Free and low-cost leisure activities in Indonesia

Hello,

We invite you to share some information regarding leisure activities that are free or low-cost in Indonesia. This information will give future expats (or even current expats) an idea regarding some of leisure activities that they might not be aware of.

Is there a way to find out about free or low-cost fun activities in Indonesia, such as a specific app, or a newsletter, or magazine, tourism board, etc.? How do you find out where events are organised?

What are the most common free leisure activities in Indonesia?
Which free activities do you recommend for children, for teenagers, for adults, and for seniors?

Are there certain days where access to paid activities are offered at a lower price or even for free, such as museum entry, or exhibitions, or a theme park, etc.?

How do you maximise your leisure activities in the most cost-effective manner?

Thank you for sharing your experience,

Priscilla

Lots of art exhibitions that are either free or cost almost nothing. Museum MACAN costs Rp50,000 for an adult, that's less than 3 quid or $3.67.

There are also car free days nearly in every central location where u can join bike rides with hundreds of people around the city

here is the list of car free days according to locations :

    Tingkat Propinsi DKI: Jl. Sudirman – Jl. MH Thamrin, Every Sunday, Between 06.00 – 11.00 Wib
    Wilayah Jakarta Selatan: Jl. Sisingamangaraja,  Every Sunday, Between 06.00 – 11.00 Wib
    Wilayah Jakarta Selatan: Jl. Dr. Saharjo & Jl. Minangkabau Manggarai,  Every Sunday, Between 06.00 – 09.00 Wib
    Wilayah Jakarta Selatan: Jl. Mampang – Pejaten,  Every Sunday, Between 06.00 – 09.00 Wib
    Wilayah Jakarta Selatan: Jalan Layang Non Tol (JLNT) Antasari,  Every Sunday, Between 06.00 – 10.00 Wib
    Wilayah Jakarta Barat: Kawasan Kota Tua Tamansari,  Every Sunday, Between, pukul 06.00 – 11.00 Wib
    Wilayah Jakarta Pusat: Jl. Suryopranoto,  Every Sunday, Between 06.00 – 11.00 Wib
    Wilayah Jakarta Utara: Jl. Boulevard Kelapa Gading, setiap hari Minggu ke-3, pukul 06.00 – 11.00 Wib
    Wilayah Jakarta Timur: Jl. Pemuda Rawamangun, setiap hari Minggu ke 2 & 4, pukul 06.00 – 11.00 Wib
    Wilayah Jakarta Timur: Jl. RA Fadillah Cijantung, setiap hari Minggu, pukul 06.00 – 10.00

BOGOR

    Jalan Sudirman, s Every Sunday, Between 06.00 – 09.00

BEKASI

    Jalan Ahmad Yani – Summarecon, Every Sunday, Between 06.00 – 10.00
    Kota Harapan Indah,  Every Sunday, Between 06.00 – 09.00
    Stadion Wibawa Mukti Cikarang,  Every Sunday, Between08.00 – 10.00

JAWA BARAT

    Depok: Boulevard Grand Depok City (Jl. Citayam – KSU),  Every Sunday, Between 06.00 – 09.00
    Bandung: Jalan Ir. H. Juanda (Dago),  Every Sunday, Between 06.00 – 10.00
    Bandung: Jalan Buah Batu,  Every Sunday, Between 06.00 – 10.00
    Tasikmalaya: Jalan HZ Mustofa,  Every Sunday, Between06.00 – 09.00
    Sukabumi: Jalan Samsudin (Depan Balai Kota),  Every Sunday, Between 06.00 – 09.00

TANGERANG

    Jalan M. Yamin,  Every Sunday, Between 06.00 – 10.00

TANGERANG SELATAN

    Kawasan Bintaro Sektor 7,  Every 3th Sunday of month, Between  06.00 – 09.00
    Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD Junction – Germant Centre/Giant BSD),  Every 2nd Sunday, Between, pukul 06.00 – 09.00

for better info check https://www.infocarfreeday.net/maps-locations

Out of that if  you are planning to go for swimming etc in waterboom,cinema,restourants all over Jakarta ( my info limited with jakarta on this )  to get in cheaper u may buy vouchers via Shopee or other other applications without using credit card but paying via Indomaret or alfamarts.
Plus while getting in a museum ,renting car or hotels , if you do own kitas/kitab make sure that you are getting the price for locals as it is your right to do so. ( as legally here entry fee for most museums are different for tourists) as an example entrey fee of  Museum National in Jakarta is as  in below :
Admisssion Fees

    Indonesian visitor:
    Adults: Rp 5.000,-
    Children: Rp 2.000,-
    Group of 20 people or more:
    Adults: Rp 3.000,-
    Children (Kindergarten-Senior High School): Rp 1.000,
    Foreign visitor: Rp 10.000,-

Another option is joining some clubs ( as in Car brand clubs/ Rider clubs etc.) By that way u may have some nice trip with locals who will willingly help you without hesitation.
For people who loves to walk in nature we dont have much choise in jakarta else than Anchol which you need to pay for entrey etc which is 25kRp per person and 20kRp per car/15k for motorbike. You may also take free anchol busses but to be honest i wont reccomend publik transportation much.
This is just entry fee for anchol area if you want to enter Dreamland section which is more attractive then you ll have to pay another 190k per person in weekdays / 270kRp on weekends. Which u can get it sometimes with 50% discount by buying vouchers via internet.From ancol it is also possible to take a ferry to go some exotic Islands close by to jakarta by paying 140k per person ( one way).
Other Total free activities :
Visit the parks

For a change of pace, you may be interested in going to the rare and somewhat mythical green areas of Jakarta. One of them is Taman Suropati, a park located in Menteng, Central Jakarta. Aside from relaxing beneath the trees, you can also enjoy or join in with the local music community playing their instruments on the weekends. There are also literature and art groups doing activities there, so spectators can expect to see a more artistic side of Jakarta here, although on a small scale.

Visit Pasar Baru

Built in 1820 under the name Passer Baroe, the place is the oldest market in Jakarta. It is located in Sawah Besar area, Central Jakarta. When visitors don't feel like buying clothes, fabrics or any other bargain-able things from the various kind of stores in the area, they can enjoy sightseeing and take photos on the streets, when it doesn't rain.


Ride the City Tour Bus

Since 2014, the Government of Jakarta provides a free double-decker bus for tourists. While on the bus, passengers can see and get informed on the history of Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat, Balai Kota, Sarinah, Bundaran Hotel Indonesia, the National Museum, Pecenongan, Pasar Baru, the Jakarta Art Theatre, Masjid Istiqlal, the Cathedral Church, and Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara. The tour is for both local and international tourists, so normally, there are introductions in English and other languages. To ride the bus, people can go to any bus stop labelled with a “city tour” sign on the route. Usually, the queue will be very long on weekends. People can also book the bus for a group tour with a prior reservation.

“Kota Tua” Tour

Kota Tua or the Old Batavia Complex is located in North Jakarta. As a heritage-listed area, visitors can see Dutch colonial architecture all around the area. Some people love to just walk on the streets toward Fatahillah Square or take photos of the buildings. There are also museums to visit, such as the Bank Indonesia Museum, Wayang Museum, Fatahillah Museum, or the Fine Arts and Ceramics Museum, which some of them are free of charge. In the area, there is also the Kota Train Station, which is another heritage site and is still being used by train commuters to this day.


Visit Galeri Indonesia Kaya

Located on the 8th floor of Grand Indonesia Shopping Town in Central Jakarta. Combining education with multimedia technology, visitors can enjoy various virtual experiences here, such as taking pictures in Indonesian traditional clothes virtually, playing Indonesian traditional music instruments and exploring Indonesia through a virtual map. There are also various workshops and other activities scheduled, so people may be interested in checking out their website to see what events are upcoming.

Bentara Budaya Jakarta

Bentara Budaya is a cultural institute established by Kompas Gramedia in South Palmerah, West Jakarta. It has various collections of Indonesian cultural heritage, ranging from paintings to ceramics, as well as wayang puppets from the famous puppet master, Asep Sunarya. One of its most unique collections is its traditional Javanese house, brought directly from Kudus, Central Java. Aside of its collections, Bentara Budaya often holds various art and cultural activities, such as exhibitions, film screenings, and monthly discussions.

Good luck and feel free to ask anything bout any info about location in or close by to Jakarta
Enjoy Your day !

Well cut and paste but do check your facts as car free days in mampang are not weekly that's for sure.

Take the transjakarta bus anywhere all day for 3.500 rupiah and see the city and some satellite cities for next to nothing.
Walking is free and Google maps are correct and so can plan your own routes.
Go to malls and get up to the highest point possible or parking lots of malls and the views can be quite breath taking and often in a positive way.
Trains are cheap out of the city to Bogor for a day out

Things like that.

you are right website guess had the old schedules ( as i said u can check it daily via the website i gave down below)

My hobby, when I get free time, is wandering around with a camera.
The mini van costs Rp3,000, about the same for the train, then nothing  except a snack and water until I head home.
All day ends up costing less than Rp 50,000 if I don't use a taxi to get home.