There is no shortage of things to do for families with kids on the island of Java. Both in Jakarta and other cities and provinces of the island there are perfect activities for all ages and tastes. Indonesia is a fairly young country, with around 25 per cent of the population under the age of 15, which is perhaps why people love children so much and there are plenty of entertainment options on offer.
Some of the best things to do with kids, aside from the usual leisure centres, amusement parks, adventure parks and water parks, are visiting the country’s enormous temples, museums and other monuments. In them, the little ones will be able to discover a culture with completely different but equally as attractive aesthetics.
- Things to do as a family on the island of Java
- Things to do for families with kids in Jakarta
- Where to stay on the island of Java for families
Things to do as a family on the island of Java
From an excursion to impressive active volcanoes such as Bromo, to a museum dedicated to all kinds of transport or the largest Buddhist temple in the world, the island of Java offers countless things to do for families with kids. Here are just a few of them.
– Climbing Bromo volcano: the main attraction of a visit to Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, in the eastern part of the island, is this active volcano that roars from time to time, standing just over 2,300 metres tall. The climb up to the edge of the crater is tiring but safe. Once at the top it is common to see fumaroles emanating from the bottom of the cone and you can also make out Semeru mountain (another one of the area’s volcanoes), which is the highest point on the island of Java.
– Walking blindfolded through Alun-Alun park: this park is one of the most fun places to visit for families with kids on the island of Java, particularly in the city of Yogyakarta. This is especially the case at night, when the rickshaws (odong odong) are lit up and you can ride through the vast expanse of green space. There, you will find an enormous tree with a hole in it, through which, according to widespread popular legend, if you manage to pass blindfolded, you will prove you have a truly pure heart.
– Visiting the largest Buddhist temple in the world: Yogyakarta is also home to the enigmatic Borobudur temple which is said to be the largest Buddhist complex on the planet. The temple stands like a mountain built from two million stone blocks around the year 800, surrounded by rice fields, jungles and even active volcanoes. On the five-kilometres walk up to the top of the temple look out for the Buddha images and the rest of the religious iconography, which make it one of the largest sculptural displays in Indonesia.
– Timang beach and its gondola lift: rather than the small beach itself, what makes the trip here worth it is the experience of travelling, as if you were floating on waves, on a metal gondola (a type of large zip wire) to the islet of Panjang, where local fishermen catch lobsters. The ride is short (just 100 metres), but the experience is exhilarating.
– Seeing exotic plants at the Bogor botanical gardens: this is one of the oldest botanical gardens in Southeast Asia (it opened in 1817), housing more than 15,000 species of exotic plants. These include a large number of palm trees that thrive with the help of the area’s mild climate, which is humid and somewhat cooler than most of the island of Java.
– A day at Bandung farm and farmhouse: situated between Bandung and Lembang, this is perhaps one of the most interesting things to do for families with kids on the island of Java. The theme park is inspired by the rural culture of the Netherlands, the country that colonised Indonesia in the seventeenth century. You can even feed the cows and sample culinary specialities from the European country.
– Trans Studio Bandung amusement park: situated in the city of Bandung, this amusement park offers classic rides and technological attractions with themed areas inspired by adventure and animated films. They also offer various shows throughout the day and a big parade which takes place at dusk to the delight of little ones.
– Every possible mode of transport at Angkut museum: much more than just a museum, Angkut museum was conceived as a large theme park dedicated to the world of transport. Located in Batu (East Java), its different themed areas span everything from sailing to aviation, trains and cars. You will find numerous models on display as well as rides, exhibitions and shows.
Things to do for families with kids in Jakarta
Jakarta, one of the world’s largest cities, is brimming with places, activities and entertainment for the whole family to enjoy. Its many shopping centres (corresponding link), for example, have children’s playa areas and recreational zones as well as shows for the whole family. This is the case of the popular Grand Indonesia, Central Park and Plaza Indonesia.
Below are a selection of great places to enjoy with the whole family across the length and breadth of this immense city:
– Living the life of an adult at Kidzania: this theme park, conceived as a full-scale city, is only for children, since the idea is for children to discover for themselves what life is like for adults, learning their trades and earning a salary, which they can then use to buy items in the shops. Adults can check where their children are at all times as they must wear locatable wristbands.
– A refreshing day at Waterbom Jakarta water park: situated in the north of the city, this four-hectare water park, covered in lush greenery, offers slides, a wave pool, a river to float down and plenty of places to cool off. There is also a special area for younger children, where they can swim in complete safety.
– A thrilling experience at Wave Pondokindah water park: this water park is a little smaller than the previous one (1.2 hectares), but has even more thrilling attractions, such as a tube slide, wave pool and the option of ‘riding’ the waves on a surfboard in the Flow Rider area. Younger children will love having a water battle around the pirate ship and the Kidz pool, which has special slides for their age range.
– Beauties of the underwater world at Sea World Ancol: this aquarium is the largest in Southeast Asia, but the reason why it is a great option for families with kids is not because of its size but because of the huge variety of underwater species that live there: in total, over 3,500 animals and plants, most of them from Indonesia. Particularly interesting are the Sharkaquiarium and the 80-metre glass tube that runs through the main tank. The aquarium is part of a large complex dedicated to nature education and conservation with one part (Dunia Fantasi) featuring amazing amusement rides.
– All of Indonesia’s wildlife at Ragunan Zoo: visiting this zoo is a great way to learn about Indonesia’s rich biodiversity. Here you can see up to 270 species of native animal species including rare Komodo dragons and Bornean orangutans as well as 170 varieties of plant species, all of them housed within a beautiful 147-hectare park with a special area for kids.
Where to stay on the island of Java for families
One of the newest and most luxurious places to stay on the island of Java (and Indonesia) is The Orient Jakarta, a Royal Hideaway Hotel, right in the heart of Jakarta with 153 exclusive, comfortable rooms. A member of the prestigious The Leading Hotels of the World, the hotel interior was designed by the architect and interior designer Bill Bensley, with tasteful details such as the intricate batik fabrics that cover the headboards.
The hotel has two swimming pools, one of them on the rooftop, a Spa divided into four areas with a wide range of treatments and rituals as well as a gym. It also has three restaurants and bars, including one specialising in Japanese cuisine.
