Monas - Monumen Nasional ( National Monument)

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Monumen Nasional (also known as Monas) might be the least of priority for a traveler while visiting Jakarta, but on the other side might also be the only iconic monument that could prove that “hey, I really am in Jakarta!”. Situated at the heart of Jakarta, this monument was build by none other than the 1st Indonesian president, Soekarno. He has always been known for his taste for art and culture, as well as..errr women. All combined and adding to how Monas is shaped, the joke around is that Monas is “Soekarno’s last erection”.

How to get there?

If you are coming from Sudirman/Thamrin, simply take the TransJakarta bus ( also famously known as Busway). Take the busway with BLOK M-KOTA destination and tell the busway crew you will alight at Monas. Cost is Rp 3500,-

What to do?

When you visit Monas, the main thing to do off course is to go up and view Jakarta from the top. I was not able to do that due to the super long queue going up ( a friend told me it could reach up to 3 hours ! Oh well, maybe next time). The view was said to be good. Please be reminded that the access to the top will only be open until 4 PM

Right under the Monas monument, there are some dioramas located at Museum Nasional. Not very impressive though—but good enough in giving away some general information of Indonesia's history.

At the exit of Museum Nasional, there are relics depicting Indonesian people, culture and heritage as well. There is really nothing spectacular about it, please don’t imagine relics at Borobudur or Prambanan—it is surely nothing like that.

Monas is a park as well. Most locals visit Monas to jog, stroll, play kites or simply have a family picnic (or in my case, waiting for traffic to subside before heading home). There are futsal and basketball courts as well. Some statues of the national heroes are also being placed. And if you come at night, you can see the “ fountain show “, with all that sounds and lights effects.

Cost :

There is no entrance fee to visit the Monas area, however if you want to go to Museum Nasional you should pay Rp 2500,- and a certain amount as well to reach the top ( I believe it is less than Rp 10,000).

Suggestions:

1. Do not visit during weekends. It will get so crowded and most of the time events are being held during weekends. The park gets dirty during this period of time (sadly to admit, most Indonesian just doesn’t care enough to put their garbage at the trashcan).

2. Visit Monas while you are on transit on your way to other destinations by train. Monas is located next to the Gambir station ( it’s a 3 minutes walk). So, while waiting for your train to any the other parts of Java ( such as Yogyakarta/Bandung) - a visit to Monas can spare you from boredom.

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