For the first time this holiday it seemed a struggle getting out of bed, a sure sign that we must have adapted to the 8 hour time difference. Going down to breakfast the restaurant manager either had a good memory or maybe it was because we appeared to be the only European guests staying at the Novotel, as he enquired if it was to be eggs Benedict and an omelette once again, to which we replied yes.
We weren’t in any particular rush and looking around discovered that we were in fact the last to leave the restaurant even though it was only 10.15 a.m. Glancing through the window it appeared sunny so I grabbed my sun hat just as we were leaving the hotel. As taxis are so cheap in Indonesia and public transport scarce, we ordered a Grab Car (IDR 31,000 (£1.74) over to Ancol eco-park taking 25 minutes. There was a slight misunderstanding as we reached the park gates as the driver informed us that if we wished to be dropped off inside we would then need to pay an additional IDR 25,000 (£1.40) toll per person. Taking this into consideration we paid the driver before entering the park and continued on foot. What we didn’t realise was that IDR 25,000 was the actual entrance fee and we needed to pay it anyway to enter the park. So, if you are also planning to visit the eco-park, pay the driver the toll and request to be dropped off further in as the park is very large.
Just inside the park entrance we came across a free shuttle bus stop which operates a service at 15 minute intervals, but looking at the timetable realised we had just missed one, so decided to continue on foot. The eco-park is definitely worth a visit and it felt so refreshing to breathe in the fresh air after spending two days in the heavily polluted city centre.
With the exception of a few school groups the park seemed deserted and we enjoyed following some boardwalk trails alongside streams and crossing narrow wooden bridges between them. The park is home to both a bird park and funfair, neither of which we wanted to visit but whilst wandering around we came across one or two delightful resort hotels consisting of thatched small tree houses suspended over the water where visitors to the park can call in for coffee or a lunchtime snack.
Continuing our walk we reached the Allianz eco-park bird watching towers but for some reason these were both closed despite other activities and attractions operating normally.
After sitting on a shady bench for a few minutes to drink some water and study our map, we found our way to the seashore where we called in a mini-market to buy some chocolate ice creams on sticks. After purchasing them, we sat on a seat outdoors to eat them but unbelievably neither of us could open the packets which was very peculiar as they were branded Walls, and we’ve never had any issues previously. I popped back inside with them and the checkout assistant also tried without success to open them and had to go and find a pair of scissors to complete the task. Needless to say, by this time they had started to melt and chocolate was dripping over the counter so she discarded them and gave us replacements which opened first time. It was so strange as we’ve never been defeated with ice cream packaging before!
Having eventually finished our ice creams we strolled along the seafront which led onto a heart shaped boardwalk, its shape only apparent from an elevated position. The seafront was very pleasant albeit very quiet but I expect it’s much busier at weekends when city dwellers crave some fresh sea air away from the heavy traffic in the city centre.
We walked as far as the Ancol Beach City Mall but on looking inside, it wasn’t much more than a few fast food outlets. It did though have free Wi-Fi and a road alongside it, so at least we were able to order a Grab Car back to the hotel IDR 43,000 (£2.41).
Back at the hotel we tried to use our room cards to operate the lift but neither of them would work, it clearly wasn’t our day, so we returned to reception to get them re-activated then returned to our room for a well earned rest and a cup of tea.
As with previous evenings, we popped down to the pool area for a relaxing sauna and then enjoyed a meal in a Chinese restaurant just behind the hotel. The food was freshly prepared and our bowls of vegetable broth followed by sweet and sour chicken with rice came to a total of only IDR 105,500 (£5.90) for the two of us.
A short walk around the neighbourhood followed before returning to our hotel. After Skyping family and gathering our belongings together for the next stage of our holiday it was off to bed for a good night’s rest.
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Love Travelling Blog 
The park looks so pretty, definitely going to keep that in mind for a potential trip! Shame you had to wander in on foot though after the confusion about the entry fee 😦
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It was a bit of a nuisance but these things sometimes happen!
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I used to go to primary school in Jakarta and our campus was in Ancol 🙂 There was a theme park close by – Dufan I think it was called. Your post brought back the memory! 🙂
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Thank you for taking an interest and commenting on my Jakarta posts, it’s much appreciated. We enjoyed Jakarta but we absolutely love Singapore!
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Ooh… I have to check out your Singapore posts! 🙂 Take care, hope you get to visit again when it’s safe to travel!
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Thank you. I do hope that we are all able to start exploring again before too long!
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This park looks lovely. Looks like you had a nice and relaxing day.
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Thanks Anna. The eco park was a breath of fresh air after the polluted city centre.
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HI
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Thanks for taking an interest in my blog.
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I worked in Indonesia a long time ago. Your post brought back good memories.
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Thank you Jorge for your welcome comments on my Jakarta posts, it’s much appreciated.
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The eco-park looks fabulous, much nicer than the busy city centre and the fresh air must have been a real relief after that pollution.
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The eco park was an oasis of calm after the bustling but polluted city centre and we enjoyed our time there. A complete contrast from the colonial district but equally enjoyable. Thanks as always for your welcome thoughts Jonno.
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Anything to get away from that pollution Marion but this lovely place seems worth it; even the ice-cream wrapping!!
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The Ancol eco-park was a pleasant contrast to the city centre and I’m glad we took a trip out there. Can you believe that we were defeated by ice cream packaging. I think something must have gone wrong on the production line!
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Such a unique and beautiful country. I loved all my visits to Indonesia East and West. I’ve often wondered why they don’t take all those zeros off the currency. Tracking business on a commercial spreadsheet for a years activities sure uses up a lot of digit space and it would certainly simplify records.
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The Ancol eco-park was a perfect contrast to the bustling city centre. Because most places just accepted cash, we seemed to have so many notes due to their extremely low values. I think the time has come for them to do something about it as other countries have.
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what a lovely looking spot!
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Thanks Andy – it was a haven of tranquility compared to the city centre!
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welcome to Jakarta 😀
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Thank you, our short break in the city was very interesting and fun.
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You have those days when travelling. It doesn’t pay to push against the tide too hard – you only end up frustrated.
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That’s perfectly true. Thanks for reading Gwen!
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You don’t seem very impressed with the city and the architecture. What would be the main thing to see?
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I did enjoy visiting Jakarta and viewing the colonial buildings was my favourite. The eco park was also pleasant to visit. It was just the polluted streets that I disliked. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
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