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Aside from going to the malls, what else can people in Jakarta do? Edi Dimyati is suggesting that they give museums a try. “Museums are silent witnesses to the long journey that this country has had,” he said.

With the goal of convincing more Jakartans to visit museums, Edi started working on his book project in July 2008. He decided to work on the project because he wanted to create a guide book that provided people with information about museums.

Edi said that one reason why people don’t visit museums more often is because, they are not able to get enough information about them. “Most travel guide books just provide a museum’s address and phone number,” Edi said.

His project, however, took a while to complete. Since he works as a librarian and a researcher for a teen magazine, Edi could only visit the museums on weekends. “Sometimes I got very lazy,” he said, but added that he eventually figured out a way to motivate himself.

Last month, he launched his 316-page book, “Panduan Sang Petualang: 47 Museum Jakarta” (“An Adventurer’s Guide: 47 Museums of Jakarta”).

Edi hopes his book will drum up interest in museums in the city. “People should understand that just because a museum’s collections is old, it does not mean that they are junk,” he said. “Museums [are testaments to] thoughts, creative ideas and noble dreams of the past,” he added.

Working on his project, Edi discovered that there were a total of 47 museums in the capital This figure always seems to surprise people, which reflects the low level of awareness. “They are shocked to know that we actually have so many museums in this city,” he said.

According to Edi, these museums are owned by the government, private companies and individuals. He also wants to dispel the notion that they are rundown and abandoned. Several are actually very impressive, he said.

Of all that he has visited, Edi said that the Purna Bhakti Pertiwi museum in East Jakarta was the most well-maintained. “It’s a five-star museum,” he said.

Built by Suharto’s wife, Tien, the museum was first opened to the public in 1993. Edi said that it has excellent facilities, such as a large parking space that can accommodate more than 50 buses, air-conditioned rooms, a children’s playground and a library with a collection of more than 5,000 books.

The museum, shaped like a nasi tumpeng — a traditional cone-shaped yellow rice dish for special occasions — pays homage to the life and times of Suharto, the nation’s president for 32 years. It houses the former head of state’s favorite items, including priceless souvenirs given to him by visiting dignitaries from abroad. The museum has more than 17,000 items in its collection.

Another museum highly recommended by Edi is the Museum Bank Mandiri in Kota Tua, West Jakarta. “This is the largest bank museum in Indonesia,” he said.

Ran by the government-owned Bank Mandiri, there are more than 31,000 banking-related items in this museum, including old counting machines, bank vaults, bank notes, paper money and coins.

The building itself is historic. Built in 1929, it was first used as an office by the Dutch government during the colonial period. After independence, the building was occupied by several local banks.

Edi said that he did not write his book thinking that it would become a best-seller. He said that his goal was to inspire people to learn more about museums, as they are always the last option on a family’s list of leisurely things to do. “We need to change that kind of attitude,” he said.

According to Edi, museums are actually the best place to learn about history, culture and one’s identity, among many other things.

“Museums should become a form of educational entertainment for people, especially families,” he said.