Visit Jakarta

Jakarta

Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, is the largest city in Indonesia. The city has all the modern amenities. But in its quest for modernization the city has not forgotten its past and has carefully preserved its rich cultural heritage. Apart from the skyscrapers, colonial structures built by European powers form an integral part of Jakarta's skyline.


Jakarta is a city of many fascinating facets. It is the main gateway to Indonesia. In recent years, Jakarta has expanded its facilities for visitors with multi-star luxury hotels, fine restaurants, exciting nightlife and modern shopping centers. Food is quite cheap in Jakarta and is available in great variety.


History of Jakarta


Jakarta was a small harbor town when the last Hindu Kingdom of Java, Kingdom of Pajajaran, was ruling in 14th century. Muslim ruler Fatahilklah conquered the city and changed the name to Jayakarta or the City of Victory on June 22, 1527.


Later on, the Dutch conquered the city in 1619 and built a new city Batavia, which remained the center of power for them in South East Asia for more than 300 years. The city came under the siege of Japanese Imperial Forces in 1941 during the Second World War and its name was changed back to Jakarta (from Jayakarta).


The defeat of Japan did not allow them to remain in Indonesia for long. Dutch again tried to capture the city but by now freedom struggle was already quite strong in the country and on August 17, 1945, the Indonesian leaders proclaimed its independence from foreign rule in Jakarta.


Weather of Jakarta



Jakarta has tropical climate with a high average humidity. There is not much difference in the day and night temperature.


Average day temperature is 28ºC while average night temperature is a bit cooler at 25ºC. October to April is the wet season while the dry season is from May to September.


Best Time to Visit Jakarta


Dry season is also the best period to visit this part of the world because weather is clear, roads in the interiors are open, and temperatures are at their best.


Tourist Attractions/Places to See in Jakarta :

The National Monument, or "Monas" as it is popularly called:


Is one of the monuments built during the Sukarno era of fierce nationalism. It stands for the people's determination to achieve freedom and the crowning of their efforts in the Proclamation of Independence in August 1945.

The 137-metre tall marble obelisk is topped with a flame coated with 35 kg of gold. The base houses a historical museum and a hall for meditations. The monument is open to the public and upon request the lift can carry visitors to the top, which offers a bird's eye view of the city and the sea.


Istiqlal Mosque:

It is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia and the second largest in the world. The mosque took 17 long years to build and the grandeur of its walls and dome is visible from quite far away.


Taman Impian Jaya Ancol (Ancol Dreamland):


The dreamland is present with its captivating beauty of Jakarta Bay and four other attraction, Sea world, Fantasy World (Dunia fantasy), Atlantis Water Adventure and Marina Beach.


Old Town of Jakarta:

Jakarta Old Town, also known as Old Jakarta, and Old Batavia (Oud Batavia), is a small area in Jakarta, Indonesia. This special region spans 1.3 square kilometres of both North Jakarta and West Jakarta.


Now, many remaining historical buildings and architecture are steadily deteriorating; at best, "dilapidated". such as; Museum History of Jakarta (ex-Dutch Indies general governoor palace), Museum Bahari, Sunda Kelapa harbour, and Omni Batavia hotel.


Ragunan Zoo:


Is Zoo Ragunan is a zoo located in the area Ragunan, Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, Indonesia. Zoo area of 140 hectares was established in the year 1864. In it, there is a collection consisting of 295 species and 4040 specimens and at the zoo there is also this "Schmutzer Primate Center".


Orchid Gardens:

Indonesia has some of the most exotic orchid gardens. Several commercial orchid gardens are open to public. Some of the best known of them are located at Slipi, Ragunan and Taman Mini.


Taman Anggrek Indonesia permai (orchid garden) at 6,5 Ha large space area is located in Slipi territorial. Inside this orchid park, saving large number of Indonesia orchid varieties. We can also buy many species from the seed until flowering plans as souvenir.


Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (Beautiful Indonesia in Miniature):


Situated just outside Jakarta, the park has miniatures of all the 27 provinces of the country reproduced in its Central Lake. This is a wonderful place to know about the entire archipelago in just one day. Regular cultural programmes and ceremonies are held in the park representing different regions.


Pulau Seribu:


This group of islands in the Jakarta Bay offers a haven away from the bustle of city life. There are golden beaches fringed with coconut palms. The surrounding waters are a paradise for scuba divers.


The islands can be reached from Tanjung Priok or Pasar Ikan (Sunda Kelapa) by ferry or by chartered boat. Some of the islands in this group developed for tourism are Pulau Bidadari, Pulau Ayer, Pulau Laki and Pulau Putri.


Museum Gadjah:


The National Museum of Indonesia is situated at Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat. It contains around 85,000 items, the largest in the world of Indonesian artefacts. There is one of the largest and rare collections of Oriental ceramics in this museum.


Shopping in Jakarta

Jakarta unlike its recent past is now home to glittering shopping arcades full of merchandises.
Taman Surapati is full of paintings displayed by peddlers.

Glodok and Pancoran in the Chinatown are the best places to buy antique furniture, Old Dutch lamps, and Chinese porcelains. There are many souvenir shops selling the best of Indonesian arts and crafts.

In recent years, Jakarta has expanded its facilities for visitors with luxury  and modern shopping centers.

How to Reach Jakarta


Soekarno - Hatta International Airport is the principle gateway of Indonesia and almost all the major airlines operating in the region stop here. It is situated around 35 km away from the city centre.


Taxies and buses ( busway ) are the best transport to ferry you to the city.

Indonesia Travel Tips

Travel Tips for Indonesia

For a pleasurable and convenient trip to Indonesia follow these useful travel tips:

Health: Immunization against hepatitis A is recommended for all travelers. Depending on length of stay and itinerary, vaccination for Japanese encephalitis, rabies, typhoid and hepatitis B may be needed. Malaria and dengue fever exist in many parts of the country. Therefore take adequate protection mosquito bites and keep anti-malarial medicine with yourself. Drink water only from sealed bottles, and avoid swimming in freshwater lakes or streams as disease-causing organisms such as schistosomiasis may be present. Take precautions against heat and humidity. Wear sunscreen and a hat and drink lots of water.

Dress Code: In business circles, wearing a suit is the norm for both men and women. For formal occasions, either a suit or a long-sleeved, good quality, batik shirt are recommended for men, whilst evening or cocktail dresses are suitable for women. As Indonesia is primarily a Muslim country, modesty in dress is advised; remember to cover up if you intend visiting a mosque.

Local Customs: Indonesia has a high Muslim populace and it is important to understand and respect the local beliefs. Scanty clothing is not advisable in public places in deference to local customs. Shorts are not allowed in mosques and women should have their arms and head covered.

Offices: Most government offices are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Commercial offices and businesses are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. for Saturdays. Hours for businesses and commercial offices are staggered.

Electricity: Cities run on 220 volts, 50 cycles AC system. Rural areas may only be able to provide 110 volts.

Important Dos and Don'ts:

Calling people by crooking your finger is considered impolite.
Patting someone on the head is not done among adults and should even be avoided with children.
Climbing over monuments or places of worship is considered highly disrespectful. (In Bali, waist sashes should be worn when visiting temples.
Take off your shoes when entering a mosque or temple
Take off your sunglasses inside someone's house, unless you have an eye disease.
Use your right hand when receiving something from or giving something to someone. Talking with one's hands on one's hips is considered impolite.Important Dos and Don'ts.

Visa Rules for Indonesia

Indonesia Visa Rules

There are several types of Indonesia visas such as Tourist Visa, Business Visa, Multiple-entry Visa (for business trips only) and Transit Visa. All travelers to Indonesia must possess passports, valid for at least six months after arrival, and proof of onward passage out of the country. 

Visa Guidelines

Visas are not required for tourists who are nationals of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, The Philippines, Hong Kong Special Administration Region (SAR), Macao Special Administration Region (SAR), Chile, Morocco, Peru, and Vietnam. 

Countries and districts eligible for a visa on arrival are: United States of America, Australia, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Denmark, United Arab Emirates, Finland, Hungary, United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Germany, Canada, South Korea, Norway, France, Poland, Switzerland, New Zealand, and Taiwan. 

These visas can be obtained from the following airports on arrival:

Polonia (Medan), Sultan Syarif Kasim II (Pekan Baru), Tabing (Padang), Soekarno - Hatta (Jakarta), Juanda (Surabaya), Ngurah Rai (Bali), Samratulangi (Manado). 

The following seaports also offer visa on arrival:

Sekupang, Batu Ampar, Nongsa and Marina Teluk Senimba (Batam), Bandar Bintan Telani Lagoi and Sri Udara Lobam (Tanjung Uban), Belawan (Belawan), Sibolga (Sibolga), Yos Sudarso (Dumai), Teluk Bayur (Padang), Tanjung Priok (Jakarta), Padang Bai (Bali), Jayapura(Jayapura).

*NOTE: The information supplied here is meant as a guide only and is subject to change without warning. Therefore all travelers should check the visa and immigration details with the local Indonesian Embassy or Consulate.

Culture & Religion of Indonesia

The present day culture of Indonesia is an outcome of the interplay of age-old- traditions from the time of early migrants and the Western thought brought by Portuguese traders and Dutch colonists. The basic principles, which guide life include the concepts of mutual assistance or "gotong royong" and consultations or "musyawarah" to arrive at a consensus or "mufakat".

Derived from rural life, this system is still very much in use in community life throughout the country. Though the legal system is based on the Old Dutch penal code, social life as well as the rites of passage is founded on customary or "adat" law, which differs from area to area. ''Adat'' law has been instrumental in maintaining gender equality in Indonesia. 

Indonesian art forms are greatly influenced by religion. The famous dance dramas of Java and Bali are derived from Hindu mythology and often feature fragments from the Hindu epics such as Ramayana and Mahabharata.

The crafts of Indonesia vary in both medium and art form. As a whole the people are artistic by nature and express themselves on canvas, wood, metals, clay and stone. The batik process of waxing and dyeing originated in Java centuries ago and classic designs have been modified with modern trends in both pattern and technology. There are several centres of Batik in Java, the major ones being Yogyakarta, Surakarta, Pekalongan and Cirebon.

Indonesia is rich in handicrafts. Various forms of handicrafts practiced are: woodcarvings for ornamentation and furniture, silverwork and engraving from Yogyakarta and Sumatra; filgree from South Sulawesi and Bali with different styles of clay, sandstone and wood sculptures. These are but a few of the handicrafts found in Indonesia.

Religion in Indonesia: The majority (about 88%) of the population follows Islam. In fact Indonesia is the nation with largest Muslim population. However, freedom of religion is provided by the Indonesian Constitution, which is defined in the First Principle of the State Philosophy' "Pancasila", which upholds a "Belief in One Supreme God". Others religions followed in Indonesia are Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism.

Best Time to Visit Indonesia

Best time to visit Indonesia is during dry season between April and October. 

The humidity is relatively less and weather is pleasant at this time of the year.

Though travel in the wet season is possible in most parts of Indonesia,it can be a deterrent to some activities.

Best Season to Visit Indonesia =  Between April and October.

Currency of Indonesia

Indonesian Rupiah is also called as IDR:

Indonesian Currency rupiah - The local currency of Indonesia is Rupiah (Rp) and1Rp = 100 sen.

Bills come in denominations of Rp 100, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 and 1,00,000. 

Coins come in denominations of Rp 25, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000. 

Foreign currencies, either banknotes or travellers cheques, are easily exchanged at banks and moneychangers in major tourist destinations.

Credit cards are accepted at most hotels and restaurants in main cities. 

It is advisable to carry sufficient amounts of Rupiah when traveling to smaller towns or outer provinces.

Indonesian Cuisine

Indonesian cuisine reflects the vast variety of people that live on the 6,000 populated islands that make up Indonesia. There is probably not a single "Indonesian" cuisine, but rather, a diversity of regional cuisines influenced by local Indonesian culture and foreign influences.

Throughout its history, Indonesia has been involved in trade due to its location and natural resources. Indonesia’s indigenous techniques and ingredients, at least in the Malay World parts, are influenced by India, the Middle East, China and finally Europe. Spanish and Portuguese traders brought New World produce even before the Dutch came to colonize most of Indonesia.

The Indonesian island of Maluku, which is famed as "the Spice Island," also contributed to the introduction of native spices to Indonesian and global cuisine. The cuisine of Eastern Indonesia is similar to Polynesian and Melanesian cuisine.Sumatran cuisine, for example, often shows its Middle Eastern and Indian influence, featuring curried meat and vegetables, while Javanese cuisine is rather more indigenously developed. Elements of Indonesian Chinese cuisine can be seen in Indonesian cuisine: items such as bakmi (noodles), bakso (meat balls) and lumpia have been completely assimilated.

The most popular dishes that originated in Indonesia are now common across most of Asia. Popular Indonesian dishes such as satay, beef rendang, and sambals are also favored in Malaysia and Singapore. Soy-based dishes, such as variations of tofu (tahu) and tempe, are also very popular.

Tempe is regarded as a Javanese invention, a local adaptation of soy-based food fermentation and production. Indonesian meals are commonly eaten with the combination of a spoon in the right hand and fork in the left hand, although in many parts of the country (such as West Java and West Sumatra) it is also common to eat with one's hands.

In restaurants or households that commonly use bare hands to eat, like in traditional Sundanese or Minangkabau restaurants, they usually serve kobokan, a bowl of tap water with a slice of lime in it to give a fresh scent. This bowl of water with lime in it should not to be consumed; it's used to wash one's hand before and after eating with bare hand.

Rice

Rice is a staple for all classes in contemporary Indonesia, and it holds a central part in Indonesian culture: it shapes the landscape; is sold at markets; and is served in most meals as a savoury and sweet food.

Rice is most often eaten as plain rice (nasi putih) with just a few protein and vegetable dishes as side dishes. It is also served, however, as ketupat (rice steamed in woven packets of coconut fronds), lontong (rice steamed in banana leaves), intip (rice crackers), desserts, vermicelli, noodles, brem (rice wine), and nasi goreng (fried rice).Rice was only incorporated into diets, however, as either the technology to grow it or the ability to buy it from elsewhere was gained.

Evidence of wild rice on the island of Sulawesi dates from 3000 BCE. Evidence for the earliest cultivation, however, comes from eighth century stone inscriptions from the central island of Java, which show kings levied taxes in rice. Divisions of labour between men, women, and animals that are still in place in Indonesian rice cultivation, can be seen carved into the ninth-century Prambanan temples in Central Java: a Water buffalo attached to a plough; women planting seedlings and pounding grain; and a man carries sheaves of rice on each end of a pole across his shoulders.

In the sixteenth century, Europeans visiting the Indonesian islands saw rice as a new prestige food served to the aristocracy during ceremonies and feasts.Rice production requires exposure to the sun. Rice production in Indonesian history is linked to the development of iron tools and the domestication of Wild Asian Water Buffalo as water buffalo for cultivation of fields and manure for fertilizer. 

Once covered in dense forest, much of the Indonesian landscape has been gradually cleared for permanent fields and settlements as rice cultivation developed over the last fifteen hundred years.Other staple foods in Indonesia include maize (in drier regions such as Madura and the Lesser Sunda Islands), sago (in Eastern Indonesia), cassava (dried cassava, locally known as 'tiwul' is an alternate staple food in arid areas in Java such as Gunung Kidul and Wonogiri) and root tubers (especially in hard times).

Peanut Sauce

One of the main characteristic of Indonesian cuisine is the wide applications of bumbu kacang (peanut sauce) in many of Indonesian signature dishes such as satay, gado-gado, karedok, ketoprak, pecel. It usually applied upon the main ingredients (meat or vegetable) to give the taste, or might simply as dipping sauce such as sambal kacang (a mixture of grinded chilli and fried peanuts) for otak-otak or ketan. Introduced from Mexico by Portuguese and Spanish merchants back in 16th century, peanuts took place within Indonesian cuisine as the popular sauce. Indonesian peanut sauce represents a sophisticated, earthy thing rather than a sweet, gloppy sauce.

The peanut thrived in the tropical environment of Southeast Asia, and today, they can be found roasted and chopped finely, topping a variety of dishes and in marinades and dipping sauces. Peanut sauce reach its sophistication in Indonesia, with the delicate balance of taste acquired from various ingredients according to each recipe of peanut sauce; fried peanuts, gula jawa (coconut sugar), garlic, shallot, ginger, tamarind, lemon juice, lemongrass, salt, chilli, pepper, sweet soy sauce, grinded together and mixed with water to acquire right texture.

The secret to good peanut sauce is “not too thick and not too watery.” Indonesian peanut sauce tends to be less sweet than the Thai one (which is a hybrid adaptation). Gado-gado is eaten with peanut sauce throughout Indonesia showcasing the delicate balance of sweet, spicy and sour.

Coconut Milk

Given the location of Indonesia as a tropical country with abundant tropical produce such as coconut, Indonesia, since ancient times. has developed various uses of this plant. Another main characteristic of Indonesian cuisine is the wide applications of santan (coconut milk) in many of Indonesian dishes like rendang, soto, sayur lodeh, opor ayam, to desserts such as es cendol, and es doger. Coconut milk's use does not exclusively belongs to Indonesian cuisine, since it also can be found in Indian, Samoa, Thailand, Malaysian, Philippines, to Brazilian cuisine. However the use of coconut milk is quite extensive in Indonesia.

The extensive uses of coconut milk especially found in Minangkabau cuisine, while in Minahasan (North Sulawesi) cuisine, coconut milk rather absent except for Minahasan cakes and desserts such as klappertart. In Indonesian cuisine, coconut milk can be found in two type, thin coconut milk and thick coconut milk, the difference is depends on the amount of water in it. Thin coconut milk usually being use for soups such as sayur lodeh and soto, while creamy thick one use for rendang and desserts. It can be acquired freshly from shredded coconut flesh in traditional market, to processed coconut milk in carton packages at supermarket.

After the juice (milk) being extracted from shredded coconut flesh to acquire coconut milk, the ampas kelapa (leftover coconut flesh) still can be used as urap, seasoned and spiced shredded coconut flesh mixed together with vegetables.

Urap is quite similar to gado-gado except the peanut sauce is replaced by shredded coconut one. This leftoever of shredded coconut flesh also can be cooked, sauted and seasoned to make serundeng, the almost powder-like sweet and spicy coconut granules. Serundeng can be mixed with meat such as serundeng daging (beef serundeng) or sprinkled on top of other dishes such as soto or ketan (sticky rice). An example on heavy use of coconut is Buras from Makassar, rice wrapped in banana leaf cooked with coconut milk and sprinkled with coconut powder similar to serundeng.

Meal Times

In western and central Indonesia, the main meal is usually cooked in the late morning, and consumed around midday. In many families there is no set meal time where all members are expected to attend. For this reason, most of the dishes are made such that they can last and remain edible even if left on the table at room temperature for many hours.

The same dishes are then re-heated for the final meal in the evening. Most meals are built around a cone-shaped pile of long-grain, highly polished rice. A meal may include a soup, salad (or more commonly sauteed vegetables with garlic), and another main dish. Whatever the meal, it is accompanied by at least one, and often several relishes that are called sambals.

In eastern Indonesia, where the natives are more influenced by Pacific islander cultures such as on the island of Papua and Timor, the meals can be centered around other sources of carbohydrates such as sago and/or grain.

Feasts: Tumpeng and Rijsttafel

Many of Indonesian traditional customs and ceremony incorporated food and feast. One of the best example of Indonesian feast is tumpeng. Originated from Java, tumpeng is a cone shaped rice surrounded by assorted of Indonesian dishes. Traditionally featured in selamatan ceremony, the cone shape of rice is made by using cone-shaped weaved bamboo container. The rice itself could be plain steam rice, uduk rice (cooked with coconut milk), or yellow rice (rice colored with kunyit or turmeric).

The rice surrounded by assorted of Indonesian dishes, such as urap vegetables, fried chicken, semur (beef in sweet soy sauce), teri kacang (anchovy with peanuts), fried prawn, telur pindang (boiled marble egg), shredded omelette, tempe orek (sweet and dry fried tempeh), perkedel kentang (mashed potato fritters), perkedel jagung (corn fritters),sambal goreng ati (liver in chilli sauce), and many other things.
Tumpeng, the cone shaped rice surrounded by assorted Indonesian dishes.Tumpeng dated back to ancient Indonesian tradition that revered mountains as the abode of ancestors and gods. The cone-shaped rice meant to mimics the holy mountain. The feast served as some kind of thanksgiving for the abundance of harvest or any other blessings. Because of its festivities and celebrative value, up until now tumpeng sometimes used as Indonesian counterpart of birthday cake.Another Indonesian feast, the Rijstafel (Indonesian rice table), is demonstrating colonial opulance and Indonesian cuisine diversity at the same time.

The classic style rijstafel ceremony involved the serving of up to 40 different dishes, by 40 male waiters, bare-footed but dressed in formal white uniforms with blangkon (traditional Javanese caps) on their heads and batik cloth around their waists. The contemporary Indonesian feast adopted western style buffet. It usually can be found in wedding ceremony or any other festivities. Its employed long table with dishes served on it.

The layout of Indonesian wedding ceremony buffet usually employs: the plates, eating utensils (spoon and fork), and paper napkins is placed on one end, followed by rice (plain or fried rice), series of Indonesian (sometimes International) foods, sambal and krupuk (crackers), ended with glass of water on the other end of the table.

Snacks and street food

In most cities it is common to see Chinese dishes such as bakpao (buns), bakmie (noodles), and bakso (meatballs) sold by street vendors and restaurants alike, often adapted to become Indonesian Chinese cuisine. One common adaptation is that pork is no longer used since the majority of Indonesians are Muslims. Another popular Indonesian street food and snack is siomay and batagor, pempek, bubur ayam (chicken congee), bubur kacang hijau (green beans porridge), satay, nasi and mie goreng (fried rice and fried noodle), toge goreng, laksa, and gorengan (Indonesian assorted fritters).

Indonesian street snack also included ice and sweet beverages, such as es cendol or es dawet, es teler, es cincau, es doger, es campur, es potong, and es puter. Indonesian cakes and cookies often called as jajan pasar (market goodies). Indonesia has a rich collection of snack called kue (cakes and pastry) either savoury or sweet. The popular one such as risoles, pastel, lumpia, lemper, lontong, tahu isi, lapis legit, getuk, bakpia, bika ambon, lupis, lemang, kue pisang, klepon, onde-onde, nagasari, soes, bolu kukus, and many other things.

Street and street-side vendors are common, in addition to hawkers peddling their goods on bicycles or carts. These carts are known as pedagang kaki lima - (named after the 5-foot (1.5 m) wide footpaths in Indonesia, however some people say they are named 'five feet' after the three feet of the cart and two feet of the vendor!), and many of these have their own distinctive call or songs to announce their wares. For example, the bakso seller will hit the side of a soup bowl, whereas mie ayam is announced by hitting a wood block.

Fruit

Indonesian markets abound with many types of tropical fruit. These are an important part of the Indonesian diet, either eaten freshly, made into desserts (such as es buah), made into savoury and spicy dishes like rujak, fried like pisang goreng (fried banana), or processed into kripik (crispy chips) as snacks like jackfruit or banana chips.

Many of these fruits such as Mangosteen, Rambutan, Jackfruit, Durian, and Banana, are indigenous to Indonesian archipelago; while others have been imported from other tropical countries, although the origin of many of these fruits might be disputed. Banana and Coconut are particularly important, not only to Indonesian cuisine, but also in other uses, such as timber, bedding, roofing, oil, plates and packaging, etc.