Bangkok ? Jakarta? Yogyakarta?

 

(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 10^th 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.