Planning a Trip to Jakarta

Jakarta is my hometown, and as a capital city of vast Indonesia, it's just not for the faint-hearted. It might be the most modern city in the country, and also the most polluted with the most depressingly long traffic jams, but it's also the most vibrant with ideas and attitudes of its 12 million inhabitants coming from elsewhere in the archipelago country and worldwide. Dodging traffic and enjoying radio banters while sitting in traffic are favorite sports, and eating is just as much fun as finding inexpensive gems be it a pair of shoes, a batik shirt, a gadget, or a piece of furniture in your shopping sprees. Just by being there surviving the daily physical abuse the traffic posed is a perfect excuse to be pampered - and Jakarta boasted the best hair/body salons and spas offering full-body, half-day treatment for about $40! Try the 'cream bath' if you don't have that much time... Banks and money changers are ubiquitous - you can buy pre-paid cellphones, and taxicabs are the best way to go around - or if you are indeed a braveheart, you can try the 'ojek' or motorcycles for hire, or the bajaj, the motorized tuktuks.

Jakarta (J-town) The sumpek (crowded) city ever (from my point a view of course) even sumpek this city offer lots of fun and variation of view. For you who like a photography, you can get lots of funtastic lunatic outrages view here in J-town. Here the placed that I mostly visit for hunting a Fatahilah Museum, Sunda Kelapa Harbour, Monument of Monas, Bunderan HI, Catedral Catholic Church, Gold Dome Mosque, Ragunan Zoo, Sudirman Street, Suropaty Park, Indonesian Miniatur Park (Taman Mini Indonesia Indah) , and lots of Monument building. For you who like take a fashion picture just go to mall or Kemang Street or you go to the office area in sudirman-thamrin or kuningan you will get a perfect street fashion ever... ;b or you like take some artistic picture like me visit the traditional market like Senen or Kramat Jati. Outrages picture you can have it in Taman Lawang, Jatinegara, Bantar Gebang or Ciliwung and so on. "Where should I stay then?" dont worry, if you rich enough J-town have a lotta of 5 star hotel like Ritz, Shangrila, Mariott, or Four Seassons. Oh, low budget... thousands of hotel for the low budget tourist ;) Party goers? perfect J-town have lot of place for party Embassy, Centro, Vertigo, Bliss sometimes we have Sundaze in Pantai Marina Ancol and other of cool party. Just wanna hangout not partying, Kemang is the perfect place... they have food festival sometimes garage sale. "What should I bring?" MONEY... Did the locals were nice? some of them yeah, some of them no... if you lost in direction just find a police station go there and ask. For women Travelers, use guide from your hotel or trusted travel agent its better rather than you have travel alone ;) "Am hungry!!" we have thousand of restorant and cafe, you can find it in Mall or Hotel, from europe food to asian food, indonesia food in everywhere, love spicy got to Rumah Makan Padang or Daeng Tata in casablanca for the Makasar taste uuuuhhhmm yummy... Well... bon voyage... ;) avoid trouble and keep smiling

your passport needs to have more than 6 months left until the expiary date otherwise they wont let you into the country.
however all personell do take bribes.

Jakarta can be a confusing experience when you're there for the first time. It's hot, very crowded, and even more chaotic. As much as I love Jakarta, I can only recommend it to the most adventurous travellers. It's actually not dangerous, contrary to popular belief. But you just have to know the city very well before you can enjoy it. I very much recommend the nightlife in Jakarta. The clubs and the crowd are just amazing there. It's very jamming, and way more liberal and wild than you'd expect!

Get the first train OUT to nearby Bogor (Buitenzorg). Fun little place with extensive, beautiful botanic gardens ... and much better air

Make sure your taxi driver understands your destination before you accept his service. Also women if you intend to tour the Mosque's do not wear shorts or tank tops.

For foreigners: please be careful in Jakarta. I recommend you not to take public transportation there because it's too dangerous for foreigners.