Situ Babakan

 

Much like any other multi-cultural cities that blend multiplicity of custom and tradition, the cultural tourism in Jakarta may offer you countless options of escapade. The city is steeped in various cultures that inspired lonely planet stating "Jakarta is basically Indonesia in a nutshell". But when the variation takes place for recognition, it may bring up the question: what is Jakarta's real culture? Just like the Aborigins to Australia or Indians to America, Jakarta's native is known to be Betawi, which is an amalgamation of many regions in Indonesia (mostly Sundanese who came from the Tarumanegara Kingdom). Over the course of years, Betawi has become the original inhabitants of Jakarta and according to a 2000 census, there were approximately 2,301,587 people of Betawi ethnicity living i Jakarta.

Betawi has a lot to offer when it comes to culture. But the existence of the culture has now remained faded by the vastly rapid invention of modernity. To prevent further erosion, local government has provided a 66-hectare of land that was intentionally built as a form of preserving Betawi culture. The area by the name of Situ Babakan is an indigenous enchantment located in the Southern part of Jakarta and now hosts cultural attractions, natural environment amongst its many splendid features.

Upon the entrance, you will be greeted by a gate named after a Betawi hero, Bang Pitung (believed to be the representation of a Robin Hood character) who struggled for independence against the Dutch. The word setu means small lake and the word really explains a lake that borders the reserve, considered to be the main attraction. Getting around this lake leads to discovering some of the city's hidden wonders to behold. You can go walking along a rocky foot path, passing traditional Betawi houses in various stages of construction and a strip of garden planted with tropical trees. There were around 5000 traditional Betawi houses around the lake, most of which were built in 1920s. The complex is used to perform various of traditional activities such as a rehearsal space for practicing Betawi dances as well as Pencak Silat (a form of traditional martial art). Every Sunday around 2 am until 5 pm, you can also watch impressive art performances of music, dance and theatre. Move closer to the lake, you can rent pedal boats to ride around and discover its pristine beauty. These pedal boats are in quirkish shapes of duck, sea horse and others. Many refer the riding experience to be one of Jakarta's finest romantic dates.

For the culinary enthusiasts there are food sellers selling traditional Betawi dishes, namely the famous Betawi food Kerak Telur (a crunchy omelette made from duck eggs, red onion, dried prawns, ginger and sticky rice), A big loaf of bread in a shape of a crocodile and Soto Betawi (soup composed of broth, meat and vegetables). You can also have direct interactions with the locals and learn some of distinctive styles of Betawi language that fuses other dialects from Malay, Bali, and Chinese.

Situ Babakan is a unique alternative to your weekend-spending at shopping malls or clubs. The best time to visit this natural reserve is during the month of June to July where celebrations of the city's birthday take place.