Exploring Indonesia's Rich Cultural Heritage: A Journey Through TMII - Beautiful Indonesia Miniature Park

Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII, or Beautiful Indonesia Miniature Park) is a cultural tourism complex located in Jakarta, Indonesia. This tourist complex was founded in 1972 and opened to the public in 1975. TMII has an area of around 150 hectares and has become a tourist destination. For tourists, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah offers a very interesting and unique experience. The TMII complex has various attractions that make it an attractive tourist spot. One of the main attractions of TMII is the traditional house pavilion. Every province in Indonesia has a representation of traditional house platforms at TMII. Apart from that, TMII also displays replicas of various iconic buildings, such as miniatures of Monas and Borobudur. Not only that, TMII also offers various kinds of cultural attractions, arts, and crafts. Visitors can enjoy traditional dance performances, music, and other traditional arts. At TMII, there is also a museum that displays various Indonesian cultural and historical artifacts. TMII also has amazing natural attractions, such as a mini-zoo and parks.

As an Indonesian cultural tourism area, TMII displays various important icons that must also be preserved. The important icons of TMII, as quoted from the Instagram of the Indonesian Ministry of State Secretariat, are: 33 regional pavilions with traditional architecture, which also display various regional clothing, dances, and traditions; a lake with a miniature shape of the Indonesian archipelago; the Indonesian Museum, which has a cultural collection; traditional houses and traditional clothing from all over Indonesia; and the Indonesian Children's Palace, namely the main building in the shape of a palace similar to the Cinderella fairy tale.
 
"In 2023, TMII Indah underwent a revitalization process, (see Figure 1 below). This renovation aims to improve the quality and experience of visiting tourists. The revitalization carried out at TMII includes updating facilities and adding new attractions. Apart from that, there will also be improvements in park management and maintenance, as well as strengthening programs. This revitalization will also include infrastructure improvements such as expanding the parking area and improving access to make it easier for tourists to reach TMII.

Figure 1. The TMII Area (Source: https://tamanmini.com/taman_jelajah_indonesia/ )

At TMII, you can also enjoy local culinary delights, such as traditional Indonesian foods such as fried rice, gado-gado, satay, and many more. Inside TMII, there are also various events such as a dancing fountain at 6:30 p.m., batik workshops, and free walking tours. Apart from enjoying culinary delights at TMII, visitors can also shop for various kinds of Indonesian souvenirs and handicrafts in the souvenir shop area available in the complex.
 
There is also a hidden gem in Taman Mini, De Park Green Terrace TMII (see figure 2), which is a food hall located in the TMII area of East Jakarta. Of course, it's not difficult to find a place to eat at Green Terrace TMII, considering that the place is specifically designated as a place to eat. A wide variety of delicious food can be found at Green Terrace TMII, such as Western cuisine, Italian cuisine, and Indonesian cuisine. There are quite a few cafes on Green Terrace TMII, so many of them are used as places to hang out while drinking coffee or eating snacks. Visiting Green Terrace TMII is very suitable after being tired of travelling at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah. The location of De Park, with the TMII central area itself, is 10–15 minutes walking distance.

Figure 2. De Park Green Terrace TMII (Source of Figure: https://travel.kompas.com/read/2021/11/25/123100627/rute-dan-cara-menuju-de-park-di-tmii-jakarta-timur?page=all) 

This place has attracted the attention of many tourists, especially millennials, seeking to visit it. So, for those of you who are planning a holiday or are in the city of Jakarta, you can make De Park at Green Terrace TMII the right choice to visit. De Park is one of the newest tourist attractions in East Jakarta and has recently become a hit and trended on various social media platforms. This new tourist attraction in East Jakarta is still relatively new because it started operating on October 29, 2021.

De Park, East Jakarta, is here to offer a creative space or creative compound concept built in the Green Terrace TMII area, precisely in Cipayung, East Jakarta. The main attraction of De Park TMII is that it offers a unique concept with instagrammable spots, making it certainly highly recommended for millennials who are hunting for unique and funny places to take photos. De Park Green Terrace Jakarta was built with a minimalist and unique design, making many tourists curious to visit. Apart from taking photos with an interesting concept, tourists can explore other fun activities. A lush green landscape surrounds the location and certainly offers a calming atmosphere.

For example, there is Vilo Gelato, a coffee shop that has many branches in Greater Jakarta and Bandung. The price of the gelato is quite affordable; for the 250-ml size, it costs 5 USD, and for the 500-ml size, it costs 9 USD. There is also a Soymate tenant, which offers various types of candles with aromatherapy and reed diffusers. Prices start at 4 USD, while reed diffusers range from 18 USD. You can find shops that provide hijabs, dresses, koko clothes, and many others. The price for a hijab starts at 3.5 USD. Meanwhile, prices for dresses, other clothes, and koko clothes start at just 5 USD. Apart from Vilo Gelato, De Park Green Terrace also provides another coffee shop, namely Espresso & Co. This tenant offers various types of coffee, non-coffee drinks, and several snacks that you can order. Prices start at 2 USD, and for the snack menu, prices start at 1.5 USD.
 
For hotels around TMII, there are several options that tourists can choose from. There are several hotels around TMII, such as Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Taman Mini, Aston Priority Simatupang Hotel and Conference Centre, Hotel Ciputra Cibubur by Swiss-Belhotel International, The Margo Hotel, Hotel Savero Depok, Hotel Emperor, and many more. By visiting TMII, tourists can get to know Indonesia more closely in 2-3 days. And in my experience, a visit to TMII cannot be completed in just one day. We look forward to having you here in Indonesia.