Staying at Home? Travel Virtually to These Destinations and Say Goodbye to Boredom

Just because you can’t go outside, it doesn’t mean you can’t travel. In the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, it is indeed best for us to stay at home and avoid close contact with people. However, those of you with an adventurous soul can still enjoy the experience of traveling to Indonesia by taking virtual tours on Google Arts & Culture. This platform features content from over 1200 leading museums and archives, including those from Indonesia, who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute.

There are many cultural and tourist attractions that you can virtually enjoy through Google Arts & Culture. We recommend these 5 famous destinations:

1| Monas

Scroll to explore the gigantic monolith located in the middle of the capital city of Jakarta. Standing tall at about 137 meters, the monument is surrounded by green scenery. Monas was built in 1961, under the instructions of President Soekarno, to commemorate the struggle for Indonesian independence and it was opened to the public in 1975.

The towering monument encapsulates the philosophy of Lingga and Yoni. Lingga resembles an Alu (rice pestle) and Yoni resembles a Lesung (rice mortar), two important traditional Indonesian tools. Lingga and Yoni also symbolize harmony, balance, fertility, and eternal life.

2| Wayang Museum

Walk through the Wayang Museum, which preserves a long-standing tradition of shadow puppet shows across the archipelago. Inaugurated on 13 August 1975, the building occupies the site of an old Dutch church, which got demolished in an earthquake in 1808. Later in 1912, a Neo-Renaissance-style building was constructed on the same site.

Located in the area of Old Town (Kota Tua), Museum Wayang has more than 4,000 various kinds of Wayang and puppets, which include Wayang Kulit (leather puppet), Wayang Golek (wooden puppets), Wayang Kardus (carton puppets), Wayang Rumput (grass puppet), Wayang Janur (coconut leafs puppets), and even Wayang Beber (scroll-painted Wayang). The museum also has a collection of Gamelan (traditional ensemble music of Java and Bali), masks, and dolls.

3| Textile Museum

Take a virtual tour of the Textile Museum through Google Arts & Culture. Located in Palmerah, a sub-district of West Jakarta, Textile Museum provides a fascinating insight into the history of textiles, specifically Batik, which is known as Indonesia’s most popular fabric.

Inaugurated on 28 June 1976, the Textile Museum features a collection of 2,350 textiles with diverse patterns, textures, materials, and colors.

4| Borobudur

Technological advancements allow us to take a virtual stroll around Borobudur via Google Arts and Culture.

The magnificent Borobudur temple is the world’s biggest Buddhist monument which was restored in the 1970s by the Indonesian Government and UNESCO. Built without the use of any cement or mortar, the monument is an ancient architectural achievement that’s decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. It is a must-see site in Indonesia and now is your chance to catch a glimpse of it without having to travel.

5| Komodo National Park

Good news, you can enjoy the beauty of Komodo National Park through Google Arts and Culture. Comprised of 29 volcanic islands, including the 3 major islands of Rinca, Padar, and Komodo, the vast and spectacular Komodo National Park is home to approximately 2,500 Komodo Dragons.

You can stroll along the shores of this tropical paradise to enjoy the great landscapes and even try to spot a Komodo lurking around the corner somewhere.

Till it becomes safe to resume regular travel, you can #StayatHome and enjoy virtual travel experiences with Google Arts and Culture to these five famous destinations in Indonesia. Prioritize your health and safety today, so you can #ExploreTomorrow and #VisitIndonesiaLater