Swimming Pools

Indonesia's heat and humidity can be a shock if you are not used to the tropics. Air-conditioning quickly becomes a necessity at home, in the car and at the office, and a swimming pool is one of the better ways to escape the heat. Whether you want to float in the shallow end or swim proper lengths for exercise, you have a few options.

If you rent an apartment or a house in a serviced complex, a shared pool is usually part of the deal, its upkeep already folded into your monthly service charge. Better standalone houses in up-market neighbourhoods often have their own pool too. This is the cheapest access there is, so weigh it when you choose where to live.

HOTELS, GYMS, CLUBS

Without a pool at home, you go looking in the city. In Bali this is straightforward: many resorts sell non-guest day passes, from around Rp 50,000 at budget hotels to Rp 200,000-250,000 at mid-range properties and Rp 350,000-600,000 and up at four- and five-star beach resorts, where the fee often includes a food-and-beverage credit. Jakarta works differently. Most five-star city hotels reserve their pools for staying guests and publish no walk-in rate, so paid access there usually means booking a day-use room rather than a simple ticket.

Hotel pools are rarely ideal for the exercise-minded swimmer. They tend towards decorative shapes with bays and inlets that defeat any attempt at straight lengths. For serious swimming, look instead to a lap pool. Cilandak Sport Center at Cilandak Town Square in South Jakarta keeps an Olympic-standard public pool open daily, at roughly Rp 50,000 on weekdays and Rp 65,000 at weekends, no membership required. The Aquatic Stadium at Gelora Bung Karno in Senayan is also open to the public by online reservation for a moderate per-session fee. Membership clubs such as the International Sports Club of Indonesia (ISCI), now in South Tangerang near Pondok Indah, have good pools but admit non-members only as a member's guest. Many gyms include a pool at their premium tier; expect a monthly fee well above a bare gym membership.

WATER PARKS

For a day out with children, water parks, known locally as waterbom, offer slides, wave pools and lazy rivers. Note that Waterbom Jakarta at Pantai Indah Kapuk has permanently closed and been demolished. The surviving flagship is Waterbom Bali in Kuta, open daily, with 2026 gate prices around Rp 519,000 for adults and Rp 421,000 for children. Ancol Dreamland in North Jakarta still runs its Atlantis water-adventure park, ticketed through the official Ancol site.

Prices and opening hours change, so confirm the current rate with the venue before you set out.

Contributor: nicklemeister

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