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Jakarta City Guide
Indonesia>Jakarta
Jakarta, capital city of Indonesia has mutated into a metropolis
with all the outward appearance of an Asian boom town in
not more than a decade. It is also one of the region's most
exciting metropolitan city.
Enjoy one of the world- class performances in this fascinating
city. Jakarta's cultural showcase, Ismail Marzuki Park,
hosts a variety of Western and Indonesian performances,
ranging from poetry readings and jazz concerts to premier
showings of international films and gamelan concerts.
Get a taste of nostalgic in a number of interesting museums
including the Indonesian National Museum, which houses an
enormous collection of cultural objects. Also, visit the
Jakarta History Museum which contains memorabilia from the
Dutch colonial era and the city's public monuments such
as the National Monument (Monas) and the Statue of Welcome
(locally known as 'Hansel and Gretel').
Enjoy your vacation in tropical- paradise havens that is
scattered across the Java Sea to the north of Jakarta -
the Thousand Islands (Pulau Seribu)-Among these islands
such as Pulau Damar, Pulau Tikus and Pulau Pari are good
day-trip destinations from Jakarta.
Getting There and Moving Around
By air
Indonesia has a good internal air system linking most of
the larger towns to Jakarta. Domestic flights from Jakarta
depart from Terminal 1 at Soekarno Hatta International Airport
(except Garda Airlines flights, which leave from Terminal
2). Domestic operators include Bouraq Indonesia Airlines
(BO), Garuda Indonesia (GA), Merpati Nusantara Airlines
(MZ) and Sempati Air (SG).
By sea
PELINI, the state-owned shipping company has six modern
ferries serving all the main ports across the archipelago.
Foreign cruise liners also operate on an irregular basis.
Luxury cruises offer trips to various destinations including
the eastern islands (leaving from Bali).
By rail
Java has a pretty good rail service running from one end
of the island to the other. In the east (at Ketapang), it
connects with the ferry to Bali; in the west (at Merak),
it connects with the ferry to Sumatra. The two main lines
run between Jakarta and Surabaya - one via Yogya and Solo;
the other, shorter route via Semarang.
An extensive rail network runs throughout Java. The Bima
Express, which has sleeping and restaurant cars, links Jakarta
and Surabaya; there are also other express services. There
are three classes of travel, but first-class exists only
on principal expresses.
By road
There are regular services between most towns. Bus trips
can be made from Jakarta to Bali (two days). There are also
'Bis Malam' night-buses on a number of routes, running in
competition with the railways. Special 'travel minibuses'
offering a door-to-door service are also available in cities
and major tourist areas.
Moving Around
The availability of various transport mode in Jakarta is
a convenience of the visitors to move around the captivating
city.
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