Jakarta : Tour and Travel Guide

Jakarta is vibrant, friendly, with a fervent spirit and a lively outlook. Culture, style, history, adventure and sports are just a few of the elements of the city’s enticing persona. Getting to know Jakarta is opening the door to an amazing world of benefits. So let’s take a quick tour around town, and experience some of the city’s best feature.

Major attraction (Interesting places to visit) :

Sunda kelapa Harbor
The old port area of Sunda Kelapa remains today a busting hub for those involved in the vibrant inter-island trade, along with being a center of activity for fresh fish auctioneers. Graceful Bugis phinisi schooners, the world’s last wind-powered sailing fleet used for trade, still berth at the quay as they have for centuries, receiving and shipping out a wide range of the island bounty. Best visited the early morning.

Pasar Ikan (Fish Market)
Located at the mouth of the Ciliwung river, this market area bustles with activities related to the sea. The Maritim Museum (Museum Bahari), situated at the harbor, is housed in restored Dutch warehouse dating back to the first trading post of the Dutch East Indies. Relics of ship that ply the island are on display. The daily catch from the sea is auctioned at the nearby public fish market before 05.00am.

Taman Fatahillah (Fatahillah Square)
Located at the historic Old Jakarta Kota area, the Taman Fatahillah square offers three of the city’s most interesting museums. Once the heart of the colonial administration in the 18th century, restoration in the 1970’s. A fountain in the middle square once served as the main water supply for the former colonial capital.

Museum Sejarah Jakarta (Jakarta History Museum)
Housed in the former Stadhuis, or Town Hall of Batavia, the Jakarta History Museum features a rich cache of memorabilia depicting the historical development of the city. Of special interest is the collection of 18th century furnishing and portraits of the former colonial governors. The solidly built building was completed in 1970 and used by successive government right up through the 1960’s. Taman Fatahillah, Jalan Pintu Besar Utara 27, open Tuesday – Thursday, 9am to 3pm, Friday and Sunday, 9am to 2pm. Saturday, 9am to 12.30pm. close on Mondays.

Museum Wayang (Puppet Museum)
This Museum is dedicated to puppetry of Indonesia’s most famous traditional art forms. On display are the wayang kulit shadow puppets from Java and Bali, along with a wide range of three-dimensional puppets and special dance mask. Wayang performance is presented here on Sundays, beginning at 10am. Taman Fatahillah, Jalan Pintu Besar Utara, visiting hours are the same as Jakarta History Museum above.

Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (Beautiful Indonesia in Miniature) 
Located a conveniently 30 minutes drive from the city center, the 300 hectares Taman Mini Indonesia Indah or Beautiful Indonesia in Miniature offers an exciting tour of the 33 provinces, with sampling of the more than 250 cultures which inhabit the archipelago. Highlight features of the park include the Museum Indonesia, a large Bird park and spectacular Imax features film on Indonesia. Open daily, 8am to 4pm. Take the Jagorawi toll road until you see the TMII sign.

Taman Impian Jaya Ancol (Ancol Dreamland Amusement park)
This vast 300 hectares, ocean side-park is Jakarta’s best entertainments area for all ages. Daily lively performances of sea animals, a safe lagoon for boating and swimming and a wide range a water sports facilities attract thousands of local and international visitors everyday. The grounds include a number of restaurants, hotels, and nightclubs. Ancol main-gate is open 24 hours.

Museum Tekstil (Textile Museum)
A vast collection of the textiles related to the religious and social practices of the major island of the archipelago are housed in this museum. The collection includes cotton and silk batik, intricately woven ikat (tie-and dye or pelangi) and a variety of traditional weaving instruments. Jalan KS Tubun 4, opens Tuesday – Thursday 9am to 4pm, Friday : 9am to 11.30pm, Saturday : 9am to 1pm. Closed on Mondays.

Museum Nasional (National Museum)
The National Museum is the largest repository of the nation’s heritage. Behind the classical façade, the museum houses vast collections of prehistoric, ethnographic and archeological artifacts, including one of the world’s largest collections of South East Asia ceramics and Hindu Javanese art. The museum was opened in 1868 by Batavia Society for Art and Science. Jalan Merdeka Barat 12, open 8.30am to 2.30pm (except Friday to 11.30am and Saturday to 1.30pm)

Pasar Rawa Belong – enjoy an early morning aroma of floral fragrance
Pasar Rawa Belong is a well known market for many kind of cut flower. If you’re crazy about flowers, then you should come to this heavenly flora. This market comes alive as early as 2am. Distributors flock with varieties of flowers. From a distance one could smell the intense aroma of fresh flower scents mixed in a array of colorful display. At 4 in the morning, the flowers are put on display not only in kiosk but in minivans as well. You will not find a better place to buy fresh flower anywhere else in Jakarta with extremely affordable prices. By 7 in the morning all the flowers would be gone.

Over the years, many foreigners especially from the embassies come here frequently. Don’t be surprised that a small kiosk can earn big by exporting the local’s favorite such as orchid and “sedap-malam’. If you speak Sundanese, you will have an advantage to bargain as majority of the owners here come from West Java. This market is also a place for many re-sellers to shops.

Pasar Rawa Bening, enjoy the glitter, make you self wealthier !
There are about 1000 kiosks, piled up with stocks of the blind bamboo, and ribs of mermaids. The big buyers mostly appear on Saturdays and Sundays. For their personal adornment the Chinese like more traditional patterns on their ring and prefer gems like the garnet, Garut of sapphires from Sri Lanka. The Arab and native Indonesian customers take home with them jewelry made from silver and studded with diamonds from America. Most of the products here reflect upon Indonesia’s historical background. There are the famous keris (old and new) which have a strong influence among the Javanese people, black bracelets made of tree roots (akar gelang) and Arab oil used for the purpose of cleaning superstitious belongings (keris, stones, etc). Overall this market is the place to accommodate the needs of Indonesian dukuns (witch doctors and psychic fortune tellers) to buy their needs for offering.

Pasar Senen, enjoy traditional delicacies
One of Jakarta pioneer markets, Proyek Senen traces its origins to the 19th century. Today, it is sought for its second-hand book stalls and vehicle spare-part retailers that also perform on-site repair work. The age-old wet market is still in business, selling meat, fish, groceries, and fresh products. Between two and five o’clock every morning, a mass trading of fog and snacks takes place in the market place for resale throughout the city. More modern shopping convenience can be found in the department stores next door and sophisticated Atrium Senen Triangle.

Pasar Senen sells varieties of meat, vegetables, fish and dry food. meat pork, a non-halal meat that is rarely sold in traditional wet market in Indonesia could be found at this location. Pasar Senen is well-known as the place for many traditional and western cakes, which is sold in a very deep and wide assortment. This location is well known as the main market of spare part for automobiles in Jakarta.

Pasar Tanah Abang 
Tanah Abang market is well known as a central market of fashion and textile. The activity at this market is combination of retail and wholesale activity. We would have a better price if we buy more. The assortment is very wide and deep. Tanah Abang market started of about 300 years ago as an animal market. Occupying a recently renovated three-story commercial building, it also spills over to the hundreds of street vendors sprawling in the area. These small stalls sell mainly textiles, apparel, carpets and draperies, although one can also find imaginable merchandise, home accessories, kitchenware, shoes, firecrackers and even rifles’, fruits, soft drink and snacks.

The bazaar takes up not just the sidewalk but also part of the road, so traffic here is often crawling. Bargaining is encouraged despite the already attractive priced. These day is one would see a major change at this busy dwelling, traders from South Africa roam the small aisle in search of items that they purchased and export it back to their respective countries to be sold for profit.

China Town
Passing by China Town which is also called “GLODOK” and of the oldest part of Jakarta. It is one of the busy district in Jakarta with a historical building. A bustling commercial centre, Glodok still offers a glimpse of a way of life that has changed little for generations. But China Town main attraction has a lot to do with food, ranging from steaming dumplings sold in hawkers stalls by the sidewalk to bowl soup noddles, peking duck and frog legs, specialities of restaurants tha have existed for generations.

Bogor Botanical Garden
It was built in 1817 by Prof. G. Reinwardt on 200 hectare area, the best known botanic garden area for tropical plants in the world will amaze you with more than 15.000 plant species. You can see as well the President Palace from this place.

Puncak
It is a mountain resort which has a beautifiul landscape surrounded by teaplantations and magnificent view of the valleys. It is a good place for relax with a wide view around while having a stop by for having lunch / tea break.

National Monument
Its popular name is MONAS (the abreviation of Monumen Nasional). It was built during the first President era. Standing at 137 meters height, it is capped with 50 kgs flame of gold. Visitors can climb to the top and get a bird’s eyeview of the city.

Seaworld
Come get your hand wet. Where fearsome sharks, graceful fishes and bizzarre sea creatures swim within touching distance. The OCEANARIUM (See the fresh water aquariums with different kinds of colorful fishes from all over Indonesia.

Safari Park
Going downhill to Safari Park, we will pass the typical Sundanish Village which offer tropical Indonesian fruits in cheap price. Staying with friendly animals roaming around your car and staring at the funny habits they do will be an exciting trip through the park. Teh baby Zoo is another interest where you could hold the lion cubs, orangutans, tiger and elephants. Duration of tours on Sundays / public holidays might take longer time due to traffic jam around the park area.

Recommended Shopping (Shop till You drop)
Whether you are a serious spender or half-hearted shopper, there is sure to be something for everybody in Jakarta, the Country’s Shopping Capital. Catering to diverse tastess and pockets, the wide variety of things tha you can buy in Jakarta is mind boggling from the best of local handicrafts to haute couture labels.

• Pasaraya Block M : the most complete handicrafts centre
• WTC Mangga Dua (north of Jakarta) : Quality products manufatures in Indonesia
• Sarinah Thamrin : Jakarta’s for most Department Store
• Sogo Plaza Indonesia (adjacent to the Grand Hyatt in the city centre) : Good boutiques design (import products) of the first brand names from outside of Indonesia
• Plaza Senayan & Plaza Semanggi (in central Jakarta)
• Kelapa Gading Mall (east of Jakarta)
• Pondok Indah Mall (south of Jakarta)