How to Make the Most of Your Visit to Jakarta Indonesia

The city has a lot of cultural value, and tourists will find interesting and curious places to visit with plenty of things to do in Jakarta. It is a unique city with a bustling economy but also one that offers tourists a window into Indonesia’s complicated and turbulent history. It is an opportunity for tourists to see the old city beside the modern malls, clubs and towering modern buildings. Jakarta is affectionately nicknamed ‘The Big Durian’ as it is considered the ‘Big Apple’ of Indonesia.

The Republic of Indonesia’s National Monument is a tower of 132 metres height that is in the centre of the Merdeka Square. It symbolises Indonesia’s struggles, and visiting this is definitely one of the things to do in Jakarta. The construction commenced under President Sukarno’s direction in 1961. It is abbreviated as Monas (Monumen Nasional) and was opened to the public in 1975. The tower is topped by a gold foil covered flame. When Indonesia moved its capital back from Yogyakarta to Jakarta in the 1950s, President Sukarno desired to have a monument that paralleled the Eiffel Tower and a National Monument Committee was set up and a design competition was announced in 1955. Of 51 entries, only one met all criteria mentioned by the committee. Frederich Silaban’s design met the requirement that the monument should reflect the essence of Indonesia and should be able to last for centuries. When another competition held in 1960 came to nothing, Silaban’s design was shown to Sukarno, who did not approve of it. He wished for the design to be similar to a “Lingaa and Yoni’ like the Hindu supreme deity. Construction of the Monas began in stages, with idle periods owing to lack of state funding.

The final design of the monument does encapsulate the philosophy of the Lingaa and Yoni. The Linga resembles a ‘Rice Pestle,’ and the Yoni resembles a ‘Rice Mortar.’ Both of these are important traditionally used Indonesian tools. The Lingaa and Yoni also symbolise balance, harmony, fertility, and eternal living, where the Phallic Lingaa signifies masculinity and day while the Yoni characterises feminine and night elements.

Kota Tua or Old Town is a neighbourhood in Jakarta, which comprises the original area that was downtown Jakarta, Indonesia. It is known by other names such as Benedenstad (Lower City in Dutch) or Oud Batavia, meaning Old Batavia. Dutch-style buildings and structures dating back to the 17^th century can be seen here. These are from a time when the port and city served as the headquarters in Asia for the VOC (Dutch East India Company) during the spice trade days. The town covers about 1.3 kilometre square and falls within West Jakarta and North Jakarta. Glodok, the downtown Chinese area falls within Kota Tua. The town is what remains of the first walled settlement from the Dutch occupation of the port city. The place gained importance as the ‘De facto capital’ for the Dutch East Indies. It was also known as the Jewel of Asia at the peak of the ‘Spice Trade’. The town was built after destroying the old town of Jayakarta and rebuilt it under the name of Batavia. The people are still known as Betawi people. In the 1630s the town expanded towards the western bank of the Ciliwung and has a fortress, public square, city walls, canals, churches, and streets that were lined with trees. Slowly abandoned and neglected, as people moved south to more affluential areas and the canals were filled up to prevent spread of disease. Tourists looking for things to do in Jakarta can visit the old town to see relics like the Kali Besar (the old river of Betavia), the Fine Arts and Ceramic Museum, Luar Batang Mosque, Glodok and Pinangsia area, Pasar Ikan, Kim Te Lek (Oldest Buddhist Temple), the Wayang Museum and more.

The Sunda Kelpa is the old harbour of the Sundanese Kingdom. It is the port located on the estuary of the River Ciliwung. The name means Coconut of Sunda, and it is located in the Penjaringan district of North-Jakarta. While this small port was key to the establishment of Jakarta, today, it can only accommodate a small dual-mast wooden ship that is used for inter-island freight transfer in the group of islands. As it was the only way to enter Batavia during the olden days, it earned the nickname of ‘Road of Batavia’ or ‘Batavia Roadstead.’ During the modern colonisation of the port, small ships called lights were used to transport freight and passengers between islands. These ships were known to be shallow iron steamships. Accidents causing moored junk has been recorded. Tourists can view, at the National Museum of Jakarta, the Padrao Of Sunda Kelapa, a pillar that commemorates a treaty between kingdoms in Sunda and Portugal. An old warehouse near the Sunda Kelapa port is now the Maritime museum. The port was renamed Sunda Kelapa after Indonesian Independence in memory of its long-standing history as a port that was the cradle of Jakarta. The port is certainly one of the several things to do in Jakarta.

Merdeka is a large square that stands at the centre of Jakarta. It occupies a meter square of area and is one of the largest squares even compared to Tiananmen Square and Place de la Concorde. At the centre of it, stands the Monumen Nasional or the Monas. There is a paved plaza around the monument and is the place where military events, public demonstrations, and float parades happen. The eastern side now has a park with a fountain, and the southeast end has a deer enclosure. On weekends, the square is popularly used for sports activities and recreation by the people of Jakarta. The square went through several name changes ever since its creation during the Dutch East Indies time. It was called Buffelsveld because it was used as grazing ground for buffalos in the beginning. Later it was renamed to Koningsplein, and during the Japanese occupation of Indonesia, it was briefly called Lapangan Ikada. In 1949 Sukarno changed the name of the square to Medan Merdeka, meaning Independence/ Freedom Ground. In early 2002, high fences were erected around the square to keep our beggars, homeless people and vendors from accessing it. The current design has diagonally crisscrossed streets that separate the four cardinal parks. The Taman Medan zone is filled with tall trees, reflecting ponds and fountains for relaxing things to do in Jakarta. The Ruang zone is free of trees to allow a clear view of the Monas. It has grass fields and a stone-paved plaza. There is also a garden at the centre with decorative flowering plants that enhance the look of the space.

Jalan Surabaya is a street that stands out in the quiet residential district of Menteng, Jakarta. Of all the things to do in Jakarta, tourists should definitely not skip this place because it is the flea market every tourist desire to shop at. This antique market is spread over 500 yards on one side of the street and has approximately 184 shops that hawk everything from porcelain and wooden carvings to batik, old coins, utensils, Javanese puppets, lampshades, and other accessories.From the Dutch era come the old coins, precious parts of ships, silverware, Dutch porcelain, and chandeliers. Many shops specialise in batik work and Balinese carvings. The sellers of this street were moved from the Fatahillah Square in the old city due to overcrowding. Erstwhile US President Barack Obama briefly lived in the Menteng neighbourhood and his (Menteng 01 Elementary School) has added a statue of him to commemorate his brief study with them. There is a beautiful vinyl records shop called Lian Records, which is a favourite with record lovers because of the extensive collection of records. The records are not arranged in any particular order, and it takes patience to sift through them for some particular things. All shops and hawkers in Surabaya quote prices way higher that normal for their ware, and it is a great idea to haggle and bargain when it comes to pricing at any shop. Tourists should be aware that there may be hawkers peddling fake items. Unless you are able to discern real stuff like coins and antiques apart from the fakes, stay away from making any buys at this market. Some of the best cafés and sandwiches can be found on the other side of the street, and you should try the coffee brewed here as one of your things to do in Jakarta.

The Wayang museum is a place that is dedicated to the amazing art of Javanese Wayang puppetry. It is one of the top things to do in Jakarta and is located in Kota Tua, the old town of Jakarta. It is one of the many museums and art galleries that face the Fatahillah Square in the old town. The building occupied by the museum is an old church site that was built in the 1640s. It was called the Old Dutch Church, but the church was destroyed in the earthquake of 1808. A neo-renaissance style building was constructed at the site and was used as a warehouse for a few decades. The Batavia Society of Arts and Sciences took over the reconstructed building, and it was made into a museum. The museum has a splendid collection of different kinds of Wayang, such as ‘Javanese wayang Kulit’ and ‘Sundanese wayang Golek.’ The museum garden is the funeral site of late Governor-General Jan Pieterszoon Coen. The museum carries a plate marking the tombstone as well. There are periodical theatre shows organised by the museum, and they also conduct traditional wayang-making workshops from time to time. Entrance is 5000 Rupiah.

The Museum Layang or the Kite Museum of Indonesia is a fun thing to do in Jakarta and it is a little museum located in the centre of Jakarta. Playing with kites is a very popular pastime for Indonesian children. The museum is a colourful, fun and cosy place founded by Mrs. Endang W Puspoyo, who had a passion for kites and has a large collection of her own. The museum, which opened I 2003 is a great place for all things related to kite education. The place also helps organise and run kite festivals, decorating events, and workshops related to kites all around Jakarta. The museum has a collection that spans several very impressive kites, including a 2-centimetre miniature to the Megaray kite which is 9/2 metres. Over 600 kites include 3D horses and dragons, fish, lions, cats, and ships. A theatre shows a film about the history of kites in Indonesia and shares information about the different kind of kites across the country. Workshops are conducted on several things to do in Jakarta like kite making, umbrella painting, kite painting, ceramic making, batik painting, and t-shirt painting. Signages to the museum are small and it is not located on any main road. The address is No.38, Jl. H Kamang, Pondok Labu, Jakarta. The museum is open on all days from 9am to 5pm and is closed on National Holidays.

The Bank Museum Mandiri is a sober economics museum that is located in the banking district of Jakarta’s old town. The museum is home to the former headquarters of the Netherlands Trading Society, which in turn, is one of the ancestors of the ABN AMRO. The building of the Mandiri stands on 10,039 square metres of land, which was previously owned by a warehouse merchant. The architecture of the current building follows art deco and was built in 1929 following fire destruction of the old warehouse building. The museum has been operation since 1998 and was established by the Bank Mandiri. The museum has a diverse collection of items related to banking activities and certainly makes for some offbeat things to do in Jakarta. Patrons can view securities, operating supplies, old currencies, old ornaments, and Dutch safe deposit boxes from colonial times. Furniture and building interiors from the colonial times too have been retained, for effect. The banks collection is also a reflection of its involvement and development in ‘Good Old Days’ or Tempo Doeloe of Indonesia. The entrance fee is 5000 Rupia for adults.

The Satriamandala Museum also written as Satria Mandala, is the museum for the ‘Indonesian Armed Forces.’ It is located over 14 acres of land in Mampang, South Jakarta, and was opened in 1972. The name is derived from Sanskrit and means-sacred place for the knights. Exhibits are divided amongst three different buildings and the main grounds. The museum was conceived because it was felt that existing museums in the country were either poorly funded or had poorly defined mission statements. Also, there wasn’t any museum to showcase the combined military effort of Indonesia. The museum is housed at Wisma Yaso, a building created as residence for erstwhile President Sukarno’s wife Ratna Dewi Sari, who was Japanese. The building is, therefore, modelled in Japanese style. The Waspada Purbawisesa, an Eternal Vigilance Museum was added to the ground in 1987. The Waspada Purbawisesa conducts educational discourses on Pancasila, which is the official, foundational philosophy of Indonesia. The museum exhibits include an entire room dedicated to squadron banners, artefacts from the first Chief of Staff, Commander in Chief, and Generals. Weapons such as rifles, bamboo sticks, grenades, and other weapons are also among the displays. This is a great way to spend half a day and is one of the more entertaining things to do in Jakarta. A Hall of Heroes has life-size statues of all member of the Indonesian Military who have been declared as national Heroes of Indonesia. Statues of General Oerip and Sudirman stand tall at the back of the hall. The museum is open from 8am to 2pm and costs less than 20 US cents for entry.

The Komodo Indonesian Fauna Museum and Reptile Park is located in the (TMII) Taman Mini Indonesia Indah compound in East Jakarta. The focus of the museum is to present to the public, endemic animals, and reptiles of Indonesia along with other fauna. It is popularly named as ‘Komodo Museum’ after the design of its central building which is shaped like a giant Komodo, the largest endemic lizard of Indonesia. The museum has taxidermic displays of animals and their skeletons. Diorama of animals that inhabit the archipelago of Indonesia. Although the initial collection of the museum consisted of taxidermy Sumatran tigers, babirusas, and even birds of paradise, the post-renovation museum only exhibits reptiles and amphibians. The park surrounding the museum building has a reptilian park and a mini zoo with over 67 species of snakes and lizards. There are enclosures that house crocodiles, pythons, and Komodo dragons. A petting zoo is for sure one of the things to do in Jakarta as it allows visitors to pet and take pictures with non-venomous snakes, tortoises, and iguana. The museum is open from 8am to 4pm on all days. Tickets cost 25,000 Rupiah.

Although Jakarta is a busy city and is usually an entry and exit point for people travelling to Indonesia, the city has a lot more to offer, and there are many interesting things to do in Jakarta. Plan a trip and get some Indonesia history down with a visit to Jakarta.