Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia and its biggest city, with about 10 million inhabitants. Picking up on other parts of Java, it has about 30 million in total. A reference to the Big Durian, a fruit that used to be popular in New York (and elsewhere), it’s got big concrete buildings and a traffic-mad vibe as fast as possible, but what awaits inside will change your perspective!
One of the most bustling and cosmopolitan cities in Asia, the J-Town has cheerful nightlife, vibrant shopping malls, a variety of foods, refreshing greenery, cultural diversity and a rich history, that caters to all levels of budget and how much fun you want to have.
Areas in Jakarta
Administratively, Jakarta is a province called the Jakarta Special Capital Region. (Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta). It is administratively divided into five municipalities and one regency. (the Thousand Islands in the Jakarta Bay).
Central Jakarta (Jakarta Pusat)
The heart of Jakarta’s administration, government and finance, an aptly named district and the site of Jakarta’s symbol, the soaring Monas (Monumen Nasional) and also the world’s largest city square “Lapangan Merdeka”. The city is a part of the old Jakarta (Batavia), recognisable by the president’s palace and the National Museum of Indonesia, both built in the 19th century.
Now filled with modern high rises for office buildings, hotels, and shopping centres, this is where most of Jakarta’s attractions are, such as the malls, the Tanah Abang garment complex, the Istiqlal mosque, the Cathedral, and the Bung Karno Sports Stadium.
West Jakarta (Jakarta Barat)
This site is also part of the Old Batavia. It is home to the Glodok area (Jakarta’s Chinatown) which is rich in street hawker food, Chinese restaurants, and temple complexes, and contains Jakarta’s electronic promenade. West Jakarta is also a major destination for shopping, as it is home to a lane of upscale malls at S. Parman and cheap shopping lanes at Mangga Dua. This area is also home to Jakarta’s biggest nightlife entertainment and red light district “Mangga Besar”.
South Jakarta (Jakarta Selatan)
Jakarta’s middle/upper class residential area, and part of Jakarta’s business centre. Here you can find upscale shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, bustling nightlife and entertainment, Blok M, Senayan sports complex, and affluent residential areas. The Kemang area is very popular among expats and locals for its nightlife and entertainment.
East Jakarta (Jakarta Timur)
The city’s industrial quarter and the most populous city within Jakarta. The location of Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (where you can see parts of Indonesia’s multiethnic community in one big park), some golf courses, Cibubur camping ground, and Jakarta’s second airport, Halim Perdanakusuma Airport.
North Jakarta (Jakarta Utara)
Jakarta’s main harbour area and the real home of the old Batavia. A small area consisting of Dutch buildings and harbor, its streets are thronged with hawker food, crafted goods, street performers, artists and Jakartan youths hanging around. This is also the location of Ancol Bayfront City, Asia’s largest integrated tourism area. The beautiful Thousand Islands (Kepulauan Seribu), accessible by boat from North Jakarta’s dock, is an instant escape from the hectic city with its beautiful beaches, marine parks, and world-class resorts.
Satellite cities in Jakarta
The Jakarta megalopolis of 30 million inhabitants includes Jakarta and the following satellite cities:
Bogor – One of the primary destinations to escape from Jakarta, with well-kept natural habitats, world class botany garden, resorts, and multiple golf courses
Tangerang – The airport, many large commercial centres and clustered homes
Bekasi – Mostly industrial parks
Depok – Home to the University of Indonesia
A common abbreviation to describe the megalopolitan area is Jabodetabek (Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi).
Orientation in Jakarta
Locating lesser known places in Jakarta can be quite difficult. Finding places in Jakarta, especially smaller buildings not on the main arteries, is easier said than done. Sometimes, the same name is used for different streets in different parts of the city, and it’s often difficult to find the correct street or address without the postal code/region.
Knowing the general direction in which to go is at least a good starting point. From the main train station, the National Monument is on your left, and you can follow the red line in your direction of travel. When you get to Taman Suropati, turn left for South Jakarta and Downtown Jakarta. Turn right for North Jakarta or Central Jakarta.
A sign with a street name facing you indicates the name of the street you are about to enter, not that of the cross street. Alleys off a main road are often simply notated by Roman numerals, hence a street address like “Jl. Mangga Besar VIII/21” means house number 21 on alley number 8 (VIII) off the main road of Jl. Mangga Besar.
Fortunately, there is a logic to the name of the street. Outside of the corridors of high rise offices, you basically can find out on what branch of the street you’re on by looking at the name of the streets without the Roman numerals. Most often the name of the area is the same as the name of the street, especially if it also bears the phrase Jalan Raya or avenues.
Knowing this almost takes you there, but gated clusters of houses have their own main roads that do not follow the convention, even though they are branches of a specific street. In that case, knowing the name of the housing cluster would be the best option in addition to the above rules. Conveniently, most navigation apps such as Google Maps or Waze are useful for finding addresses and places throughout Jakarta due to regular updates from users.
If you don’t want to waste time, ask for the description or name of nearby landmarks or buildings, billboards, color of the building or fence, or the postal code. If you still cannot find the address, start asking people on the street, especially ojek (motorcycle taxi drivers).
🏨 Hotels Near Jakarta
| Hotel | Address | City | Phone | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Westin Jakarta | 📍 Jalan H.R. Rasuna Said Kav. C-22A, Kecamatan Setiabudi, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12940, Indonesia | South Jakarta City | 📞 +62 21 27887788 | marriott.com/hotels/travel/jktwi-the-westin-jakarta/ |
| Wyndham Casablanca Jakarta | 📍 Jl. Raya Casablanca No.Kav. 18, RT.4/RW.12, Menteng Dalam, Kec. Tebet, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12870, Indonesia | South Jakarta City | 📞 +62 21 8282000 | wyndhamcasablancajakarta.com/ |
| The Mayflower, Jakarta - Marriott Executive Apartments | 📍 Indofood Tower, Sudirman Plaza, Jl. Jenderal Sudirman No.2, RT.2/RW.2, Kuningan, Setia Budi, Kecamatan Setiabudi, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12910, Indonesia | South Jakarta City | 📞 +62 21 57897888 | marriott.com/hotels/travel/jkter-the-mayflower-jakarta---marriott-executive-apartments/ |
| The Kuningan Suites | 📍 Jl. Setia Budi Utara Raya No.5, RW.1, Kuningan, Setia Budi, Kecamatan Setiabudi, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12920, Indonesia | South Jakarta City | 📞 +62 817-0326-0260 | thekuningansuites.com/ |
| Mercure Jakarta Cikini | 📍 Jl. Cikini Raya No.66, RT.14/RW.5, Cikini, Kec. Menteng, Jakarta, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10330, Indonesia | Jakarta | 📞 +62 21 3926600 | all.accor.com/lien_externe.svlt |
| JW Marriott Hotel Jakarta | 📍 Kawasan Mega Kuningan, Jalan Dr Ide Anak Agung Gde Agung Kav E.1.2 No 1&2, Jakarta, 12950, Indonesia | Jakarta | 📞 +62 21 57988888 | marriott.com/jktjw/ |
| The Hermitage, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, Jakarta | 📍 Jl. Cilacap No.1, Menteng, Jakarta, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10310, Indonesia | Central Jakarta City | 📞 +62 21 31926888 | marriott.com/hotels/travel/jkttx-the-hermitage-a-tribute-portfolio-hotel-jakarta/ |
| The Langham, Jakarta | 📍 Sudirman Central Business District District 8 SCBD, Lot 28, RT.5/RW.3, Senayan, Kec. Kby. Baru, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12190, Indonesia | South Jakarta City | 📞 +62 21 27087888 | langhamhotels.com/jakarta |
| Oakwood Premier Cozmo Jakarta | 📍 Jl. DR. Ide Anak Agung Gde Agung Lingkar Mega Kuningan Blok E4.2 No.1, RT.5/RW.2, Kuningan, Kuningan Tim., Kecamatan Setiabudi, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12950, Indonesia | South Jakarta City | 📞 +62 21 25542300 | oakwood.com/premier-cozmo-jakarta |
| Crowne Plaza Jakarta, an IHG Hotel | 📍 Jl. Gatot Subroto Jalan Kavling II No.3, RW.4, Karet Semanggi, Jakarta, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12930, Indonesia | South Jakarta City | 📞 +62 21 5268833 | ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/us/en/jakarta/jktcp/hoteldetail |
🎉 Tourist attractions Near Jakarta
| Top attraction | Address | City | Discover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jakarta Aquarium & Safari | 📍 Jl. Letjen S. Parman No.106, RW.5 | Near Jakarta Indonesia | "Tickets are quite expensive for tourist attractions like this." ⋅ Opens 10AM |
| Taman Impian Jaya Ancol | 📍 Jl. Lodan Timur No.7, RW.10 | Near Jakarta Indonesia | Resort with theme parks, beaches & golf "Great place for Jakarta tourist attractions" ⋅ Opens 6AM |
| Taman Suropati | 📍 Jl. Taman Suropati No.5, RT.5/RW.5 | Near Jakarta Indonesia | City green space with trails & statues "one of good monument national park in Jakarta" |
| Wisata Kota Tua Jakarta | 📍 Kawasan Kota Tua, Taman Fatahillah No.1, RT.7/RW.7 | Near Jakarta Indonesia | Old town area with colonial architecture "This tourist attraction offers plenty places to explore." ⋅ Opens 6AM |
| Taman Mini Indonesia Indah | 📍 East Jakarta City, Jakarta | Near Jakarta Indonesia | Park filled with sights about Indonesia "Many attraction for tourist and generally fun to explore." ⋅ Opens 6AM |
| Ragunan Zoo | 📍 Jl. Harsono RM No.1 | Near Jakarta Indonesia | Large zoo in a rainforest setting "A fantastic tourist attraction." ⋅ Opens 7AM |
| Dunia Fantasi | 📍 Jl. Lodan Timur No.7, RW.10 | Near Jakarta Indonesia | Theme park with rides & water features "Because it's the most popular attraction place in Indonesia." ⋅ Opens 10AM |
| Museum Nasional Indonesia | 📍 Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat No.12 | Near Jakarta Indonesia | National history museum opened in 1868 "It is good sightseeing for a tourist who wanna know a history of Indonesia." ⋅ Opens 9AM |
| Menteng Park | 📍 Jl. HOS. Cokroaminoto, RT.3/RW.5 | Near Jakarta Indonesia | Large park with a playground & sports "good for tourist to taste 'real' indonesian food." |
| National Monument Park | 📍 5, Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara No.2, RT.5/RW.2 | Near Jakarta Indonesia | Iconic obelisk, biking & fountain shows "favorite tourist spot in Jakarta ... capital icon ..." |
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