Jakarta, capital of Indonesia – the world’s largest Muslim country and a heavily populated city consisting of different people, the rich and the poor, the traditional as well as the modern people.

Jakarta, known as the capital region and the largest city of Indonesia located in the North West of the island of Java, is also the country’s cultural, political and economic centre. Jakarta gained their independence from Dutch East India Company in 1945.

What makes Jakarta the most interesting place to visit? One popular reason is that Jakarta is filled with great sceneries and great places both for nightlife and best traditional food. If you are fond of eating delicious Chinese food, then Glodok (Chinatown) is the best place to go especially during Chinese New Year wherein you can actually take part in their culture with their lavished celebrations.

You can also explore the beauty of Jakarta Arts Theater or the most popular Istiqlal Mosque. You may visit Ancol Dream Park, best known as all-in-one leisure park, which you can wander around on the amusement park or try wakeboarding, which is popular these days. 

Or let your visit be as memorable as joining on their Car Free Day on Sundays in Sudirman-Thamrin Street while having exercise with the locals from 6 am to 12 noon or visit Thousand Islands and try some adventurous things like parasailing – memories of those will last for a lifetime.

Istiqlal Mosque:  

“A work from a Christian Architect to commemorate and respect the Independence of Indonesia”

It is located at Jl. Taman Wijaya Kusuma, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta. Istiqlal or Masjid Mosque  is the largest mosque of Indonesia and in Southeast Asia. A christian architect build this mosque, the construction started in the year 1961 and it has been officially opened to public as of February 22, 1978.

This mosque has five levels, with a prayer hall at the top with a large dome supported by twelve pillars and covers a nine-hectares area. The rectangular building that is covered by a 45 meter central sphere dome is the main prayer hall, it can hold as much as 16,000 worshippers and when the capacity was not filled or maximised, classroom areas for religious instruction and rest areas are held and occupied the upper floors.

There is a 35,000 square courtyards that provides additional space for more worshippers. The function of the mosque was not simply being a place for praying, it also hosts institutions that provide social services to Indonesians who lacks sufficient money to survive everyday life and the construction serves as a home for the visiting pilgrims during ramadan. In case you’re hungry, there are some nice and cheap restaurants nearby.

Amaya Indian Cuisine and Lounge, is a place where they serve variety of indonesian foods- Veteran Cafe and Resto, Dapur Babah Elite, Bogor Cafe, serves the legendary Oxtail soup, Teratai Restaurant, delicious Dim Sum are served here, Es Krim Ragusa and more.

Where to stay over the whole day of exploring the place? There are Hotels nearby, spacious and ethnic Hotel Borobudur Jakarta, helpful and friendly staff at Amaris Hotel Juanda, Sriwijaya Hotel, Citi Hotel, great asian food at Alila Jakarta, the pretty good Oasis Amir Hotel Jakarta and more.

It is easy to reach the Istiqlal Mosque since it is near the Gambir Train Station, you can also use other public transportations like the Metromini of Transjakarta Bus Terminal.

Merdeka Square – Jakarta: 

The heart of Jakarta being the largest square in the world

It is located in the center of Jakarta Indonesia. It is known as the largest square in the world, the National Monument also called Monas is at its center stands.

Military, float parades and National events are hosted by this paved plaza as well as civic demonstrations. The square is the perfect and popular destination to go for sports and recreational activities, especially on weekends.

Important government buildings such as National Museum of Indonesia, the Supreme Court, Merdeka Palace and many different governmental ministries are located within the area. They say that Merdeka is the heart of Jakarta and the center of Indonesia because of the important governmental and cultural buildings surrounding it.

At the north part of the square, you can see the state secretariat and Bina Graha, Merdeka Palace and more. At the east, Gambir Station, Pertavina Headquarters, the Immanuel Church and National Galleria and other establishments. Merdeka Square consists of two zones, Taman Medan Merdeka, where there are reflecting ponds with large trees and fountains.

Ruang Agung, which means the Grand Space, enhances the view of the National Monument. According to the Cardinal Point, there are also four parks in Merdeka Square. First, Taman Medan Merdeka Utara or the North Park, it leads to the National Monument, Taman Medan Merdeka Timur or East Park, near the Gambir Station, South Park where the Spotted Deer is located and also unique plants that symbolizes the Thirty-Three provinces are displayed . West Park is where the dancing Fountain is located, the Fountain has a performances with music every weekend nights.

After a whole day of wandering, you sure are looking for a place to stay. Here are some Hotels nearby: Best Western Plus Kemayoran Hotel, offering two dining options and boasts an outdoor pool, gym and spa with free Wi-Fi, Aston at Kuningan Suites with private balconies, Grand Tropic Suites Hotel and more. Enjoy your stay tonight and continue to wander again tomorrow.

National Monument Indonesia (MONAS): Commemorating the struggle of indonesian Independence

MONAS, abbreviation of Monumen Nasional. It is located at Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta, Indonesia.

This Monument was built to recall and give respect to the struggle of the indonesian heroes for fighting the domination of the colony.

Frederich Silaban and R.M Sudarsono are the architects of this beautiful masterpiece. In August 17,1961, the construction started and eventuallyy opened for public on July 17, 1975 with a total area of 80 hectares.

The top of Monas is shaped like a flame which symbolizes the spirit of Indonesian people and the flame itself has a weight of 14.5 tons and is made of bronze metal coated with 35 kg gold. The 137 meter high pillar symbolizes a rice pestle and the cup is the rice barn. Those are tools to pound rice traditionally.

The whole monument stands for the people’s determination for achieving freedom and independence. It houses a hall for meditations and a historical museum. Upon the request, the monument is open for public and you can go to the top which gives you the opportunity to view and see the beauty of the city from the bird’s eye perspective.

The entrance fee is about Rp. 2,500 (Rupiah) and Rp. 7,500 per person including the top level of the monument – the Observatory.

The map, the red and white flag of indonesia, the symbol Garuda, and the replica of the independence proclaim script of Indonesia are all kept in the Independence Room at the cup side of MONAS with amphitheater shape. You could also listen to the recorded voice of the President Soekarno and see the script replica.

There is the National History Museum which has a width of 6400 meters (80×80). It can hold up to 500 people. It has 51 dioramas that shows the life and situation in the ancient time of the indonesian people.

It is surrounded by a grassy Park which is organized nicely. There are various plants, under the big trees which provide many seats. You want to have a foot massage? It is present here, just by walking with barefoot through the pathway structured of green thin stones.

From  7:00pm-8:00pm every Saturday and  Sunday they conducted Fountain attraction at Monas Park. The performance takes about  35 minutes and is accompanied by various Jakarta songs. A little tip, it is better and comfortable to visit the Monument in the morning to avoid a long line of people waiting for their turns.

To reach Monas, you could choose what to ride – either bus or taxi. If you prefer to ride a bus, it is recommended and safe to use Transjakarta Busway, the route will stop directly at Monas Busway Terminal.

It is a huge place with lots of people from everywhere, lots of vendors and there are also times that there is a stage performance.

When you are in Jakarta, National Monument of Indonesia is a must visit spot and a perfect place to spend your day with your family and friends.

This city is very good for relaxation and unwinding, especially in the evening. The lights, the people, and the environment will affect your mood positively.

National Museum of Indonesia:  A Museum of archeological and historical exhibits that contains more than 140,000 collections, from coins and ceramics to statues.

It is also known as the Elephant Museum because of the elephant structure at the front park which is made of bronze metal, facing the National Monument of Indonesia or Monas.

It is located at Jalan Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta. King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) of Thailand who visited the place in 1871 was the one who granted that elephant sculpture.

The Museum contains of more than 140,000 collections consisting of prehistoric, foreign ceramic, archeological, colonial, geographic and ethnographic collections.

Archaeological collections are in the form of cultural objects from the Indonesian classic era. It includes the statue of the Buddha and Hindu gods.

Items and objects were collected through the science and military expeditions, purchasing, gifts and consignment. Exhibition hall consists of two parts, the one in Arca or Statue Building and in the Gajah or the Elephant Building.

Archa Building is a new building that has a thematic arrangement to present the whole aspects of life of the Indonesian people. It has four levels, the human and environment theme are presented in level one; scientific, technological and economical theme at level two; thinking patterns and social organization theme at level three and the collections of foreign ceramics and gold are presented at level four.

While in the Elephant Building, the Exhibition Hall still maintains the arrangement system of the colonial era. This place was popularly known as the Gedung Gajah or the House of the Elephant because of the sculpture and Gedung Arca – as well as House of Statues because of its large variety of statues from different eras.

The Museum is open everyday except Mondays from 8am to 4pm and 8am to 5pm for saturdays and sundays. Admission feesare Rp.750 for adults and Rp. 250 for children below 17 years of age and also for students.

The tours in the museum are conducted by Indonesian Heritage Society, English tours are conducted on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9:30 am and Last Sunday of the month at 10:30 am. For souvenirs or buying stuff, there is a small gift shop that offers postcards, reproduction of various exhibits and a selection of books located at the entrance hall. It has the same schedule as the Museum.

The Indonesian Heritage Society volunteers to take the responsibility in handling the inventory of the collections.

The daily activities include the protection and taking care of the collections and providing detailed information to the visitors.

Where to stay? There are Hotels nearby. The most booked is the Millennium Hotel, a good Four Star Hotel where the rooms are nice and clean. To have a great view of Jakarta’s Skyline you should check-in to room 826.

The food? No problem because they have a good assortment of Indonesian options. For breakfast, they have cereals, eggs, bread and fruits with an excellent and welcoming services.

Other hotels are Mercure Jakarta Sabang, Max One Hotels, Citi M Hotel, Sari Pan Pacific, Fave Hotel Tanah Abang Cideng, a great hotel to stay a couple of days, Kosenda Hotel and more. There are also Restaurants nearby like, D’Stupid Baker, another choice to hangout.

Semi fine dining, the AUROZ Gourmet Grill, Rumah Makan Karya Minang, Mie Ayam Cha Cha, D’cost VIP with excellent deald of great food and price for its class, Beauteka Restoran, Delicious spicy food from Manado region and more. How to get here? Just like how to get to Monas, you take a ride for a bus or a taxi and once you get there enjoy.

Taman Mini Indonesia Indah: The Beautiful Miniature Park of Indonesia 

It is located at Pondok Gede East Jakarta, Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia. It is open from 7am to 10pm every day, with a total width of 165 hectares. A Park that is a synopsis or the important summary of the life of Indonesian people.

It represents the culture, nature, traditions, achievements and beliefs of Indonesia. It was built based on the proposed idea of President Soekarno’s wife of creating a way to raise the senses of devotion and nationality of the people.

The construction started in the year 1971 and publicly opened on April 20, 1975. A building in a park that is usually open and used for public events and exhibitions.

The Twenty-Six (26) Pavilions represent the Twenty-Six (26) provinces of Indonesia and there is also a plan to construct six more pavilions.

There are Fifteen (15) units of museum: The Indonesian Museum, Military, Stamp, Heirloom, Transportation, Power and New Energy, Telecommunication, Information, Sport, Asmat, Komodo, Insect, Science and Technology Display and Oil and Gas Museum where you can learn a lot about the things existing in this world. Enjoy the Eleven (11) units of Parks, Orchid, Living Pharmacy, Cokot, Cactus, Jasmine, Keong Emas Flower, Fresh Water Aquarium, Bekisar, Seven Pillars Building, APEC Inscription and Bird Park.

There are also Recreation Facilities that you could enjoy like Indonesia Children Castle, Swan Boat of Indonesia, Among Putro Park, Ambar Tirta Swimming Pool, Ria Atmaja Park, Wisata Village, Keong Emas Imax Theater and Tanah Airku Theater.

The easiest, fastest and recommended transportation to reach Taman Mini Indonesia Indah is by Taxi. A little bit hungry? Don’t worry because there are restaurants around.

Hanamasa Tamini Square, Krakatau Restaurant, Puri Caping Gunung which is popular for lunch, Bento Bento, Gama Ikan Bakar, they serve sea foods, Bakso Lapangan Tembak Senayan, a Family Restaurant, Karimata which is popular for dinner and more.

For Hotels, it is recommended to check in at Hotel Santika where Taman Mini Indonesia Indah is connected. Enjoy your stay!

Jakarta Cathedral  – Jakarta landmarks: 

The largest group of Muslims who has a Roman Catholic Cathedral 

It is located at Jl. Katedral No.7B, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta, Indonesia.

The style of this architecture is a Gothic Revival Architecture which is the artistic style or movement of the 18th and 19th century. It is a Roman Catholic place for worshiping founded in the year 1901 with three spires and three altars. It was built in 1829 but collapsed in the year 1890.

It stands right across the Istiqlal Mosque, the largest Mosque of Jakarta. The First President Soekarno chose the place or site on purpose, the symbolization of the nation’s philosophy of unity in diversity where peace and harmony co-exists in all religions.

Both of the establishments continue to cooperate with each other today – for example during religious festivals, they accommodate the parking of cars, during easter and Christmas midnight mass, the parking lot is used for church congregations.

The Statue of  the Holy Heart of Jesus is in front of the church’s parking area and this Cathedral is dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

The appearance of the church seems to be made of stones. In fact, it is constructed of thick red bricks which are covered with plasters and with mimic natural stone construction. It has thick walls that are made to support the teak beams to form the roof. Because the materials are relatively light, they used these materials instead of stones.
There are three wrought iron spires above the Church, the central spire is 45 meters high and the two highest are 60 meters. The design of the Cathedral is to form a cross. There are three altars, the Altar of Saint Mary on the left side which was completed in the year 1915. The Altar of Saint Joseph on the right side which was completed in 1922 and the Center Altar and Tabernacle which is said to been made in Netherlands and was installed here in 1956.

To reach Jakarta Cathedral you can take a ride by plane, train, bus and ferry. Katedral Jakarta is definitely a must visit destination if you are roaming around Jakarta. Be close to God and experience the beauty of this structure.

Ancol Dreamland: Total Fun Place in Jakarta, A Magnificent Experience!

Jaya Ancol Dream Land Park is a huge recreation area located near Jakarta bay at the seashore of Jakarta Gulf. In this park, it is about everything you can imagine to make for a fun day or night. That is why it is called a Dreamland.

It is open for Twenty Four (24) Hours, There are several recreational facilities you can find at this park.

Such as Golf Course, Ancol Marina Bay, Art Market (Pasar Seni), Sea World Indonesia, Gelanggang Samudra, Atlantis Water Adventure, Dunia Fantasy and Beach Park (Taman Pantai).

During the day, beaches and water parks are the most fun activities to do. There is also a rope course where you can fly through the jungle, but be sure to hang on to the handle or else you will go for a swim.

There are Bars, Restaurants and Concerts to enjoy at night. It will cost you Rp. 13,000 per person for the entrance fee at the main gate and you will be paying separately for the individual activities.

During a bright and sunny day it is best to start at the Carnival Beach, there is a place for bike rentals that offers the first hour for free. Just a short walk from Carnival Beach you can reach the Sea World, although small, it is a very nice aquarium where you can see a lot of marine life.

The two main attractions here are the Sea World Walk Through Tunnel as the main aquarium and the Shark Aquarium.

You will witness the feeding frenzy of the sharks if you go there at their feeding time. There are also sting rays and catfish, the admission is Rp. 60,000 for two hours.

Another is the Gelanggang Samudra, it offers live performances and dolphin shows, they also have some rides for kids and a 4D theater.

On our next destination, the entrance to the cable cars will lead you to the Atlantis Water Park on the way to the Festival Beach, it costs you Rp.40,000 that gives a good aerial view and takes about 15 minutes. Festival Beach has a lot of different places to sit, relax and offers something to drink and eat. You can rent some fishing equipment or rent a jet ski.

Next is the Dunia Fantasy World, the Ancol’s most popular attraction. They added some fun rides in that area that is called Hysteria, it is a free-fall ride. The admission is Rp.150,000. In the Art Market, they offer indigenous arts and an excellent golf course.

There are several transportation you could choose from to reach the Ancol Dreamland Park, by a Bus ride at TransJakarta Busway, by train through Tanjung Priok Terminal, Kota Tua Terminal, Senin Terminal, and Grogol Terminal or by taxi that will cost you Rp.40,000.

This is a Dreamland where your dreams come true! A place for total fun and a magnificent experience!
Dufan Amusement Park: “Dufan! The World of Fantasy”

You can find it at Jalan Lodan Timur No.7, Ancol Jakarta Utara, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta in the North Jakarta District near Mangga Dua Square, the land area it covers is 9.5 hectares or 23.47 acres and it is really such a huge entertainment center. It is one of the largest attractions within the Ancol Dreamland.

You can experience many attractions and fun activities in this place like the thrilling cork screw roller coaster, turbo tour simulators, bumper cars, adventurous flume riders and exciting fairground amusements.

It is open from Mondays to Saturdays at 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and Sundays from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm. It is recommended and advisable to visit the place on weekdays because it gets crowded on weekends.

The entrance ticket for Mondays to Fridays are Rp.180,000 and Rp.250,000 on weekends. Dufan is the combination of the whole name of the Amusement Park, the Dunia Fantasi. It is a very popular and perfect destination especially for families who wants to get closer and spend quality time with each other.

The very famous Walt Disney Theme Park? It is not only in the United States, it is present in this place, that is why it is patronized by tourists.

Their estimated computation of the visitors is about Ten Million and more every year and also there are new attractions added in the theme park. Bringing in the one of the most popular animated franchises to life, the Sid’s Arctic Adventure. Sid, one of the main characters of the story is the tour guide who will privately lead the arctic tour for the guests.

Another one is the Ice Age theme attraction, one of the 20th Century Fox Products. It will give the guests a chance and experience to meet and bond with the characters they love and try and experience the wood carved twenty seater boat for the chilly adventure that lasts for 5 minutes.

There are more of them and hopefully they are having more attractions to come as the year pass by. Looking for a place to stay after the adventure?

There are hotels with a good quality accommodation nearby, Discovery Hotel and Convention Ancol, Mercure Convention Centre Ancol Hotel, Aston Marina Hotel, Dinamika Guest House, D’Prima Hotel Mangga Dua, Le Grandeur Mangga Dua Hotel and more.

To reach Dunia Fantasi Amusement Park, your route is going to Ancol Dreamland because this park is an integral part of it. You could reach it by a Bus ride at TransJakarta Busway, by train through Tanjung Priok Terminal, Senin Terminal, Kota Tua Terminal and Grogol Terminal or by taxi that will cost you Rp.40,000.

Jakarta Old Town: Kota Tua, a reminder of the first walled settlement of the Dutch in Jakarta 
It is located at Jalan Taman Fatahillah, Jakarta, Indonesia. It is the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company in the year 1600’s.

 It covers a 1.3 square kilometer area crossing the North and West Jakarta. In the 16th century, the often called Old Batavia was named as the Queen of the East and the Jewel of Asia. You can explore this Old Town with bicycle and just by walking around. It has several interesting places that is worth visiting.

One of them is the Jakarta History Museum where you can see the Archaeological replicas of Tarumanegara and Pajajaran Era, Paintings, variety of Historical Maps and even the 17th Century Furnitures.

You could set off on a tour at the 17th Century Kota Intan Bridge or also known as the Chicken Market Bridge, the last remaining of its kind that is constructed by the Dutch, it accommodates merchant ships.

From the Bridge it will extend you to the Kali Besar Canal, where it involves a couple of busy roads and buildings with European feel.

As you reach the cast iron arch, it will lead you to the entrance to Taman Fatahillah. It is the Kota’s 1.8 acres central square dotted with multi-coloured parasols where business arena and street foods exists. It is where you can experience the local delicacies of Jakarta and also where the major Food Festival is held every year in March.

Try to explore the Street sides of the town, it is where you can spot more of the decaying colonial relics and meet the local tattoo artists. Another interesting place to visit is the Tiny Museum Wayang or known as the Puppet Museum, where puppets are used for the story telling.

The entrance fee to the museum is Rp. 5,000 but don’t worry if you don’t have the budget because there are free performances held in its theater every Sunday. If you want some refreshment, Taman Fatahillah Cafe Batavia is the best place for you.

It offers a strikingly attractive blend of pineapple and lime juice, a very pleasant taste of dim sum and the Batavia Punch mocktail that is offered by the Grand Salon upstairs averaging of Rp. 200,000.

To enjoy roaming around try to rent a bicycle at Taman Fatahillah for Rp.20,000 per hour. If you still have time, take a visit the Museum Bahari which recalls the Maritime History of Indonesia’s archipelago.

There is a place to stay if you need one, there are hotels nearby. Here are the few hotels you can stay: The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Jakarta, one of the original luxury hotels of Jakarta.

Hotel Mulia Senayan, it is said to be a great place for having a new year’s eve there, for those who likes classic style Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta might be the hotel for you, as well as the Grand Hyatt Jakarta, a very elegant hotel that has easy access to the Plaza Indonesia mall and Grand Indonesia Mall.

Be sure to visit Jakarta Old Town because it will give you the knowledge and the chance to learn the history and the early beginnings of Jakarta. The easiest way to reach this place is by taxi.