South East Asian Trips

Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia. Known as Sunda Kelapa earlier, it is the largest city in Indonesia. It is a province with special status as the capital of Indonesia. Indonesia is the largest Muslim populated country in the world. Being the capital city, it is home to the international embassies. It is also the economic and political capital of Indonesia. The governor has the authority over the city.

Jakarta is a sprawling, polluted, loud, and chaotic city. It is a place of contrasts , where new meets old, progress meets the Third World. There are expatriate Westerners of all stripes here, from oil company heads to scruffy Asia bums. There is plenty to do, and the shopping malls and movie theaters are often a comfort to recently landed North Americans. The tourist information office is located inside the Jakarta Theater building on Jalan Wahid Hasyim.

Also referred to as Djakarta or DKI Jakarta and formerly known as Sunda Kelapa, Jayakarta and Batavia it's the capital of Indonesia and also the largest city. The eleventh largest city with an area of 661.52 sq Km and a population of 8,792,000, Jakarta has been developed for more than 490 years. It's also one of the ninth most densely populated cities in the world with 44,283 people per sq mile. A city of contrasts where the new meets the old and progress meets the Third World, its quite chaotic, loud and a polluted city. One of the major Indonesian cities there's lots of shopping malls and movie theaters for people coming down to visit out here.

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.

Area and Location

Lies on the northwest coast of the island of Java, Jakarta is located at 6.1333° Latitude North and 106.75° Longitude East. The city, which covers a total area of 661.52 sq. Km, has a population of 8,792,000 making it the ninth densest city in the world.

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.

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.

Tourist Attractions

The historical monuments and shopping malls are the main attractions of the city.

Transportation

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport that operates both domestic and international flights act as the main access to the city from other parts of the world. "TransJakarta" or "Busway" is the newly developed transportation system that serves the city. Jakarta Monorail, a monorail system under construction is the most modern transportation facility coming up in the city. The railways and buses include the public transport in the city. The waterbus ferries serve as another significant mode of transportation the city. Cycle rickshaws, which are abundant in the city, help the people to travel from one place to another through the busy streets.

Hotels

Jakarta hotels are worth visiting. In order to have a comfortable stay while on a visit to the city, tourists mostly opt the start hotels available in the city. Friendly attitude of the staff is the unique feature of these hotels. Tourists who drop in here are also given neat and tidy rooms where they can relax and enjoy to the fullest. Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Crowne Plaza Hotel Jakarta, Grand Hyatt Jakarta, The Dharmawangsa, Hotel Gran Mahakam Jakarta, Gran Melia Jakarta and Hotel Ibis Arcadia Jakarta are the well-known hotels in the city often preferred by the tourists.

Places of Attraction

The city known for shopping malls has numerous malls where anything under the sun can be picked up. The popular shopping malls of the city include Pondok Indah Mall, Mall Taman Anggrek, Plaza Indonesia, Mal Kelapa Gading, Megamall Pluit, Plaza Senayan, Entertainment X'nter, Citos and Senayan City. Monumen Nasional, the tall tower in the city that symbolizes the Indonesian independence captures the eyes of those entering the city. Ragunan Zoo established in the 19th century that houses 295 species is another attraction of the city. Taman Impian Jaya Ancol -an amusement park in Jakarta is the favorite haunt of the visitors especially children. Taman Mini Indonesia Indah -a culture-based recreational area, Thousand Islands, Taman Ria Senayan and Sea World fascinates the tourists who opt to make a second visit to the city.

Ex-pat Hangouts

Jalan Ahmad Yani, the same street on which you'll find the tourist office, has a few restaurants at which you'll find both ex-pats and good food; to start, check out Lyn's Restaurant and the Tip Top Restaurant. If you're aching for Western food, Medan also has two KFCs and a Pizza Hut. You'll find English-language newspapers at the Tiara Medan hotel book shop.