top of page button
saiko3p/Shutterstock.com

 Indonesia’s sprawling capital is one of the fastest-growing, most chaotic and most exciting places in South-East Asia. It is the gateway to a vast, vibrant and varied island nation that is home to dozens of fascinating cultures.

Formerly the colonial capital of the Dutch East Indies--when it was known as Batavia--Jakarta has grown from its original seaport district into a huge modern conurbation of high-rise hotels and apartments, thronged shopping malls and wide, crowded avenues.

currency

Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
IDR10,000 ~ US$0,69

phone

Police: 110
Fire: 113
Ambulance: 118

newspaper

Jakarta Post
Tempo
Jakarta Javakini

hours

Banks, businesses and government offices generally open 8am–4pm or 9am–5pm Monday–Friday. Many shopping malls remain open until 10pm or later. Many street markets do not open until around 7pm and remain as late as midnight. Many smaller shops close at dusk on Friday until Saturday night.

population

10.56 million (2020)

info

Jakarta City Government Tourist Office
Jalan Kuningan Barat No. 2 Jakarta
+62 21 520 5445

Tourism Information Centre
Jakarta Theater Building
Jl. MH. Thamrin No. 9,
Jakarta
+62 21 314 2067 / +62 21 315 4094 / +62 21 316 1293

Panoramic cityscape of Indonesia capital city Jakarta at sunset. A r Daxiao Productions/Shutterstock.com

The City

Jakarta is a continuously growing and expanding metropolis, with new suburbs springing up on its outskirts and new high-rises reaching for the sky in the downtown area. The hub of the modern city is Taman Merdeka (Independence Square), which is dominated by the showy, 132 m tall National Monument, crowned by a glittering, stylized metal flame. Taman Fatahilla is the epicentre of Kota, the original heart of Dutch Batavia, and still has a sprinkling of picturesque old buildings.

The nearby Glodok district is the heart of Jakarta’s substantial Chinese community, and in recent years has also seen gentrification. Sunda Kelapa, the old port, is lined with warehouses dating back to the colonial era and filled with old-fashioned schooners that still carry cargo between Jakarta and the outlying islands. South of the centre, Jalan Jaksa is a colourful thoroughfare, lined with antique and souvenir shops, budget restaurants, guesthouses and tour agencies.

Sunda Kelapa old Harbour with fishing boats, ship and docks in Jakarta, Indonesia Kzenon/Shutterstock.com

Do & See

Jakarta blends harmoniously newly-restored areas with its ancient parts, creating a metropolis provided with both entertaining and culturally interesting options.

The city is equipped with several museums such as the Art Museum or the History Museum, in which the traveler can be given an understanding of the country´s Dutch colonial era or traditional artifacts.

Having developed into a modern metropolis in recent years, Jakarta is filled with a comprehensive offering of dining options, food hawkers and lively gathering hubs, as well as endless shopping destinations.

Aleksandar Todorovic/Shutterstock.com

Jakarta Old Town

Pressmaster/Shutterstock.com

Museum MACAN (Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara)

Aleksandar Todorovic/Shutterstock.com

Jakarta History Museum

Gunawan Kartapranata / Wikimedia Commons

Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM)

alitrisno/Shutterstock.com

Masjid Istiqlal (National Mosque)

BxHxTxCx / Flickr

Museum Sejarah Jakarta

Danumurthi Mahendra / Flickr

Museum Bank Indonesia

flocu/Shutterstock.com

Jakarta Cathedral

Aila Images/Shutterstock.com

Kidzania

Ziye/Shutterstock.com

Thousand Islands (Pulau Seribu)

zhu difeng/Shutterstock.com

Art:1 New Museum

Poznyakov / Shutterstock.com

Waterbom Jakarta

bikeriderlondon/Shutterstock.com

Royale Jakarta Golf Club

Khoroshunova Olga/Shutterstock.com

National Monument (Monas)

Indonesian food / masakan pdang / Padangnese food Erika Kusuma Wardani/Shutterstock.com

Dining

The lure of Jakarta's bright lights has attracted Indonesian migrants from all over this huge country. As a result, the capital’s menu is stupendously varied. Staples such as noodles and nasi goreng (mixed fried rice) are on the menu everywhere, but there’s much more to try. Meat dishes are predominantly composed of chicken or beef, as Indonesia is mostly Muslim and pork is a rarity.

Fine dining destinations can be found at most of the hotels that dot the city in great numbers, but what truly shows Jakarta's culinary traditions is its vast assortment of street food, a delicious yet, wallet-friendly option.

Misbahul Aulia/Unsplash

Street Food Jakarta

Takashi Miyazaki/Unsplash

Dapur Babah Elite & Tao Bar

jreika/Shutterstock.com

Chopstix

selinofoto/Shutterstock.com

Dapur Anggrek Food Court

Matthew Ennis/Shutterstock.com

Asia Restaurant - The Ritz-Carlton

Wisiel/Shutterstock.com

Plan B

Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock.com

Il Mare

Natthawon Chaosakun/Shutterstock.com

Pondok Laguna

miss_yasmina / Flickr

The Duck King

siska maria eviline / Flickr

AMUZ Gourmet Restaurant

amirali mirhashemian/Unsplash

Ganesha Ek Sanskriti

Lenka_X/Shutterstock.com

Keyaki Restaurant

Maren Winter/Shutterstock.com

Seafood Terrace

Cafes

Cafe culture is something that the Indonesian capital has developed in the past 30 years, though hawker stalls and street food still remain the most popular option among locals and tourists alike.

As the coffee culture took over, street vendors started selling instant brews, and international brands of cafeterias began popping up at a fast pace, making the coffee routine an unmissable tradition throughout the diverse Jakarta.

Seika / Flickr

Ya Udah

fotogiunta/Shutterstock.com

Bakoel Koffie

Mall Central Park Location Jakarta Indonesia franshendrik Tambunan/Shutterstock.com

Bars & Nightlife

Jakarta is a fast-growing city of entertainment where the traveller can be truly spoilt for choice, ranging from down-to-earth bars to happening discos and karaoke.

When the sun starts setting, folks pour merrily down the city's intricate maze of streets, filling the upmarket clubs and lounge bars that tend to be located at most of Jakarta's iconic five-stars hotels.

Night-owls can opt for bar-hopping throughout the vast city centre or decide to spend the night dancing until the early hours in one of the hectic nightclubs.

Louis Hansel/Unsplash

Eastern Promise

Jag_cz.jpg/Shutterstock.com

Burgundy

maggee/Shutterstock.com

B.A.T.S.

Yohan Cho/Unsplash

Churchill

ARENA Creative/Shutterstock.com

Golden Crown

Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com

Dragonfly

Shopping

Over the last decade, Jakarta has become a major shopping destination, with numerous brand-new, air-conditioned shopping malls springing up all over the city, competing for popularity with long-established malls such as Blok M. International department store chains such as Sogo, Mark’s and Spencer’s and Metro, have also made an appearance, enriching Jakarta's shopping scene.

A perfect souvenir might include traditional items, such as ikat and batik textiles, wood carvings from Bali and other islands, antique pottery and Dutch colonial antiques (though these are very often faked).

Many international sports and leisure wear brands have factories in Jakarta, and sports footwear, sports clothing and designer wear are available at convenient prices.

Pressmaster/Shutterstock.com

Blok M

BxHxTxCx / Flickr

Jalan Thamrin

Seika / Flickr

Jalan Jaksa

Seika / Flickr

Plaza Senayan

BxHxTxCx / Flickr

Plaza Indonesia

BxHxTxCx / Flickr

Grand Indonesia Shopping Town

Denis Kuvaev/Shutterstock.com

Ancol Art Market

Ayden161 / Wikimedia Commons

Pondok Indah Mall

blue Tuk-Tuk urban vehicle Lucy Liu/Shutterstock.com

Tourist Information

Soeharto-Hatta International Airport

Soeharto-Hatta International Airport is located 20 km from the city centre.

Taxis take around 30-45 minutes. Fixed price Silver Bird Taxis should be arranged at the taxi desk in the arrivals hall, immediately after passing through Customs and Immigration.

DAMRI Bus Service operates between the airport and Kakarta's downtown every 40 minutes. Journey time is around one hour to Blok M or Gambir Railway Station in the central business district.

Facilities at the airport include currency exchange, post office, business centre, a tourist information desk, car rental desks and tax free shopping. All main hotels offer mini-bus shuttle transfers or chauffeur-driven meet-and-greet service.

Address: Soeharto-Hatta International Airport

Email:

Phone: +62 21 5505179

Website: www.jakartaairportonline.com

More Information:

Public transport

Jakarta has a wide range of transportation options. Buses are operated by a good number of private operators and by the state-owned PPD bus company. Mayasari and Patas AC buses are air conditioned and flat fares are charged and are posted by the entrance door.

Three-wheeled, two-seats scooter taxis (bajaj) and Bemo minibuses also operate on fixed routes throughout Jakarta, as do Mikrolet or Angkot minibuses.

Address: Jakarta

Email: info@perumppd.co.id

Phone: +6221 8591 2547

Website: www.perumppd.co.id

More Information:

Taxi

For visitors, taxis are the most sensible option as public transports tend to be extremely crowded, slow and petty theft is common. The most reliable taxi companies include Silver Bird and Blue Bird.

Drivers should carry a rate sheet showing the current fare to most destinations – check the fare before getting into the taxi. More sensibly, ask your hotel or restaurant to call a cab for you. Blue Bird also offers a premium Golden Bird limousine service, which can be booked through your hotel or on the company’s website.

Address: Jakarta

Email:

Phone: +62 21 794 1234

Website: www.bluebirdgroup.com

More Information:

Post

Stamps can be bought at most hotels' front desks or lobby shops. There are post offices located everywhere throughout the city, generally open 8am - 4 pm or 9am - 5 pm Monday - Friday, run by "Pos Indonesia".

The main post office is located at 2, Jl. Pos, in Central Jakarta.

Address: 2, Jl. Pos, Pasar Baru, Jakarta

Email:

Phone: +62 21 34834738

Website: www.posindonesia.co.id

More Information:

Pharmacy

There are well stocked international pharmacies in all the main shopping malls and department stores. You can also find several local pharmacies across the city, called "Apotik".

One of them is Apotik Melawai, which has a 24/7 outlet located at 27 l. RS Fatmawati, in South Jakarta.

Address: 27, l. RS Fatmawati, Jakarta

Email:

Phone: +62 21 7228518

Website:

More Information:

Telephone

Country code: +62

Area code: (0) 21

Address:

Email:

Phone:

Website:

More Information:

Electricity

110V and 220V
50Hz

Address:

Email:

Phone:

Website:

More Information: