Jakarta on the Island of Java

Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia is located on the northwest coast of the island of Java. The city has a variety of cultures among them Javanese, Malay, Chinese, Arab, Indian, and European. This has influenced the architecture, language, and cuisine. In the old town, Kota Tua, visitors will find Dutch colonial buildings, Chinese-style architecture in Glodok (Jakarta’s Chinatown) and even a traditional wooden schooners clock at the old port of Sunda Kelap.

The tallest building in Indonesia is Wisma 46 in Central Jakarta. This is a 250 m tall gleaming skyscraper located in the Kota BNI-Maybank complex.

Built in 1862 The National Museum, is the best of its kind in Indonesia and well worth a visit. It offers an enormous collection that begins in an open courtyard, which is filled with impressive millennia-old statuary that includes a colossal 4.5 image of a Bhairawa king from Rambahan in Sumatra, who is shown trampling on human skulls. The museum has an excellent ethnology section with Dayak puppets and wooden statues from Nias sporting beards (a sign of wisdom) to some fascinating textiles. The Indonesian Heritage Society offers free English tours of the museum – Tuesdays at 10:30 AM and Thursdays at 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM. Other tours available are in French, Japanese, and Korean.

The Jakarta History Museum or Museum Kesejarahan Jakarts has found its home in the old town hall of Batavia. This is a stately Dutch colonial structure, once the epicenter of an empire. The building has a bell tower and the building dates back to 1627, serving the city administration and used by the city's law courts. Inside the museum, you’ll find heavy, carved ebony and teak furniture from the Dutch period. Sadly the building is badly in need of repair. You can delight in such odd exquisite pieces, like the stunning black granite sculpture of Kali, a Hindi goddess associated with death and destruction.

The Catholic Jakarta Cathedral with twin spires was built in 1901.

Directly opposite is the city’s principal place of Muslim worship, the striking modernist Mesjid Istiqlal, highlighted by geometrically grated windows, designed by Catholic architect Frederich Silaban and completed in 1978. The mosque has five levels, representing the five pillars of Islam. Its dome is 45 m across and its minaret tops 90 m. Over 200,000 worshippers can gather here during Ramadan. Visitors are welcome and English-speaking guides are available.

The Mahkamah Agung or Supreme Court of Indonesia was built in 1848 and is an impressive structure.

Next to it, you’ll find the colonial Ministry of Finance Building, formerly the Witte Huis or White House. It dates back to 1809 and was the administrative center for the Dutch.

To the southwest is Gedung Pancasila, an imposing neo-Classical building from 1830 built as the Dutch army commander’s residence. Later on, it became the meeting hall of the Volksraad or People’s Council. It is best known as the place where Sukarno made his famous Pancasila speech in 1945, laying the foundation for Indonesia’s constitution.

The National Monument stands 132 m high and towers over Merdeka Sq. It is Jakarta’s principal landmark and symbol of independence. It was begun in 1961 and Monas was finally completed in 1975. The monument is constructed from Italian marble and topped off with a sculpted flame, gilded with a 35 kg gold leaf. The entrance to the monument is through an underground tunnel.

Close to the entrance to Sunda Kelapa, Jakarta’s old port you’ll find several old VOC warehouses that date back to 1652.

In the warehouses. you'll find the Museum Bahari. At this museum, you can learn about the city’s maritime history, and by walking through the old buildings you can find good information panels in English and Bahasa Indonesia. There are random exhibits displaying such things as a sextant (used for astronomical navigation), various traditional boats from around Indonesia, the shell of a giant clam, lots of pickled fish. and some lighthouse lamps. The sentry posts outside are part of the old city wall.

Ancol Luar Biasa, on Jakarta’s bayfront, is what is known as the people’s “Dreamland”. This is a landscaped recreation complex that is popular with families. Here you can delight in amusement rides, sporting and leisure facilities, including bowling. It is quite crowded on the weekends. The main attractions include the Pasar Seni or Art Market, offering sidewalk cafes, craft shops, cable-car rides, art exhibitions, live jazz every Friday, and the Atlantis Water Adventure water-park complex with a wave pool. waterslides and artificial beaches.

You can get great views of the bay from The Gondola, a cable car system. The huge Dunis Fantasi fun park has the Halilintar twisted roller coaster ride and Kora Kora the swinging ship.

Inside the Ancol Dreamland complex you’ll also find Sea World, a high-tech modern aquarium that exhibits the diverse tropical marine life found in Indonesian waters. The Freshwater World and Micro World offer lovely tropical fish and coral reefs. You can get up close with friendly creatures at the Touch Pool. Theater screens show movies about the underwater world at the Antasena Tunnel where you can walk through an acrylic tube offering you a real experience of life under the sea. This giant aquarium has over 4,000 fish and sharks from 300 species.

The Welcome Monument or Salamat Datang has been set in the center of a fountain. It was built in 1962 and stands shadowed by the Hotel Indonesia Kempinski, the city’s original luxury hotel. The roundabout is traveled every day by millions of people. The monument was built by President Sukarno to beautify the city. Here you’ll also find the Grand Hyatt Hotel which has rooms that offer great views of the monument that stands lit up at night. On New Year’s Eve, there are firework displays right over the monument, traffic is at a stand-still and people flood the roundabout to celebrate the New Year.

One of the most impressive homes to see is the red-tiled facade of Toko Meran, once the home of Governor General van Imhoff.

A popular place to visit in South Jakarta is Ragunan Zoo. It is located in the city's suburbs. In a most exotic setting, you’ll find such animals as the Komodo lizard, tapir, anoa, Java tiger, banteng, wild ox, and many brightly colored birds. The zoo is a 10-hectare enclosure and this spot is a great place for family excursions and picnics. There is abundant flora to delight in.