The Archipelago Lake and What's Around it

Hello my fellas...

edited by Canva

In this part of my travel journey, taking my mother around TMII, there's a very refreshing lake. We actually stopped here when we were tired of traveling around by cart, and it was already late afternoon, and it was cloudy, almost raining. We finally stopped here because we'd passed by it many times, so it didn't hurt to stop for a moment to feel the breeze around this lake called Archipelago.

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The Archipelago Lake

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Let me tell you why this lake is called Archipelago. As a local, Archipelago is certainly a very foreign name to my ears. It's not a common word and to be honest, this is the first time I've heard the word so I have absolutely no idea about its meaning.

Apparently... the name of this lake is adapted from Italian—arcipelago which means 'archipelago'. This lake is named Archipelago because of the uniqueness of the lake which in the middle has a miniature of all the islands in Indonesia. If you cross this lake by gondola, you will definitely see clearly the small islands in the middle of the lake, forming the Indonesian archipelago. As you know, Indonesia is a country with many islands.

However, what I don't know is why Italian because our country doesn't have any relations with any of the European countries. Maybe it's just a naming convention, but it's quite unique for the choice of name.

Besides, the lake's location in the lowlands makes it incredibly beautiful from above—no gondola required. It's a huge lake, and exploring it will drain your energy, so choose a spot that you enjoy the most.

...and this is my favorite spot.

Despite its naming context, this lake has a truly brilliant concept. While many managers have turned lakes into water tourism attractions—with numerous duck boats—whatever you call it, Archipelago Lake remains devoid of any amusement rides. I love walking along the edge of the lake. They've built a barrier you can sit on, and I can already imagine how enjoyable it would be to read a book there.

This is the interesting thing about Archipelago Lake. Nearly half of TMII's area is used to build replicas of traditional houses from each province. For your information, Indonesia has 38 provinces, meaning TMII has 38 replicas of traditional houses. That's a huge number. However, this time I won't discuss every replica of the traditional houses in TMII; I'll just summarize them, especially those around the Archipelago Lake.

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Replica of Traditional House

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East Kalimantan—Rumah Lamin

Let's start with the East Kalimantan Traditional House, located on the right side of the Archipelago Lake. It's a very large traditional house and show that Indonesian culture has rich cultures. This East Kalimantan Traditional House has two floors. Called the Lamin House, this East Kalimantan Traditional House features a stage concept that can accommodate around dozens of people. Pretty big, isn't it?

This statue is called the Blontang Statue. It represents gods—in Dayak beliefs, believed to protect the village. It is very tall, with truly stunning carvings.

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Maluku—Baileo.

Meanwhile, this is a traditional house from Maluku province called the Baileo. Like the Lamin House, the Baileo also uses a stilt house as its concept. They named it as Baileo because it functions like a hall.

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South Kalimantan—Rumah Bubungan Tinggi

Rumah Bubungan Tinggi has meaning as high-rise house has no different with other traditional houses in Kalimantan. It is located next to the Lamin House. Interestingly, Rumah Bubungan Tinggi has gold-colored decorations on all its wood..

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So, this concludes our trip. In my next post, I'll show you a summary of traditional houses from other provinces. This is just a small selection of replicas of traditional houses at TMII, located next to Lake Archipelago.

Honestly, this is a tour that makes you feel like you've traveled around Indonesia just by looking at the replicas. Through these replicas, you can also learn about every custom practiced by the locals. This idea is truly brilliant.

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Hasta La Vista...

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Thanks in advance, to read my blog and hope you like my post!
See you on the next post...

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_{All photos taken by iPhone 13}

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