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 cheer…
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Administratively, Jakarta is a province called the Jakarta Special Capital Region (Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta). It is administratively divided into 5 municipalities and 1 regency (the Thousand Islands in the Jakarta Bay): Satellite cities: The Jakarta megalopolis of 30 million inhabitants includes Jakarta and the following satellite cities: Bogor - One of the primary destinations to escape from Jakarta, with well-kept natural habitats, world class botany garden, resorts, and multiple golf courses Tangerang - The airport, many large commercial centres and clustered homes Bekasi - Mostly industrial parks Depok - Home to the University of Indonesia A common abbreviation to describ…
Jakarta's nickname among expats is the Big Durian, and like the fruit itself, it's a shock at first sight (and smell): a sweltering, steaming, heaving mass of some 30 million people packed into a vast urban sprawl. The metropolitan area is a magnet for Indonesians, both as a business and a government centre, and the most developed city in the country. But all of this comes at a cost: the city has been struggling very hard to keep up with the urban growth.
Getting around Jakarta can be a challenge: traffic slows to a crawl for most of the day, the heat and chaotic streets make walking long distances impractical, and the public transport system has not kept up with the city's explosive growth. 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. Fares range from Rp2,000 to Rp20,000 depending on mode and distance. There are three ways to pay for your journey: Kartu Multi Trip, issued by KAI Commuter. The card can be purchased and topped up at KAI Commuter ticket counters and ticket machines.
Individual listings can be found in Jakarta's district articles The heart of tourist attractions is to the north and centre of Jakarta. Visitors typically start exploring Jakarta from this part of the town, called the Kota Tua, where the old buildings of Jakarta are preserved within a dedicated walking area. Jakarta has 47 museums, which are spread across the city. The Jakarta History Museum, formerly a city hall (Stadhuis), covers Jakarta's history from 400 AD to the present day, with photos, replicas, and maps.
Individual listings can be found in Jakarta's district articles Despite being the melting pot of Indonesia, Jakarta's indigenous tribe called the Betawi still stays proud of its culture. They are actually a unique assimilation of various domestic and international races from the Chinese to the Portuguese, which makes it distinct from other parts of Indonesia. The Lenong theatre performance is accompanied by the Gambang Kromong orchestra that consists of the Sundanese Gendang, the Javanese Gamelan, and the Chinese Kongahyan (its own version of violin). The Tanjidor trumpets are an influence from the Dutch, while the Portuguese bequeathed the Keroncong orchestra.
Individual listings can be found in Jakarta's district articles Jakarta has a vast range of food available at hundreds of eating complexes located all over the huge city. In addition to selections from all over the country, you can also find excellent Chinese, Japanese, Western, and many other international foods thanks to the cosmopolitan population. If you want to go local Jakarta, the indigenous Betawi has its own dishes to offer: Asinan Betawi: assorted pickled vegetables, served with peanut sauce (and sometimes chili) and chips. Bubur ase/dingin, literally cold porridge with beef sweet soup. Gabus pucung, snakehead fish soup. Gado-gado is like ketoprak, but all of it is vegetables. K…
Individual listings can be found in Jakarta's district articles Jakarta may be the capital of the world's largest Muslim-majority country, but it has an underground life of its own. If you're the clubbing type, its nightlife is arguably among the best in Asia, except during fasting months when some venues are closed or have limited hours. From the upscale Kemang to the seedy Mangga Besar, nightlife is there for all levels of loudness, but bring a friend if you decide to brave the seedier places (though they tend to have the best DJs).
A number of high-profile terror attacks in 2003, 2004, and 2009 have led to the city beefing up its security presence. An attack in 2016 specifically targeted foreigners, killing four. However, given the scale and population of the city, terror attacks are exceedingly rare and wayward traffic is a much more realistic threat. Security continues to be highly visible in the city, although checks are generally light and act more as a first layer of defense (that actively helped save lives in the 2016 attack).
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Jakarta typically sees ~32°C daytime highs and 19 rainy days.
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