If you are interested in reading about the best things to do in Jakarta, I must advise you to stop immediately. A more pleasant and less upsetting way to pass the time would be to have a large building dropped on your foot. This sprawling Indonesian metropolis, a place of towering skyscrapers and ceaseless traffic, is not, as some would have you believe, a bustling hub of excitement. Jakarta, you see, is a city where so many people are crammed into one place that even the simple act of breathing becomes an exercise in claustrophobia. The things you are about to read about are not adventures. They are merely a different kind of misery. So it is with a heavy heart that I now proceed with this dreadful account.
Despite the tone, this guide is designed to help you plan your trip efficiently. All prices, hours, and logistical advice are accurate at the time of publication.
If this is your first stop in Indonesia, you are advised to beware the chaos. Here’s Your Travel Guide to Indonesia.
Best Things to See and Do in Jakarta (And Why They Might Disappoint You)
In any given metropolis, there is a list of Best Things to See and Do, an optimistic and misleading phrase that suggests these activities will be entirely delightful and without peril. Such a list, however, is merely a catalog of places where one can witness something curious, or perhaps even perform a curious deed oneself. One should approach this list with caution and a healthy dose of suspicion, as no one can truly promise that what you see and do will be anything but an experience of dreadful consequence.
While I endeavor to furnish you with the costs of regular foreign adult admission for the various locales of interest, you must understand that the proprietors of these places will almost certainly offer lesser prices for domestic travellers, children, students, the elderly, and other groups in order to make a simple transaction more complicated.
Monoliths of Muscle and Misery (Monuments & Power)
These towering structures are designed to make you feel terribly, terribly small while celebrating the raw effort of freedom and the height of human pride.
Ascend the daunting height of the Monumen Nasional (National Monument)
- What the guides say: Also known as Monas, this is a 132-meter pillar of marble that stands in Central Jakarta as a representation of Indonesian independence. It is capped with a flame of gold leaf and contains an observation deck for viewing the city from a great height. The base is occupied by a museum where dioramas chronicle the nation’s transition toward sovereignty.
- What they don’t tell you: Known to the locals as Monas, this is a towering obelisk, a monument so profoundly tall that it seems to be in a constant, silent argument with the sky. It was built, you see, to commemorate a nation’s struggle for independence, but one can’t help but feel that its true purpose is to demonstrate the sheer height of human pride. And at its very top, a flame, coated in gold leaf, is meant to symbolize the burning spirit of a people.
- Go for: Iconic views of the city and a deep dive into Indonesian history at the base museum.
- Cost: Approximately IDR 50,000 for the observation deck.
- Planning Tip: If you are foolish enough to desire the perilous journey to the summit, arrive by 8:00 AM and enter through the underground tunnel on the northern side of the monument.
- Gold: The flame at the top is coated with 35kg of real gold leaf.
- Photography: Use a wide-angle lens from the base of the cup to capture the scale, or shoot from the cross-shaped pathways for perfect symmetry.
- Verdict: You will wake up at a punishing hour to fight for a ticket that buys you a journey in a cramped metal box, but the golden flame is the only thing in Jakarta that refuses to be overshadowed by the skyscrapers.
Gaze upward at Monumen Pembebasan Irian Barat (West Irian Liberation Monument)
- What the guides say: Situated in Lapangan Banteng, this bronze figure depicts an individual exiting his shackles to mark the 1962 integration of West Papua. The surrounding area has been revitalized into a park, providing a place for walking among examples of modernist architecture – buildings that are often very geometric and stark.
- What they don’t tell you: This is a statue, a towering figure so muscular and full of furious energy that it seems to be straining against the very air around it. It is a symbol of liberation, or so the plaque would have you believe, but one cannot help but feel that the sculptor has captured something more fundamental and far more dreadful: the sheer, raw effort of freedom. The man in the monument, with his broken shackles and his arms flung to the sky, looks less like he is celebrating and more like he is screaming.
- Go for: Mid-century modernist architecture and a powerful symbol of Indonesian sovereignty.
- Cost: Free (located in Lapangan Banteng Park).
- Best Time: Saturday or Sunday evenings to catch the musical fountain show at Lapangan Banteng.
- Location: The monument is located within a park that is great for jogging or a casual stroll away from heavy traffic.
- Design: The statue’s pose was inspired by the idea of a person breaking free from the shackles of colonialism.
- Verdict: It is a bronze scream frozen in time; go for the brutalist geometry of the park, and stay for the realization that freedom looks a lot more like a struggle than a celebration.
Pause to witness Monumen Selamat Datang (Selamat Datang Monument)
- What the guides say: This Welcome Monument is located within the Bundaran HI traffic circle. It consists of bronze statues of a man and woman waving toward the north, originally constructed for the 1962 Asian Games. It is surrounded by fountains and large retail establishments, serving as a primary landmark for the modern district.
- What they don’t tell you: The monument itself is a pair of bronze figures, a man and a woman, who are not so much welcoming you as they are flinging their arms into the air in a gesture of what could be either jubilation or a desperate plea for help. They stand at the center of a roundabout, perpetually surrounded by the ceaseless, churning chaos of Jakarta’s traffic, as if they are forever trying to greet new arrivals in a world that is too busy to notice them.
- Go for: The quintessential Welcome to Jakarta photo op in the heart of the business district.
- Cost: Free (viewable from the street).
- Best Time: Visit on a Sunday morning during Car Free Day (6 AM – 11 AM) to walk right up to the fountain without traffic.
- History: It was built to welcome athletes for the 1962 Asian Games.
- Photography: Head to the skybridge at Grand Indonesia or the rooftop bar at Hotel Indonesia Kempinski for a bird’s-eye view of the Bundaran HI roundabout.
- Verdict: Two bronze figures waving frantically at a wall of gridlocked cars – it is the most optimistic landmark in the city, provided you view it from a rooftop bar with a drink in your hand.
Stare across manicured lawns and formidable gates at Istana Merdeka (Merdeka Palace)
- What the guides say: This neoclassical white structure serves as the official office of the President. It was previously the residence of the Dutch Governor-General. While the interior is not open to the general public, the exterior remains visible to those interested in the architectural history of the square.
- What they don’t tell you: On the north side of Merdeka Square, one finds the presidential palace. One might expect a palace to be a place of glittering splendor and constant motion, but this particular palace, with its neoclassical columns and its stately, almost mournful, white façade, seems to hold its breath. It is a symbol of power, of course, but it is a silent one. It stands guard over the country’s past and present, a beautiful building that has witnessed more political wrangling and bureaucratic headaches than a person could possibly bear to contemplate.
- Go for: Witnessing the official seat of the President of Indonesia and its neo-palladian architecture.
- Cost: Free (viewing is restricted to the exterior gates). One should not attempt to enter the palace.
- Best Time: The 17th of August (Independence Day) to see the elaborate decorations and the changing of the guard ceremony.
- Flags: This was the site where the Dutch flag was lowered and the Indonesian flag was first raised in 1949.
- Verdict: A silent, white fortress that manages to look peaceful while housing enough bureaucracy to crush a lesser nation; admire the columns through the fence and be grateful you aren’t the one who has to clean them.
Tread the vast and empty expanse of Merdeka Square
- What the guides say: This is a very large green space, among the largest of its kind in the world, encircling the National Monument. It functions as a recreational area where citizens engage in exercise and kite-flying. The paved walkways provide a documented reprieve from the dense vehicular traffic common to the region.
- What they don’t tell you: This is a vast, open expanse, a green space so large it seems to swallow the buildings around it. The word Merdeka means Freedom, and indeed, the square is so free of anything to occupy it that it often feels entirely empty, which is a particular kind of freedom all its own. This is where the great national proclamations are made, a place of parades and ceremonies. But when the flags are put away and the crowds have gone home, it is once again reduced to a very large and somewhat lonely patch of grass.
- Go for: One of the largest city squares in the world and a hub of local life.
- Cost: Free.
- Size: At 75 hectares, it is roughly five times the size of Place de la Concorde in Paris.
- Best Time: Early morning (6 AM – 8 AM) when locals are exercising and the air is freshest.
- Deer: Look for the deer enclosure on the southeast corner for some unexpected nature in the city center.
- Verdict: A patch of grass so aggressively large it makes you feel like an ant in a giant’s backyard; enjoy the rare luxury of space in a city that usually has none.
Reliquaries of National Woe (Museums & Galleries)
Step into these intimidating institutions to learn that history is essentially a series of broken teacups and complicated, unpleasant business.
Delve into the dismal affairs of a nation at Museum Nasional Indonesia (National Museum of Indonesia)
- What the guides say: Known as the Elephant Building due to the bronze pachyderm standing at its entrance, this institution contains an extensive collection of ceramics and ethnographic artifacts. It is an efficient location for studying the history and varied cultures of the Indonesian archipelago.
- What they don’t tell you: This place is also known by a less formal, but far more accurate, name: the Elephant Building. It is so named because of a bronze elephant statue that stands guard, a creature of such stoicism and size that it makes you wonder what secrets it has been forced to witness over the years. Inside, you will find an extensive collection of artifacts, from ancient tools to delicate jewelry. It is a place that tells the story of a nation, but in the way that a collection of broken teacups might tell the story of a disastrous tea party – full of fragments and hinting at events that can never be fully reconstructed.
- Go for: The Elephant Building and the richest collection of Hindu-Buddhist art in Southeast Asia.
- Cost: Approximately 150,000 IDR. Tickets can be purchased online for a small discount.
- Planning Tip: Join the free English tours held by the Indonesian Heritage Society. Check the tour schedule since they aren’t offered every day.
- King of Thailand: The bronze elephant statue at the front was a gift from King Chulalongkorn of Siam (Thailand) in 1871.
- Verdict: Guarded by a stoic bronze elephant, this building is a warehouse of beautiful fragments that prove history is mostly just a collection of very old, very expensive mistakes.
Uncover the financial woes of yesteryear at Museum Bank Indonesia
- What the guides say: Located in a neo-Renaissance building, this museum utilizes multimedia displays to explain the financial history of the nation. It covers the technical aspects of currency and the historical impact of spice trade routes on the development of the local economy.
- What they don’t tell you: One might be tempted to think that a museum dedicated to a bank would be a dry and dusty affair, filled with nothing but old ledgers and a distinct odor of disappointment. And in some ways, you would be correct. But this particular institution, a former colonial bank building so grand it seems to be actively trying to intimidate you, holds a history that is, for lack of a better word, a series of misadventures. Inside, one finds a trove of old money, not the kind you might find in your pocket, but the kind that has passed through so many hands and witnessed so many transactions that it hums with the whispers of forgotten financial woes. You will learn, to your chagrin, that money has always been a complicated and often unpleasant business.
- Go for: High-tech, immersive displays detailing the history of trade and currency in the archipelago.
- Cost: Approximately 5,000 IDR.
- Planning Tip: This is arguably the best-maintained museum in Jakarta; it’s fully air-conditioned and very comfortable for a 2-hour visit.
- Verdict: An air-conditioned temple to financial anxiety where you can learn that while the currency changes, the headache of managing it is eternal – highly recommended for the holograms and the heritage floorboards.
Contemplate the city’s history at Museum Sejarah Jakarta (Jakarta History Museum)
- What the guides say: This museum is housed in the former Stadhuis, or City Hall, of Batavia. It records the transformation of the city from a port into a colonial capital. The building contains wooden interiors and underground cells that serve as physical evidence of the colonial justice system.
- What they don’t tell you: Inside this museum, you will find a collection of artifacts, each one a testament to some bygone misfortune. The old cannons, the elaborate torture instruments, the faded maps of forgotten wars – they are all there, a carefully curated collection, grim reminders of a time when people were even more miserable than they are today. For a person who enjoys a good cry, this museum is a veritable treasure trove.
- Go for: Exploring the Stadhuis (Old City Hall) and the dark dungeons of the colonial era.
- Cost: Approximately 5,000 IDR.
- Dungeons: Visit the underground prison cells in the back – it’s a sobering contrast to the grand halls.
- Fertility: There is a Portuguese cannon out front called Si Jagur that is believed by locals to help with fertility.
- Verdict: Visit for the grand Dutch architecture, stay for the dungeons, and leave with the distinct impression that the good old days were actually quite damp and full of cannons.
Behold the unsettlingly wooden faces of puppets at the Museum Wayang (Wayang Museum)
- What the guides say: This establishment is dedicated to puppetry, specifically Wayang Kulit and Wayang Golek. It is located in the Kota Tua district and houses a collection recognized by UNESCO. Live performances are held here to demonstrate this specific method of storytelling.
- What they don’t tell you: This museum, dedicated to the art of shadow puppetry, is perhaps the most somber of all the attractions in Jakarta. The puppets, with their grotesque faces and their exaggerated features, are not a form of entertainment but a reflection of the human condition. They are a way of telling stories about good and evil, about love and loss, about life and death. To stand before these puppets is to look into a mirror and see the full extent of human misery, all neatly carved out of wood and painted with a grim purpose.
- Go for: A massive collection of traditional Indonesian shadow puppets and dolls.
- Cost: Approximately 50,000 IDR.
- Planning Tip: Try to register immediately upon entering to join the immersive show.
- Fun Fact: The museum is built on the site of a former Dutch church where the tombstone of Governor-General Jan Pieterszoon Coen is still visible.
- Photography Tip: Capture the intricate details and shadows of the Wayang Kulit against the backlit screens.
- Verdict: A collection of wooden faces that seem to be judging your life choices; it is a hauntingly beautiful dive into the human soul that will make you look at puppets very differently.
Adopt an air of informed contemplation at Galeri Nasional Indonesia (National Gallery of Indonesia)
- What the guides say: This is a center for visual arts that maintains a collection of several thousand works. The complex utilizes both colonial and modern structures to display rotating exhibitions, ranging from older paintings to contemporary art.
- What they don’t tell you: Here, behind another set of solemn walls, is a collection of art that is both a source of pride and a testament to the strange and varied things that people feel compelled to create. You will see paintings that are bright and celebratory, and others that are dark and filled with a profound sense of foreboding. An art gallery, you see, is a place where every brushstroke tells a secret, and not all of those secrets are happy ones.
- Go for: Contemporary Indonesian masterpieces and rotating modern art exhibitions.
- Cost: Free (registration is usually required online).
- Planning Tip: Check their website/Instagram before going; the best exhibits are often temporary and require a specific time slot.
- Raden Saleh: The permanent collection includes works by the world-famous Indonesian painter Raden Saleh.
- Best Time: Late afternoon on a Friday.
- Verdict: A quiet sanctuary where the art is often more colorful than the city outside, offering a free dose of intellectual superiority and a brief respite from the chaos of the streets.
Labyrinths of Decay and Distraction (Districts & Commerce)
Wander through these crowded sectors where commerce and history violently collide, leaving you with a hollow feeling and a lighter wallet.
Ponder the unfortunate events of the past within the confines of Kota Tua (Old Town)
- What the guides say: This neighborhood contains Dutch colonial buildings dating to the 16th century. It is a factual hub of history where one can observe colorful bicycles and historic cafes, providing a visual record of the city’s various historical layers.
- What they don’t tell you: This is a place where the air hangs heavy with the ghosts of forgotten injustices and where the cobblestones seem to weep with the memory of past misfortunes. The canals, once a bustling thoroughfare, are now a somber reminder of a time when the city was a hub of trade and, consequently, of countless unfortunate transactions. The buildings, with their decaying facades and broken windows, stand as silent witnesses to a history best left undisturbed.
- Go for: The soul of Old Batavia and a step back into 17th-century colonial history.
- Cost: Free to walk; museum fees vary.
- Planning Tip: Rent a pastel-colored vintage bicycle with a matching sun hat for the full tourist experience.
- Best Time: Late afternoon when the street performers emerge and the heat subsides.
- History: This area was once known as the Pearl of the Orient and was the headquarters of the VOC (Dutch East India Company).
- Photography: Capture the colorful bicycles parked in a row against the white backdrop of the Fatahillah Museum.
- Verdict: A crumbling, evocative graveyard of colonial ambitions that is essential viewing, provided you don’t mind the ghosts of the Dutch East India Company following you home.
Contemplate the melancholy persistence of the past at Taman Fatahillah (Fatahillah Square)
- What the guides say: A cobblestone plaza in Kota Tua, this square is bordered by three museums and a well-known cafe. It is a frequent gathering point for residents and visitors, characterized by the presence of street food vendors and a notable amount of activity.
- What they don’t tell you: This is a public square, a vast expanse of cobblestones that has seen more than its fair share of foot traffic. It is surrounded by buildings that look as if they have been plucked from a very specific and rather dreary Dutch dream and plunked down in the tropical heat. Here, you will find people riding brightly coloured bicycles, which may seem like a charming pastime, but is in fact a constant reminder that life is full of precarious balances.
- Go for: People-watching and the vibrant, bustling atmosphere of Jakarta’s most famous plaza.
- Cost: Free.
- Live Statues: Beware of street statues who will pose with you for a small tip.
- Fountain: The fountain in the middle of the square used to be the main water source for the colonial city.
- Best Time: Weekend evenings for a festive, carnival-like atmosphere.
- Verdict: The cobblestones are uneven, the heat is relentless, and the pastel bicycles are absurd – it is the most charming way to realize that tourism is just a very colorful form of chaos.
Weave your way through Glodok (Chinatown)
- What the guides say: As the largest Chinatown in the country, Glodok is a district of narrow alleys containing markets and temples such as the Dharma Bakti Temple. It is a place where one may find traditional medicine and specific Chinese-Indonesian culinary items.
- What they don’t tell you: Glodok is a place where history and commerce have combined to create a true spectacle. The narrow streets are a cacophony of sights and sounds, a jumbled mess of ancient temples and modern shops. Here, you will find a curious mix of fortunes and misfortunes. The smell of burning incense hangs in the air, a melancholic perfume that seems to carry the weight of centuries of struggle. The people, with their tired eyes and weary smiles, are a testament to the resilience of a community that has endured a great deal of hardship.
- Go for: Incredible street food, ancient temples, and the chaotic charm of Jakarta’s oldest Chinese district.
- Cost: Free.
- Market: Visit Petak Sembilan market for a sensory overload of spices, seafood, and tea (Map).
- Superlative: Glodok is considered the largest Chinatown in Indonesia and one of the largest in the world.
- Best Time: Chinese New Year (Imlek) to see lion dances and red decorations everywhere.
- Photography: The Dharma Bhakti Temple offers stunning shots of red lanterns and incense smoke (Map).
- Verdict: Your lungs will fill with incense and your ears with the roar of the market, but it is the only place in the city where the past feels vibrant enough to actually talk back.
Brave Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII)
- What the guides say: This park is a 100-hectare summary of the nation’s provinces. Each area is represented by a pavilion built in a traditional style. The grounds also include an IMAX theater and a cable car system for the purpose of overhead observation.
- What they don’t tell you: TMII is an attempt to condense the vast, complicated, and often tragic history of a sprawling nation into a few hundred acres. It is a place that promises to show you all of Indonesia in a single day, a claim as audacious and deceptive as an oatmeal raisin cookie. It is a peculiar sort of theme park, where miniatures of traditional houses stand in neat rows, a testament to a diversity that is, for all its splendor, difficult to fully grasp. It is a place where every province is represented by a miniature house, as if to suggest that the myriad of misfortunes that befell these regions could be shrunk down to a manageable size. But they cannot.
- Go for: Indonesia in a Day – a massive park with traditional houses (Pavilions) from every province.
- Cost: Approximately 25,000 – 35,000 IDR entrance; additional fees for specific museums or the cable car. Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate.
- Planning Tip: The park is huge; use the cable car first to get an overview of the Indonesia Map in the central lake.
- Architecture: Each province’s pavilion is built in the actual architectural style of that region.
- Best Time: Early morning on a weekday to avoid the school buses.
- Verdict: It is the most efficient way to see the whole country without buying a domestic flight.
Navigate the suffocatingly crowded shopping malls
- What the guides say: Jakarta contains numerous large-scale retail complexes, such as Grand Indonesia. These buildings are climate-controlled and serve as social centers where people gather for meals and cinema, primarily to avoid the high temperatures of the tropical climate.
- What they don’t tell you: These gleaming towers of consumerism are a testament to the unfortunate reality that, no matter how dire the circumstances, people will always find a way to distract themselves with shiny new things. The air-conditioned halls and the brightly lit storefronts are a welcome, albeit temporary, respite from the heat and the chaos outside. But do not be fooled. These malls are a maze of temptation, a place where people spend their hard-earned money on things they do not need, only to be left with a hollow feeling and a lighter wallet. It makes one realize that two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the universe. It is a tragedy in and of itself, a grand illusion of happiness bought and paid for.
- Go for: High-end retail therapy, world-class food courts, and much-needed air conditioning.
- Cost: Free to enter; prices for goods vary.
- Getting There: Traffic around malls like Grand Indonesia (Map | Website) is brutal; take the MRT to Bundaran HI station instead of a taxi.
- Superlatives: Jakarta has some of the largest shopping malls in the world; many locals spend their entire Sunday here.
- Verdict: It is the most expensive way to avoid heatstroke, and you will love every minute of it.
Take a guided tour
- What the guides say: A guide is a person who helps you navigate complex geographies and languages. Employing one in Jakarta is a practical method for locating specific food stalls and understanding the historical context of landmarks while avoiding the difficulties of the local traffic.
- What they don’t tell you: The entire day is spent in an air-conditioned box, moving at a speed that suggests both time and hope have stalled, while a person with a microphone insists you look at buildings you have no interest in seeing. The true activity is the consumption of exhaust fumes and the contemplation of your own poor life choices.
- Go for: Professional context, hidden history, and navigating the city without the stress of logistics.
- Cost: Approximately 1,000,000 IDR per person, depending on the length and group size.
- Finding Food: Local guides often know the best hidden warungs (food stalls) that aren’t on Google Maps.
- Photography: Ask your guide to take you to the hidden alleys of Kota Tua for gritty, authentic street photography.
- Try: These tours are highly rated for some reason:
- Best Time: Book for your first full day in the city to get your bearings.
- Verdict: You will spend hours in a van contemplating the meaning of existence while trapped in traffic, but a local guide is the only thing standing between you and a total navigational meltdown.
Sanctuaries of Silent Resentment (Faith & Nature)
Explore these vast spaces where the architecture is mournful, the plants are resentful, and the quiet is almost unsettling.
Admire Masjid Istiqlal (Istiqlal Mosque)
- What the guides say: This is the largest mosque in the region, featuring a stainless steel dome and marble courtyards capable of holding 120,000 people. It is a modern architectural structure that allows visitors to enter outside of designated prayer times.
- What they don’t tell you: This is a structure of such immense scale that it is one of the largest mosques in all the world. Its sheer size is meant to inspire awe, and in that it succeeds, though for many, that awe is mixed with a profound sense of feeling terribly, terribly small. The building itself is a study in geometry and proportion, but the real story is in its very existence, built directly across the street from a Catholic cathedral. It is a monument to religious tolerance, yes, but also a constant reminder of how close two very different beliefs can stand, without ever truly touching.
- Go for: The largest mosque in Southeast Asia and its stunning minimalist modern architecture.
- Cost: Free (donations welcome).
- Planning Tip: The visitor’s entrance is located to the far right of the main entry doors. You will be immediately commanded to remove your shoes and may be forced into an unflattering covering for your knees and shoulders. Prepare yourself to be bossed about by a guide on a mandatory group tour.
- Architecture: It was designed by a Christian architect, Friedrich Silaban, symbolizing religious harmony.
- Best Time: Outside of prayer times; late morning is usually very peaceful.
- Photography: Stand in the courtyard to capture the massive dome against the single minaret and the sky.
- Verdict: You will be bossed around by a guide and forced into a robe, but the moment you stand under that massive stainless steel dome, you’ll realize that being small is a small price to pay for such perspective.
Engage in the unavoidable act of comparison at Katedral Santa Perawan Maria Diangkat ke Surga Jakarta (Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral Jakarta)
- What the guides say: This neo-Gothic cathedral is located directly across the street from the Istiqlal Mosque. It features spires and stained glass, and its physical proximity to the mosque is a deliberate symbol of religious coexistence in Indonesia.
- What they don’t tell you: This is a cathedral of a very specific and mournful architecture, all pointed arches and intricate stone, as if the builders were attempting to pierce the heavens themselves. Inside, you will find a quiet that is so profound it is almost unsettling, the kind of quiet that follows a very loud and very terrible noise. It is a place of faith, of course, but it also serves as a stark reminder of the long and often somber history of those who came to this land with their own peculiar beliefs, leaving behind a legacy that is as complicated and beautiful as it is full of unanswered questions.
- Go for: Beautiful neo-Gothic architecture right across the street from the Istiqlal Mosque.
- Cost: Free.
- Diversity: The proximity to the mosque was intentional, designed by President Sukarno to showcase Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity).
- Best Time: Late afternoon when the sun hits the stained glass windows.
- Photography: The intricate spires made of iron are unique – get a low-angle shot from the sidewalk.
- Verdict: A neo-gothic masterpiece of iron and silence that stands in a perpetual, peaceful staring contest with the mosque across the street; go for the stained glass, stay for the quiet realization that Unity in Diversity is a beautiful solution to a very complicated history.
Try to recall the unnecessarily complex Latin names of tropical flora at Kebun Raya Bogor (Bogor Botanical Gardens)
- What the guides say: Established in 1817 and located south of the city, these gardens house thousands of plant species, including the Rafflesia. The grounds border a Presidential Palace and provide a strictly botanical environment for the study of tropical flora.
- What they don’t tell you: Travel a bit outside the city to this uncommonly vast and often overwhelming garden. It is a place of such immense botanical variety that it makes one wonder how so many different kinds of plants could possibly coexist without a great deal of quiet resentment. There is even a monument to a woman who died of a fever, a solemn reminder that even in a place of flourishing life, death is never far away.
- Go for: A lush, green escape from the city heat and 87 hectares of botanical history.
- Cost: Approximately 25,000 IDR online or at the gate.
- Getting There: Take the Commuter Line train from Jakarta to Bogor; it’s cheap and avoids the infamous traffic on the toll road.
- Superlative: It is the oldest botanical garden in Southeast Asia, founded in 1817.
- Best Time: Weekdays. Sundays are extremely crowded with local picnickers.
- Photography: Visit the Mexican Garden for desert vibes or the Orchid House for vibrant floral macros.
- Verdict: It is the most scenic way to remind yourself that nature is both breathtakingly beautiful and entirely indifferent to your comfort.
Now that you have been given a list of dreary activities to partake in, you may find yourself with a growing sense of dread. This is entirely normal. Many who read about the sprawling chaos of Jakarta are left with a feeling of unease, as if they have been given directions to a place both relentlessly active and deeply unsettling. But perhaps you are not a person who is easily swayed by a sense of impending doom. Perhaps you will go to Jakarta, despite my warnings, and you will find some small, fleeting moment of happiness amidst the concrete and smog. You might find a quiet corner in a park, or a brief reprieve in a peaceful restaurant, and for a moment, you might forget the great and terrible sorrows of the world. But I assure you, this feeling is as fleeting as a break in the traffic. And so, I leave you to navigate your own miserable path. May your travels prove to be less dreadful than they have every right to be.
Further Reading
If one is in search of a less dreadful and more pleasant perspective on Jakarta, a number of additional resources exist. These are, of course, presented with the understanding that such information is often a mere sugarcoating on a very bitter pill, and should be consumed with a healthy dose of suspicion.
- Indonesia Travel – Jakarta
- Jakarta Travel Guide
- “Jakarta Travel Itinerary: How To See In 2 Days” from FootLoose Dev
- “The First-Timer’s Travel Guide to Jakarta, Indonesia” from Will Fly for Food
