suspect that it is probably smaller since Balikpapan isn’t really a large city and isn’t exactly a tourist area.  Still, we had a great time at the park.  Visiting the Regency Waterpark was a fun way to start off our spring break

Panoramic Views

I took some pictures off 2 of the several balconies in our 12th floor apartment.  I stitched them together in Photoshop Elements 9 using the photomerge panorama option….just for fun.  These are views of the Senayan area of Jakarta.


The Hotel Sultan is on the left and Plaza Semanggi is in the center.



Bung Karno Stadium is in the center of the panorama.
The tall building in the center is the Hotel Mulia.


Senayan has numerous malls and shopping areas.  Senayan City mall, Plaza Senayan, Pacific Place Mall, FX mall, and Plaza Semanggi are all located in this area. Grocery stores like Hero, Food Hall, Giant, Grand Lucky, Kemchicks, and Lotte Mart are also clustered in this area.

Durian

Seems only fitting that since we are living in the city known as The Big Durian, that I should post something about this "King of Fruits."  DH first encounterered Durian when he was living in Malaysia.  He said the first time he tried it, it almost made him vomit.  After that he said it kind of grew on him, and now he really likes it.  I just can't imagine why you would eat it again if it almost made you gag the first time.

While we were living in Houston, DH bought a Durian at an Asian market.  He wanted his parents and brother and me to try eating Durian.  I think we all about gagged as we had our first try of Durian.  I thought it smelled like dirty diapers and tasted like what I might imagine a dirty diaper to taste like...blech!  Many people find the odor offensive.  Others find it to be very aromatic. I guess it depends on your preference. I think from all accounts, it is definitely an acquired taste.

A couple of weeks ago, DH came back from the grocery store with some Durian.  I graciously tried another slice.  It's still not my favorite fruit to say the least.  We tried to get the kids to try it, but they found the odor repulsive.  My 6-yr. old said that smelling the Durian made his stomach ache. My 4-yr. old said that Durian was "stinky." She calls it the "stinky fruit."  The locals get a kick out of my kids at the grocery store because the kids are holding their noses when we pass by the Durian. 

DH actually got the kids to each try a piece of Durian.  They like playing a game called "Battack Daddy" with him (basically just wrestling on the bed) so he told the kids that if they wanted to play the game, they had to eat a piece of Durian.  I tried to get the kids on video as they tried the Durian. 

My son spit it out but ate it in the end since he really wanted to play the game with Daddy.  My daughter cried and gagged, but she really wanted to play the game too so she ate some.  I couldn't see the reaction of my 2-yr. old.  She put it in her mouth and then ran off.  She took it out at some point and tried to hand it to us saying that she didn't want it...lol.

I have to hand it to my kids that they gave Durian a try and even swallowed it.  Even Andrew Zimmerman couldn't eat the Durian.  It is definitely not a fruit that everyone will love.  I have to say that having had it again, it was definitely not as bad as the first time.  The flesh is somewhat slimy.  I think the texture combined with the smell is probably what gives most people the instant gag reflex.  Really, the flesh is somewhat sweet and the taste...well, you'll just have to see for yourself.  I don't know if I could describe it.  It has a high sulfur content if that gives you any indication of how it might taste. 

I ran across this article on Durian while I was poking around on the internet and it has some tips on how to eat this spiky fruit.  The article also has a really nice close-up of the inside of the Durian...in case you were interested.  I totally forgot to take pictures of the Durian that DH bought.  I'll update this post if DH ever brings home another Durian. I'm afraid that I won't be the one bringing one home.  I don't know that it is true that people either love it or hate it.  I really don't hate Durian.  I'm going to say that it's not my favorite.  I don't mind eating it now that I've had it again, but I definitely won't go out of my way to eat it. 

How was your first experience with Durian? Do you love this King of Fruits?

This is a picture of Durian from Rawich (http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1758)

Traveling with Young Children

Here is a list of things that have helped my kids make it through long international flights and long airport layovers…also long road trips.

1) Bring their favorite comfort blanket or toy and keep track of it…last thing you need is a meltdown over a lost favorite item. My son has a favorite stuffed animal. My daughter has a favorite blankie. The other one just loves her thumb so that’s easy since it’s always available and can’t be lost…lol.

2) Stickers and a notepad.  All 3 of my kids, ages 2 to 6 spent at least an hour peeling off stickers and putting them inside the notebook.

3) Pen or pencil.  This is where the notepad comes in handy again.  The kids enjoyed doodling on their notepads.

4) Video MP3 players loaded with their favorite songs, pictures,  and videos.  I bought refurbished Sansa Fuze players for a fraction of the original cost and they have worked great! We also have the ematic video MP3 player that is available at Walmart.  In other words, I bought the cheap players and they’ve worked just fine for their intended purpose. You can find free cartoons like Tom and Jerry on You Tube.  If you don’t have an MP3 player but have a phone that is capable of playing songs and videos, you can use your phone as an electronic entertainment device (only if you don’t mind your kids playing with your phone ).  I have a Samsung Chat 335 that I put videos, music, pictures,and games on. The kids also enjoy taking pictures with my phone. I have thought about getting the kids inexpensive digital cameras but we haven’t gone that route yet.  Older kids might enjoy taking pictures of their trip.

5) Nintendo DS with some games.  I made a little carrier for the DS, MP3 player, and games.  It worked out really well to have everything in one little packet for my son.  The girls don’t play video games.

6) Small container of play doh or silly putty.  The kids just liked manipulating the dough or the putty.

7) Lots of snacks.  I had dum dums and gum for the kids on takeoff and landing to help with their ears.   I also had some crackers and other favorite snacks on hand for whenever they got the munchies.

8) Empty water bottles that you can fill with water once you are in the airport and drink packets.   Drink packets come in a variety of flavors.  Our kids like lemonade, apple juice, and fruit punch.

9) Milk or formula for your infant/toddler. I got my kids used to drinking powdered milk on occasion so I just bring powdered milk with me in my diaper bag.  I put it in a ziploc bag labeled powdered milk.  I’ve never had any problems at airport security.

10) Lightweight jackets.  The kids complained about being cold on the plane. I often find that I am cold at different times throughout the flight so I bring a light jacket for me as well. 

11) Activity book (stickers, coloring, etc.). During airport layovers, I pull out the crayons and markers and the special activity books and they love it! 

12) You know your child best and know what things will help keep them occupied or will help them feel more secure in an unknown environment.

These are just some things that have worked for us.  My kids are seriously like little monkeys.  They can never sit still yet they have always done well on long international flights. Good luck to all the parents out there traveling with young ones.  What are some things that have worked for you when traveling with young children?

National Monument

While my brother-in-law was in Jakarta visiting with us, we took a trip to the National Monument.  The locals call it Monas.  It is 132-m high and is made from Italian marble.  The very top of the monument is a gold-leaf gilded flame.  The base of the monument houses numerous dioramas that depict the history of Indonesia's struggle for independence. 

The entrance fee is 2500 rupiah per adult and less for children. I can't remember how much the entrance fee was for children because the ticketing person didn't charge me for the kids (ages 2 and 4 yrs.).  I want to say it was maybe 1000 rupiah.

The large room at the base of the monument that houses the dioramas was very dark.  It was also very hot inside.  I'm not sure it was air-conditioned.  Either that or the air isn't being circulated very efficiently.  We went early on a week day so it was not crowded at all and I still felt rather uncomfortable temperature-wise.  I've heard that it is wise to avoid going on weekends or holidays when there are lots of people around.

For a fee, you can take a lift to the top of the monument.  The fee was 7500 rupiah per adult.  Again, I wasn't charged for the kids so I'm not sure what the fee is for little ones.  The lift is rather small and very crowded.   Unfortunately, unless there has been a recent rain to clear out the smog, you only get a smoggy view of the city of Jakarta from the top.  I think it is still worth a look though.  My girls enjoyed going up the lift and looking out over the city.

Oh, I should mention that we had walked all along the outside of the monument and could not find the entrance.  The entrance is on the other side of the street across from the monument.  You have to go down some stairs and then down a long corridor in order to get to the ticket office.  After that you go back up some stairs and are able to then enter the base of the monument where the dioramas are housed.  As you walk towards the monument, you pass a courtyard with some interesting reliefs. They are quite interesting. 

National Monument or Monas

Gold-leafed flame at the top of the monument

Some of the reliefs that can be seen as you walk back towards the monument coming from the ticketing office.

Base of the monument where the dioramas are housed.  The room is very large and very dark.

Smoggy view of Jakarta from the top of the tower

Viewing area at the top of the tower.

My brother-in-law with a group of local girls that were visiting the tower.  With the exception of the National Monument, I don't know that I've been anywhere else in Indonesia where my girls and my brother-in-law generated such an extreme amount of interest from the locals.  I'm wondering if not many white foreigners "Bule" visit the monument. 

My girls.  They refused to have their picture taken with the locals so the locals just snapped pictures of them.  Lots of people asked if they could take pictures either of or with my brother-in-law or the girls.  No one wanted pictures of me...lol.

Overall, we had a great time visiting the National Monument.  As you come out of the monument, there are vendors selling shirts, drinks, and souvenirs of the monument.  There are more vendors as you walk back to the parking area.  Truth be told, the only reason I was able to find the entrance to the monument was because I bought some postcards from a local vendor while we were wandering around trying to find the entrance.  The appreciative vendor took us personally to the entrance of the monument...now that's service.  Actaully, it probably means I way overpaid for the postcards...lol.  Indonesia is a neat place.  Overall, we had a great time at the National Monument.