An Unbeatable City Guide to Jakarta

It is such a big city that it can be hard to know where to start when exploring Jakarta, a city affectionally known as the “Big Durian.” this bustling metropolis has a population far in excess of the official census figure of 10 million. My personal bet is the city has a working population of almost double that. Look on a map and it tells you that Bogor and Jakarta are different cities. However, on the ground it is no longer clear where one ends and the other begins.

The old town of Jakarta is a sad site to see. Exploring Jakarta’s old town you will see a ramshackle mix of grand dilapidated buildings, many falling in on themselves. One look at the central square you can see the potential, if only the Government would get its act together. That in summary is Jakarta. The city has everything that would make it a great international city, but only if the municipal government untangle the mess that a generation of growth without regulation has created.

So lets talk about the good stuff; Jakarta has the great shopping that rivals Singapore. The food and restaurant here are amazing and it is fair to say that nowhere else in Indonesia are you likely to come across such a wide and varied range of cuisine. If you like fancy clubs, the nightlife here is also great. Jakarta’s supermarkets are also full of everything you’d ever need. Honestly, this is quite a small list of positive points, which I doubt is enough to tempt tourists to start exploring Jakarta.