Other Areas
Plaza SenayanMALL
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.plaza-senayan.com; Jl Asia Afrika; W)
Huge plaza with a cinema and stores including Marks & Spencer, a roster of big-bucks brands and lots of cafes.
8Information
Dangers & Annoyances
For such a huge city with obvious social problems, Jakarta is surprisingly safe. Violent crime is rare and tourists are seldom targeted. You should exercise more caution after dark, however, particularly late at night in Glodok and Kota, where there are some seedy clubs and bars. Robberies by taxi drivers have been known to take place, so always opt for reputable firms, such as the citywide Bluebird group.
Jakarta’s buses and trains can be hopelessly crowded, particularly during rush hours, and this is when pickpockets ply their trade.
Some foreign embassies warn against travel to Indonesia and especially Jakarta, though overall there’s little risk for travellers. That said, attacks against foreign interests have occurred and protests, although often peaceful, may still become violent with little warning.
Occasionally, bars and clubs have been smashed up by the city’s self-appointed morality police, the Jakarta-based Front Pembela Islam (FPI or Islamic Defenders Front), especially during Ramadan.
Emergency
Tourist PolicePOLICE
( GOOGLE MAP ; %021-566000; Jl KH Wahid Hasyim)
On the 2nd floor of the Jakarta Theatre.
Immigration
Central Immigration OfficeIMMIGRATION
( Direktorat Jenderal Imigrasi; GOOGLE MAP ; %021-522 4658; www.imigrasi.go.id; Jl HR Rasuna Said 8 & 9)
Provides information on visa extensions and renewals.
Internet Access
Free wi-fi is common in cafes, restaurants, hotels and malls. Internet cafes are not easily found in the central area.
Media
AJakarta Globe (www.thejakartaglobe.com) Excellent newspaper with stylish layout, quality reporting and illuminating features. The Jakarta coverage is impressive.
AJakarta Post (www.thejakartapost.com) English-language daily with news, views and cultural content.
Medical Services
Cikini HospitalHOSPITAL
( GOOGLE MAP ; %emergency 021-3899 7744, urgent care 021-3899 7777; www.rscikini.com; Jl Raden Saleh Raya 40)
Caters to foreigners and has English-speaking staff.
SOS Medika KlinikMEDICAL
( GOOGLE MAP ; %021-750 6001; Jl Puri Sakti 10, Cipete; h7am-10pm)
Offers English-speaking GP appointments, dental care, and emergency and specialist healthcare services.
Money
You’re never far from an ATM in Jakarta.
BII BankBANK
( GOOGLE MAP ; Plaza Indonesia, Jl Thamrin; h8am-4pm Mon-Sat)
In the basement level of Plaza Indonesia.
Post
Main Post OfficePOST OFFICE
( GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Gedung Kesenian I; h8am-7pm Mon-Fri, to 1pm Sat)
Occupying an octagonal building near Lapangan Banteng.
Tourist Information
Jakarta Visitor Information OfficeTOURIST INFORMATION
( GOOGLE MAP ; %021-316 1293, 021-314 2067; www.jakarta-tourism.go.id; Jl KH Wahid Hasyim 9; h9am-7pm Mon-Fri, to 4pm Sat)
Inside the Jakarta Theatre building. A helpful office; the staff here can answer many queries and set you up with tours of West Java. Practical information can be lacking but it does have a good stock of leaflets and publications and a colour map. There’s also a desk at the airport.
Travel Agencies
Travel agencies in the Jl Jaksa area are convenient places to start looking for international flights and long-haul bus tickets. Domestic air tickets usually cost the same from a travel agency as from the airline, but discounts are sometimes available.
Websites
ALiving in Indonesia (www.expat.or.id) Geared at longer-term visitors; boasts everything from restaurant reviews and visa information to chat rooms.
AJakarta.go.id (www.jakarta-tourism.go.id) The Jakarta City Government Tourism Office’s official site; offers plenty of listings including transport and events.
AJakChat (www.jakchat.com) English-language forums where you can discuss everything from bars to politics.
ALonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com/indonesia/jakarta) Planning advice, author recommendations, traveller reviews and insider tips.
8Getting There & Away
Jakarta is the main international gateway to Indonesia. It's also a major centre for domestic travel, with extensive bus, train, air and boat connections.
Air
All international flights and most domestic flights operate from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Consult www.jakartaairportonline.com for airport information and schedules.
AirAsiaAIRLINE
(%021-5050 5088; www.airasia.com)
Links Jakarta to Semarang, Yogyakarta and Bali. Also has cheap non-stop flights to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok.
CitilinkAIRLINE
(%080 4108 0808; www.citilink.co.id)
Flies to cities including Denpasar, Bandung, Malang, Banjarmasin, Pekanbaru and Surabaya.
GarudaAIRLINE
( GOOGLE MAP ; www.garuda-indonesia.com)
Indonesia's most established domestic carrier connects Jakarta with dozens of Indonesian cities including Denpasar, Yogyakarta, Makassar and Kupang, and offers limited international flights as well.
Lion Air/Wings AirAIRLINE
( GOOGLE MAP ; www.lionair.co.id)
Links Jakarta with cities all over the archipelago.
Sriwijaya AirAIRLINE
( GOOGLE MAP ; %080 4177 7777; www.sriwijayaair.co.id)
Links Jakarta with many cities in Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara and Papua.
Boat
Pelni shipping services operate on regular schedules to ports all over the archipelago. The Pelni ticketing office ( GOOGLE MAP ; %021-6385 0960, 021-439 3106; www.pelni.co.id; Jl Angkasa 18) is northeast of the city centre in Kemayoran. Tickets (plus commission) can also be bought from the agent Kerta Jaya ( GOOGLE MAP ; %021-345 1518; Jl Veteran I 27), opposite Mesjid Istiqlal.
Pelni ships all arrive at and depart from Pelabuhan Satu (dock No 1) at Tanjung Priok, 13km northeast of the city centre. Busway Koridor 12 provides a direct bus link; a taxi from Jl Jaksa is around 120,000Rp.
Bus
Jakarta’s four major bus terminals – Kalideres, Kampung Rambutan, Pulo Gadung and Lebak Bulus – are all a long way from the city centre. Take the TransJakarta busway to these terminals as the journey can take hours otherwise. Trains are generally a better alternative for travelling to/from Jakarta. Tickets (some including travel to the terminals) for the better buses can be bought from agencies.
AKalideres Serves points west of Jakarta. Buses run to Merak (35,000Rp, 2½ hours) and Labuan (50,000Rp, 3½ hours). A few buses go to Sumatra from Kalideres, but most depart from Pulo Gadung terminal. Take busway Koridor 3 to get there.
AKampung Rambutan Mainly handles buses to points south and southwest of Jakarta such as Bogor (normal/air-con 12,000/20,000Rp, 45 minutes); Cianjur (air-con 35,000Rp, 2½ hours); Bandung (normal/air-con 50,000/60,000Rp, three hours); Pangandaran (85,000Rp to 90,000Rp, eight to nine hours) and Pelabuan Ratu (55,000Rp, four hours). Take busway Koridor 7 to get there.
APulo Gadung Buses to Bandung, Central and East Java, Sumatra, Bali and even Nusa Tenggara. Bandung buses travel the toll road (47,000Rp to 60,000Rp, three hours), as do the long-haul Yogyakarta coaches (200,000Rp to 260,000Rp, 12 hours). Sumatra is another long haul from Jakarta by bus, but destinations include Bengkulu (from 300,000Rp) and Palembang (from 350,000Rp). Take busway Koridor 2 or 4 to get the terminal.
ALebak Bulus Long-distance deluxe buses to Yogyakarta, Surabaya and Bali; take Koridor 8 to get here.
Minibus
Door-to-door travel minibuses are not a good option in Jakarta because it can take hours to pick up or drop off pas
sengers in the traffic jams. Unless you've the patience of a saint, take a train, plane or bus.
Day TransBUS
( GOOGLE MAP ; %021-2967 6767; www.daytrans.co.id; Jl Thamrin; hhourly 6am-8pm)
Hourly minibuses to Bandung (110,000Rp to 125,000Rp) from Jl Thamrin.
Train
Jakarta’s four main train stations are quite central, making trains the easiest way out of the city. The most convenient and important is Gambir station, on the eastern side of Merdeka Sq, a 15-minute walk from Jl Jaksa. Gambir handles express trains to Bogor, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Solo, Semarang and Surabaya. Pasar Senen train station is to the east and mostly has economy-class trains while Tanah Abang station has economy trains to the west.
Check timetables online at www.kereta-api.co.id, or consult the helpful staff at the station’s information office. There’s a slightly pricey taxi booking desk inside Gambir station; the fare to Jl Jaksa is roughly 45,000Rp.
Popular destinations include the following:
ABogor Trains leave from Gambir and Jakarta Kota stations. Air-conditioned trains (one hour, 15,000Rp) leave roughly hourly; there are also much slower and dirtier ekonomi trains (two hours, 8000Rp). All trains are horribly crowded during rush hours.
ABandung There are frequent trains to Bandung along a scenic hilly track, but be sure to book in advance (especially on weekends and public holidays). Comfortable Argo Parahyangan services depart from Gambir train station six times daily (business 60,000Rp, executive 80,000Rp to 95,000Rp, 3¼ hours) between 5.55am and 8.25pm.
AYogyakarta and Solo From Gambir there are six daily exclusive-class trains (300,000Rp to 450,000Rp, 7¼ to nine hours) to Yogyakarta, leaving between 8am and 8.45pm; four of these continue to Solo, 45 minutes further on.
ASurabaya There are four daily exclusive-class trains between Gambir station and Surabaya (395,000Rp to 520,000Rp, 10½ to 11 hours).
8Getting Around
To/From the Airport
Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta international airport is 35km west of the city centre. A toll road links the airport to the city and the journey takes about an hour (longer during rush hour).
Damri (%021-550 1290, 021-460 3708; www.busbandara.com; 40,000Rp; hevery 15 to 30 minutes) airport buses run between 4am and 8pm between the airport and Gambir train station (near Jl Jaksa) and several other points in the city including Blok M, Tanjung Priok and Kampung Rambutan bus station. From Gambir train station to Jl Jaksa or Cikini, a taxi is around 45,000Rp, or you could walk (it’s just under 1km). Damri buses also run regularly to Bogor (55,000Rp to 75,000Rp, every 15 to 30 minutes). Taxis from the airport to Jl Thamrin/Jl Jaksa cost about 170,000Rp to 200,000Rp including tolls. Be sure to book via the official taxi desks, rather than using the unlicensed drivers outside.
Halim Perdana Kusuma airport is 11km south of the Cikini district and not served by pubic transport. A taxi from central Jakarta costs around 100,000Rp.
Bus
Jakarta has a good TransJakarta busway system, which has really sped up city travel in recent years. One of the most useful routes is Koridor 1, which runs north to Kota, past Monas and along Jl Sudirman.
Other buses are not very useful for visitors as they are much slower, hotter (no air-con) and crowded (pickpockets can be a problem). The tourist office can provide a map that plots the busway routes.
TRANSJAKARTA BUSWAY
TransJakarta is a network of clean, air-conditioned buses that run on busways (designated lanes that are closed to all other traffic). They are the quickest way to get around the city.
Most busways have been constructed in the centre of existing highways, and stations have been positioned at roughly 1km intervals. Access is via elevated walkways and each station has a shelter. Fifteen busway lines (called koridor) are up and running.
Tickets cost 3500Rp to 9000Rp payable before you board, which covers any destination in the network (regardless of how many koridor you use). Buses (running 5am to 10pm) are well maintained and usually not too crowded, though you may have to wait a while for a bus with seating space during peak hours.
The busway system has dozens of feeder routes from within and outside the city. It has been a great success, but as most middle- and upper-class Jakartans remain as addicted as ever to their cars, the city’s famous traffic jams are set to continue.
Car
Jakarta has branches of the major car-rental operators, including Avis ( GOOGLE MAP ; %021-314 2900; www.avis.co.id; Jl Diponegoro 25) and Trac Astra ( GOOGLE MAP ; %021-650 6565; www.trac.astra.co.id; Jl Gaya Motor 1/10). Alternatively, enquire in travel agencies, as a vehicle with driver may be the most economical option.
The big operators charge about 800,000Rp per day with a driver (650,000Rp without), while private operators are often cheaper.
A number of the ‘transport’ guys who hang around on Jl Jaksa can also offer good deals.
Local Transport
Bajaj (pronounced ‘ba-jai’) are similar to Thai tuk-tuks. They are not that common these days and if you hire one it’s worth remembering that they are not allowed on many major thoroughfares.
Ojek are motorbike taxis. Drivers wait on busy street corners and usually wear a fluorescent-coloured vest. Getting about Jakarta on two wheels is a lot quicker than in a car, though it's obviously less safe and you're directly exposed to the city's air pollution. Negotiate a price first; a short ride will be about 20,000Rp. A new city-wide ojek network called Go-Jek (%021-725 1110; www.go-jek.com) has recently been introduced, using registered drivers and an app so you can book and pay directly from your smartphone, like Uber.
In Kota you'll find becak, pushbike rickshaws with an additional padded seat on the back. These contraptions are ideal for shuttling to and from Sunda Kelapa; expect to pay 10,000Rp to 20,000Rp for a short ride.
Taxi
Taxis are inexpensive in Jakarta. All are metered and cost 5000Rp to 8000Rp for the first kilometre and around 300Rp for each subsequent 100m. Tipping is expected, if not demanded. Many taxi drivers provide a good service, but Jakarta has enough rogues to give its taxis a variable reputation. Stick to reputable companies such as Bluebird cabs (%021-794 1234; www.bluebirdgroup.com); a minimum of 30,000Rp is charged for ordered taxis. Uber is also in Jakarta these days, and can frequently be the same price and more comfortable than a taxi. Any tolls and parking fees – there are lots of them – are extra and paid by the passenger.
Thousand Islands
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A string of palm-fringed islands in the Jakarta Bay, Thousand Islands (Pulau Seribu) are the perfect respite for those stuck in the capital too long. If you're travelling onward through the nation, you could easily skip them – they're expensive by Indonesian standards, and mainly geared towards weekending Jakartans. But they do have white-sand beaches and calm, clear seas (aside from the islands closest to the mainland which are plagued by trash).
Several have been developed into resorts with bungalows and water sports. Pulau Pramuka is the group’s district centre, but most people live on Pulau Kelapa. Pulau Panjang has the only airstrip on the islands. There are actually only 130 islands, not a thousand.
You can book island trips at the Ancol Marina ( GOOGLE MAP ; %021-6471 1822; Taman Impian Jaya Ancol) or via the Jakarta Visitor Information Office.
8Getting There & Around
The resorts have daily speedboats from Jakarta’s Ancol Marina for guests and day trippers, usually leaving between 8am and 11am and returning between 2pm and 5pm, with additional services on weekends. Some are just a 20-minute ride away, but the furthest islands take around two hours to reach. Return day-trip rates to the resorts with lunch include Pulau Bidadari (400,000Rp) and Pulau Macan (750,000Rp).
Locals will ferry you from one island to the next (but this can be pricey). Most islands are small enough to easily explore on foot and some have bikes for hire.
Pulau Bidadari
This is the closest resort island and is popular with Jakarta residents for day trips. It is one of t
he least interesting resorts, but you can use it to visit other islands such as Pulau Kahyangan, Pulau Kelor (which has the ruins of an old Dutch fort) or Pulau Onrust (where the remains of an 18th-century shipyard can be explored). Boats can be hired for the short trip from Pulau Bidadari for 100,000Rp per hour.
The island’s resort (%021-6471 3173; www.pulaubidadariecoresort.com; s/d per person incl full board from 985,000/1,605,000Rp) has a variety of simple cottages and sports facilities, and can be booked at Ancol Marina.
Pulau Macan
A couple of tropical dots in the ocean now host a wonderful ecoresort, Tiger Island Village and Eco Resort (%0878 8234 1314, 0812 9753 1395; www.pulaumacan.com; cabins incl full board from 1,585,000Rp per person), which uses recycled rainwater, solar panels and nature-friendly products. This beachside retreat may not be cheap, but the experience and location are special and there is good snorkelling offshore.
West Java
Many tourists only experience the lush, volcanic panoramas of West Java (Jawa Barat) through the murky window of a lumbering bus or train, but this dramatic, diverse region has plenty to detain the inquisitive traveller. Historically it's known as Sunda and its people and language are Sundanese.
Lonely Planet Indonesia Page 11