Jakarta & It's Surroundings
A city of 12 million people, is the capital city of Indonesia. It acts as a gateway to the natural and human treasures found throughout the islands. It is a big and vibrant metropolis with all kinds of businesses, yet it is only 60 - 90 minutes boat ride to the Thousand Islands, a group of islands north of Jakarta famous for their tranquillity and beauty, their clear waters with colourful coral perfect for swimming, snorkelling or diving with thousands of different kinds of fish.
90 minutes drive to the south-east and you can be at the top of a mountain in Puncak, with great views of tea plantations and winding roads. 3 hours drive to the south; you could be white-water rafting in Citarik. 2,5 hours drive from Jakarta, you could find yourself Bandung, a city once known as Paris van Java and a city that's surrounded by mountains, with countless factory outlets where you can find all the latest fashions at unbelievably low prices.
You can find all kinds of food in Jakarta. The city has all the restaurants you would find in the west, including MacDonald's, Wendy's, Chili's,Planet Hollywood and also speciality restaurants serving Italian, french,Indian or lebanese cuisine. Of course, for those who are tired of western food it also has the most wonderful SE Asian food including Indonesian, Chinese, Taiwanese and many others. Jakarta has Marks and Spencer's, Gap, Next and all the most famous fashion houses of Italy and France but it also has cheaper Asian clothes stores and even places where you can have your own clothes made-to-measure for a fraction of the price for clothes of the same quality in the shops.Jakarta also has all kind of clubs that cater for almost all kind of taste.
Dispite all the beauties surrounding Jakarta, please make sure you are also aware of the common drawbacks of living in Jakarta such as : The pollution, uncleanliness, traffic jam and also the fact that there is no sandy beach in Jakarta. The closest beach is Anyer which is about 2 hours drive or the Thousand islands which are around 90 minutes by boat
Other popular places to visit in Jakarta are :
MUSEUM FATAHILAH
Built in the 16th century, the museum is housed in the old town hall of Batavia, which is probably one of the most solid reminders of Dutch rule to be found in Indonesia. It provides the historic background of Jakarta through a display of maps and antiques, including furniture and porcelains . (Monday & Public Holiday cloosed. Visit the antique and flea market in Jalan Surabaya instead)
ANCOL ART MARKET
It is an outdoor art market likely recreational place where you will be most tempted to purchase something. Items include antique, handicraft, paintings, potters, and knicknacks. With many of the artisans working on site, it is a paradise for souvenir hunters and art lovers
BEAUTIFUL INDONESIA IN MINIATURE PARK
An extensive theme park set in over 100 hectares on the outskirts of Jakarta; the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (Beatiful indonesian in Miniature Park) is Indonesia's answer to every visitor's prayer to see the magnificient archipelago in just one day. All Indonesian islands are realistically reproduced in miniature in a central lake and around the lake are pavilions to represent the 26 provinces in Indonesia. Each pavilion is representative of each province frim the traditional architectural style in miniature to a wonderful display of cultural items and exhibits.
SEA WORLD
Inside the Ancol Dreamland complex, Sea World is a high tech modern huge aquarium exchibiting the special and diverse tropical marine life found throughout the Indonesian waters. Stroll through Freshwater World and Microworld, see beautiful tropical fish and corral reefs, and get friendly with marine life at the Touch pool. A theater screens movies about the underwater world and a necessity is the Antasena Tunnel, a walk-through acrylic tube that gives first hand experience of life under the sea.
DUNIA FANTASI
Dunia Fantasi or 'Fantasy World' is a fun and theme park designed to entertain the visitors into the fascinating worlds of modern science and technology. The facilities take visitors on imagination tours of Africa, America and Indonesia through some breath taking games.
There are many opportunities to travel around. So whether you're after volcanoes, amazing wildlife, excellent beaches for surfing and diving, temples, rice fields, jungles and botanical gardens. The list is almost endless but one thing we can guarantee that, whatever your tastes, there is something for you.
