March 8th, 2014 Only 2 hours to reach Cipanas Palace from Cawang, Jakarta (103 km) if you start driving at 6 am. Get early will help you to avoid jams. Cipanas Palace is one of 6 Presidential Palace in Indonesia. To visit this palace is easy, you just need to apply to 'Kepala Biro Pengelolaan Istana Presiden' phone number : +62-21-2354 50001 ext 7026 fax number : +62-21-385 7051 and/or 'Kepala Bagian Tata Usaha, Sekretariat Presiden' phone number : +62-21-2354 5001 ext 7388 fax number :+62-21-3859786. It is opened for public every Monday-Thursday, Saturday-Sunday 09.00-14.00. Closed on Friday. But if Presiden visit to this Palace, it must be closed too for safety. It's free.
Road Map to Cipanas Palace After check in report to officer, we will be able to start journey to explore this palace with tour guide . First visiting to Main Building, Cipanas Palace. The main building constructed in 1740 by Dutch. We are allowed to take picture in front of palace,. But the tour guide remind us to do not take pictures while we are inside the main palace. It is really forbidden. From terrace, the doors are opened, we walk in into living room with oldest beautiful carpet from Turkey. From this room, we can see work table for President in the left side. Then we go to dining room at the right side. This table was held for presidential cabinet meeting of President Soekarno to decide value of money changes from Rp 1.000,- to Rp 1,- on December 13th, 1965. Many paintings are shown. Mostly are legacy from President Soekarno, a lot of pictures describe about beautiful woman. Nowdays you will find pictures are taken by Mrs. Ani Yudhoyono (wife of President SBY). There is a magic and limited painting called 'Seribu Wajah'. Why does it become very special? You must visit this palace to get the sensation of this painting. After walk inside main building of this palace, the tour guide will lead you to back terrace which has view beautiful pool and garden. Then you can take pictures. Many oldest tree are there. Very beautiful. We walk to small building called 'Pemandian Air Panas.' It has warm water with modern pool to be relax. Next stop is 'Bentoel House.' It is called Bentoel becase the wall is not smooth so Bentoel means not smooth wall. President Soekarno used this room to think in silence with beautiful view of garden. Besides this house, there is nursery plants. It is for sale. There is also house of kaktus. Then we visit souvenir shop. It's good for you to spend money to have souvenirs to take home with you. Last building that we visited was museum as show room for any souvenir gift from state guest presidency and also many beautiful souvenir from around Indonesia. Finally it is over but i am so proud to be there as registered guest. If you come to Jakarta nd/or West Java, don't forget to visit this beautiful Cipanas Palace to learn history and also enjoy fresh air in Cipanas, Cianjur, West Java. Enjoy it.
Written by Riris Nurbintari, Travel Writer
