(Bangkok at night. Doc.Sofyan Yudianto)
Bangkok is
a city that has the longest name in the world (Guinness Book of Records). The official
name is “Krung thep maha nakhon amorn
ratanakosin mahin-tharayutthaya mahadilok popnoparat ratchathani burirom
udomratchanivet mahasathan amornpiman avatarnsathit sakkathattiya
visnukarmprasit”, or just Krung Thep or Bangkok. Ha ha, it is so long,
isn’t?”. This municipality (maha nakhon), also the capital of modern
Thailand is almost never sleeping every day, every night. If compare with
Jakarta in Indonesia, I prefer Bangkok to be honest.
(Inside of BTS Skytrain)
Why? Well
there are some factors but I can give you one crucial example, the integrated mass
transportation system. In Bangkok, you can find MRT, BTS SkyTrain, Airport Rail
Link (City Line and Express Line), Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Phaya Thai (Express
Line) here which really can help you to explore Bangkok easily. In Jakarta?
Well, Jakarta is busier than Bangkok but no MRT yet (under construction), no
BTS SkyTrain yet, no Airport Rail Link, my friends. Not integrated yet. And one
more thing that I like from Bangkok is safe for tourists and safe for
pedestrians. The security system in this capital, in my opinion is good.
(Victory Monument in Bangkok)
I’ve
explored some destinations in Bangkok last month for 2 days, such as Victory
Monument, Dusit Zoo, Vimanmek (The World’s Largest Golden Teakwood Mansion),
Suan Amphorn, King Rama V Monument, Wat Benchamabophit, Wat Saket (Golden
Mount), and Jim Thompson's House, only by on foot guys, even until evening. No
worried at all! Bangkok was so safe, and that surprised for me at that time.
You know
what; I didn’t dare to do the same thing in Jakarta. I love my country; I love
Jakarta because I have good relatives and good friends who are living there,
the destinations in this capital also interesting for me, the old city (Kota
Tua) is so historical, the foods are awesome, the nightlife’s attractions are
amazing, the shopping malls are huge and completes, and to be honest Jakarta in
some things are greater than Bangkok.
But, I
didn’t feel safe walking around alone in Jakarta, and this is not only me. Many
of my friends felt the same thing. In Bangkok, I felt so confident, safe, and
found my ‘moment of solitude’. Then, about the traffic jam in Bangkok in the
rush hours, many foreigner tourists and local people said that “so crowded”,
but they didn’t know if Jakarta is worse. Traffic Jam in Bangkok, or even in
Manila is nothing than Jakarta.
Bangkok
without MRT and BTS SkyTrain are exactly like Jakarta, crowded almost all of
the time! That’s why many foreigners were not comfortable when traveling to
Jakarta. In my opinion, Jakarta must finish the MRT project as soon as possible
and increasing the security system, so that more foreigner tourists will travel
to Jakarta and explore this historical city, in the future. As a professional
and licensed guide in Indonesia, I am so lucky living in Yogyakarta.
(Prambanan, one of main destinations in Yogyakarta Special Province, Java Island, Indonesia)
Yogyakarta
is the heart of Java, the old capital of Indonesia, the city of education in
Indonesia, the center of Javanese arts and cultures, and the city that nears
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Borobudur, Prambanan, and Ratu Boko), many various
additional destinations (volcano, shrines, palaces, beaches, dances), and the
second most popular destination in my country after Bali. In Yogyakarta is the
same like in Bangkok for the security system. That’s why many local and
foreigner tourists are coming to my city. Yogyakarta is one complete package
for your trip.
(Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world)
For
domestic tourists, Yogyakarta is number one destination in Indonesia, because
the costs of foods are cheaper here than Jakarta or Bangkok, not as traffic as
Jakarta or Bangkok, smiling peoples, various destinations, ancient temples
before 10th century, even Borobudur and Prambanan are older and more
well preserved than Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Well my friends, when you are
traveling to Indonesia, please try the legendary route (Java – Bali – Lombok –
Flores – Komodo Island), and you will find why Indonesia is the islands of
imaginations.
