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Capital and largest city in Indonesia
Photo: yohanes budiyanto, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Jakarta is Indonesia's capital and largest city, with about 10 million inhabitants, and a total 41.9 million in Greater Jakarta on the Java island, making it the largest city in Southeast Asia and, by some measures, the largest city in the world. Dubbed The Big Durian, an equivalent to New York's Big Apple, its concrete jungle, traffic frenzy, and hot polluted air may tempt you to skip the city as fast as possible, but what awaits inside will change your perspective! One of the most bustling and cosmopolitan cities in Asia, the J-Town has cheerful nightlife, vibrant shopping malls, a variety of foods, refreshing greenery, cultural diversity and a rich history, that caters to all levels of budget and how much fun you want to have.
The heart of Jakarta's administration, government and finance, an aptly named district and the site of Jakarta's symbol, the soaring Monas (Monumen Nasional) and also one of the world's largest city square "Lapangan Merdeka". The city is a part of the old Jakarta (Batavia), recognisable by the president's palace and the National Museum of Indonesia, both built in the 19th century. Now filled with modern high rises for office buildings, hotels, and shopping centres, this is where most of Jakarta's attractions are, such as the malls, the Tanah Abang garment complex, the Istiqlal mosque, the Cathedral, and the Bung Karno Sports Stadium.
This site is also part of the Old Batavia. It is home to the Glodok area (Jakarta's Chinatown) which is rich in street hawker food, Chinese restaurants, and temple complexes, and contains Jakarta's electronic promenade. West Jakarta is also a major destination for shopping, as it is home to a lane of upscale malls at S. Parman and cheap shopping lanes at Mangga Dua. This area is also home to Jakarta's biggest nightlife entertainment and red light district "Mangga Besar".
Jakarta's middle/upper class residential area, and part of Jakarta's business centre. Here you can find upscale shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, bustling nightlife and entertainment, Blok M, Senayan sports complex, and affluent residential areas. The Kemang area is very popular among expats and locals for its nightlife and entertainment.
The city's industrial quarter and the most populous city within Jakarta. The location of Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (where you can see parts of Indonesia's multiethnic community in one big park), some golf courses, Cibubur camping ground, and Jakarta's second airport, Halim Perdanakusuma Airport.
Jakarta's main harbour area and the real home of the old Batavia. A small area consisting of Dutch buildings and harbor, its streets are thronged with hawker food, crafted goods, street performers, artists and Jakartan youths hanging around. This is also the location of Ancol Bayfront City, Asia's largest integrated tourism area. The beautiful Thousand Islands (Kepulauan Seribu), accessible by boat from North Jakarta's dock, is an instant escape from the hectic city with its beautiful beaches, marine parks, and world-class resorts.
By train
Jakarta is well-served by trains from all over Java. National operator Api runs multiple daily trains from other cities such as Bandung, Surabaya and Yogyakarta.
By boat
The national ferry companies, ASDP Indonesia Ferry and Pelni, operate passenger services from a large number of destinations across the Indonesian archipelago.
By bus
When buying tickets for buses out of Jakarta, you're better off buying them at each bus company's booth.
By van
Vans with seats for 8-10 passengers have taken over short-distance intercity coach services.
By car
While travelling by car may not be a good idea, it remains perhaps the most convenient way to enter Jakarta.
Fares
Jakarta's public transport network features integrated ticketing. This means you only need to use one payment method to travel on all trains and buses.
By train
KAI Commuter (colloquially called KRL Commuterline) connects the city centre with the suburbs and satellite cities, namely Tangerang, Bekasi, Depok, Bogor, South Tangerang, and Tanjung Priok in North…
By bus
TransJakarta is a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network that runs on fully dedicated lanes. There are 14 mainlines in operation, in addition to a number of feeder routes that operate between them.
By van
Mikrotrans, mikrolets and angkots are vans that serve fixed stops around the city. You can use the Moovit website or app to trace available stops.g.
By taxi
Blue Bird's reputation has spawned a host of dodgy imitators, so just because it's blue doesn't mean it's safe. Check the following before you get in:
By bajaj
The Jakartan equivalent to Thailand's tuk-tuk is the bajaj (pronounced "bahdge-eye"), orange mutant scooters souped up in India into little three-wheeled vehicles that carry passengers in a small…
By ojek
If you're poking around narrow back streets, or in such a hurry that you're willing to lose a limb or more to get there, then Jakarta's motorcycle taxis (ojek) might be the ticket for you.
By car
Getting around Jakarta is, more often than not, problematic. The city layout is bewildering with horrendous traffic jams (macet "MAH-chet"), slowing the city to a crawl during rush hour.
By scooter
Grab (the online transport service provider stated in the 'Ojek' section) offers eScooter services with the 'GrabWheels' brand and a fare of Rp 5,000 per 30 minutes (Nov 2019).
By bicycle
Cycling provisions are lacking in Jakarta, but the first signs of a cycling culture are emerging.
By foot
Jakarta is hot and humid year-round, discouraging pedestrians, while what sidewalk is left is often quickly occupied by pushcart vendors.
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