Jakarta

Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia is located on the island of Java and is a popular tourist destination. Colonial buildings like Gedung Pancasila, Gedung Kesenian Jakarta, Gereja Sion church and the Taman Fatahillah, which is an old square laid with cobble stones are popular tourist attractions in Jakarta.

The maritime museum and its watch tower have a view of the ocean and the puppet museum holds exhibition of puppets from Indonesia and other south-east Asian countries as well as puppet shows. The national museum is housed in a 19th century building. The national monument in the Independent Square, a 130 meter high statue also attracts tourist. Tourists also visit amusement parks like the Ancol Dream Park and Taman Mini Indonesia Indah miniature park.

Visitors can enjoy scuba diving in Jakarta. The liveaboards and dive centres offer the option of exploring the marine life rich in whale sharks, turtles, sea horses and corals. Horse riding is another activity offered by many equestrian clubs in Jakarta. Another popular activity of Jakarta is bowling. The game is usually rounded up with drinks and food.

Jakarta also attracts nature lovers with the Ujung Kulon National Park, which comprises a large rainforest and is home to the one-horned Javan rhino. Tourists can visit the zoo, Taman Safari Indonesia, the Indonesian Flower Garden or the Wisata Agro Gunung Mas Tea Plantation located in Puncak. Tourists also drop in at the golf clubs, the botanical and orchid gardens that are located in Bogor.

Jakarta has several venues for nightlife and its beaches are quite popular with tourists.

The Soekarno International airport in Jakarta is 20 kms from the city. There are buses, taxis and shuttle buses plying between hotels and airport. There are several bus terminals in and around the city, including those like Rawamangun, Kampong Rambutan, Pulo Gadung and Lebek Bulus Station. Buses can be availed to move around the city. Ferry services in Jakarta are regular, too.

Taxis operate in Jakarta and tourists can also take suburban trains that connect major outlying areas like Tangerang, Bojonggede, Bogor, Depok, Bekasi and Serpong to Jakarta. Motorcycle taxis or Ojeks are another means of moving around Jakarta.

Jakarta experiences a hot and humid tropical wet and dry climate. The temperature remains hot, around 30⁰ Celsius, and humid almost throughout the year.