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Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia, located on the Java island. It is the economic, cultural and political center of the country. And at the same time the most densely populated city in all of Southeast Asia.
There is movement-movement-movement everywhere and constantly ... Jakarta is about busy shopping areas and vibrant nightlife. Jakarta is about authentic Indonesian culture and dizzying adventures.
The main air gate of Indonesia annually serves about 60 million passengers. The flow of tourists increases much faster than the airport itself. The construction of the third terminal, which is supposed to slightly relieve the other two, is planned to be finally completed in 2020. In the meantime, tourists are faced with spending several hours of their lives waiting. Beyond queues at the airport can be quite stuffy.
If you fly from a cold country in winter, prepare things for changing clothes in advance so as not to languish from the heat. And it’s better not to rely on entertainment at the airport. For a banal reason: there are no entertainment. You will hardly find a couple of shops and cafes. But in general, it’s better to run away from here as soon as possible towards adventures.
For many years, tourists who flew to Jakarta airport suffered from a two-hour bus ride to the city center. Moreover, the buses are clearly not luxury. But rail links between the airport and Jakarta finally started in 2017. The trip takes only 50 minutes, a one-way ticket costs $ 5.2, and you can buy it in a special machine using a bank card. The trains are new and comfortable. You can even charge the phone here.
If you want to save money and suffer even a little longer after the airport, take the bus. A ticket costs a little less than three dollars, but you have to shake along the roads of Jakarta for at least two hours.
The temperature in Jakarta practically does not change throughout the year. Therefore, the only sign by which you can recommend coming here in the summer is the abundance of rain in all other months.
You may be very surprised by the contrast that you will see in Jakarta. This applies to both the external architecture and the residents themselves. As soon as you move away from the airport, you will find the most hospitable, friendly and helpful people. And right there you can meet taxi and bus drivers who are known as the most severe people on earth. Contrast is the norm for Jakarta. And you need to be mentally prepared for it.
Monas is the main symbol of the city and the struggle for independence of Indonesia as a whole. Together with the monument, you can visit the National History Museum in the immediate vicinity of Monas. The museum is filled with dioramas depicting the history of Indonesia. In general, the advice is classical and the only correct one: the study of any city should be started from the past in order to better understand its present.
To relax on a tropical island, it is generally not necessary to go to Bali. Get on a boat and go to a place called the Thousand Islands (and is actually part of Jakarta). It may not work out around a thousand, but there are many places for a perfect beach holiday. On some of the islands there are various resorts where all the conditions for a lazy beach day are created. In some places you can even go diving or surfing.
TMII is Taman Mini Indonesia Indah which is an ideal place to explore Indonesian culture. In general, it is very convenient that local authorities had organized such a miniature tour throughout the country in Jakarta alone. There is a pool with a decorative map of Indonesia. Miniature copies of each province of the country are built in many pavilions. All major attractions are built here exactly. Also in the park are several museums with cultural heritage of Indonesia, which are also worth a visit.
Despite its important historical value, the Old Town is poorly preserved. But those buildings that still stand in their place can be an interesting object to study. The old city is completely different from the rest of Jakarta. And around there are several museums where you can learn more about the history of this area and see how everything looked a few hundred years ago. This also applies to the Museum of the History of Jakarta and the Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics. A bike is good for exploring the area. You can rent it here for about $ 5 for two hours.
A long time ago, during the time of the Hindu kingdom of Pajajar in the 12th century, the port of Sunda Kelapa was built. Once it was the main gate of Jakarta at the sea. Hundreds of ships arrived here and active trade was conducted. You can find here today moored traditional Indonesian ships, decorated in a variety of colors. The old port no longer has strategic importance. But it retained its aesthetic beauty, so you need to come here with a fully charged camera.
Although translated from Indonesian this place means “New Market”, it has long been impossible to consider it as such. On the contrary, it is the oldest market in Jakarta that has survived until today. Locals claim that the majority of sellers pass their trading places in this market from generation to generation for several centuries. Everything is sold here: from textiles to antiques, from Indian spices to electronics. And here is the abundance of small cafes and grocery stores. So you can stock up on unique souvenirs and try all kinds of local food. Well, just for the sake of the atmosphere it is worth a peek.
The main feature of food in Jakarta is that people from all islands of the country come here. Therefore, in the capital you can always try something tasty from all over the country.
The Nasi Padang dish has spread across Indonesia from the island of Sumatra from the province of Padang. This is a complete set of different curries cooked with fresh herbs, spices, coconut milk and plenty of chili. There is another version called Nasi uduk, which consists mainly of rice cooked in coconut milk with spices. But it is often served chicken or tofu.
One of the common dishes in Jakarta is Soto Betawi. Soto means “soup", and it is cooked differently in every part of the country. In Jakarta, it usually has a slightly creamy taste, it is cooked with beef, eaten with rice and pickles.
Also in Jakarta you need to try grilled fish, which has a special taste thanks to lime and a combination of different spices with sauces. As well as a light vegetable salad Gado gado, topped with a delicious nutty sauce.