Do-Fun at Dunia Fantasi Jakarta

Where Jakarta meets the sea, Dunia Fantasi (or ‘Dufan’ for short, pronounced ‘do fun’ –get it?) is one of the city’s biggest theme parks, featuring over 30 rides and attractions. Being the thrill-seekers that we are, when some friends from Jogja came to visit we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to check it out.

We arrived at the front gates at 10am on Saturday. If you’re coming in a taxi, make sure to jump out before it drives through the gates, as you will be charged Rp20,000 per person for the priviledge of being driven 100 metres to the ticket booth. Tickets cost RP250,000 on the weekend, and if you’re willing to part with an extra RP200,000 you can get a VIP ticket which lets you queue jump any line.

For the weekend, the place was far less busy than I anticipated, and we had almost instant access to the rides for the first hour or two. Our hot tip is to veer off the main path as early as possible, as most people follow the natural progression of the layout. While Dufan is not huge, there is a fair bit to explore, and the good (by which I mean scary) rides are scattered throughout the park.

My top picks were Hysteria, which launches you 50m in the air before plummeting you back down the earth, the Tornado, which spins you upside down so many times you almost want to puke, and the River Rafting, but be warned, you will actually get wet! Although scoring an honourable mention are the Pirate Ship and Log Ride, which are probably more suited to the less adventure-minded, but still pretty fun if the lines are short.

There are lots of places to stop and refuel, with ice cream and popcorn vendors every 10 metres. There’s also a range of options for lunch the Cowboy and Western area, with a live band providing a welcome break from the incessant theme music that plays non-stop in the background.

Although Dufan is theoretically what a theme park should be, the rides do lack a certain thrill factor that, if you have a real death wish, probably isn’t going to scratch your itch. The rides lack a certain ‘oomph’ and disappointingly, one of the main attractions, the Rollercoaster, was closed when we visited. All in all, three and a half stars from the Eat Drink Cook Do team.