Jakarta is the dynamic capital city of the Republic of Indonesia, a country composed of more than 17,000 islands with a population of over 200 millions. There are more than 300 ethnic groups speaking 200 distinct languages and dialects, the Indonesian population exhibit incredible diversity in its linguistic, cultural and religious traditions. As the nation capital, Jakarta is truly a “meeting point” of people from all over the archipelago.
Jakarta is the lively social, cultural, economic and political hub of the nation, carrying a legacy of more than 30 years of largely uninterrupted economic expansion. It is home to many of the country’s finest research institutions, educational facilities and cultural organizations, and uniquely serves both as the seat of national as well as regional government.
Strategically positioned on the west side of the island of Java, the Capital City is the principal gateway to the rest of Indonesia. From Jakarta, sophisticated land, air and sea transport is available to the rest of the country.
Over the last several decades, Jakarta has proudly developed into one of Asia’s most prominent metropolitan centers. With a current population exceeding 7.5 mn, Jakarta has undergone dramatic growth.
There’s plenty to do in Jakarta, from exploring history in the city’s many museums, earning the art of batik or playing one of the 30 landscaped golf courses around the city. In the last 15 years retail has exploded with colossal multilevel shopping malls where you can find branches of Sogo, Seibu, Marks & Spencer’s and Debenhams. The malls also serve as recreation centers with movie theatres, ice rinks, climbing walls and, this being Asia, an abundance of cafes and restaurants.
From gourmet fine dining to street vendors hawking fiery snacks Jakarta offers food followers the whole smorgasbord of international dining from American to French, from Chinese to Thai and of course a great selection of Indonesian cuisine in all its many varieties.
Getting There
Emirates has launched a daily flight to Jakarta via Dubai for 26,143 rubles including all fees and surcharges aboard their Boeing 777 airliners. Leaving Moscow at 17.25 the flight arrives Dubai at 22.30 and with a nearly six hour stopover there’s plenty of time to shop and eat at leisure in the fabulous Dubai International Airport before catching the connecting flight which lands in Jakarta just before 16.00.
For details of attractions, hotels, local transport and a schedule of events from exhibitions to concerts visit the Jakarta City Government Tourist Office at www.jakarta-tourism.go.id.
For luxury accommodation visit the Jakarta International Hotels Association at www.jiha.org.
Don’t be scared off by the large number of zeros in the Indonesian Rupiah rates,
The Hotel Borobudur, which cooperates with the Russian Embassy in Jakarta for events such as a night at the Bolshoi Ballet, was recently offering a high season package of 5 days and four nights in a private garden room for three persons including daily buffet breakfast, free Wi-Fi internet, free use of the fitness centre, free use of the kids club for an under-12 and a one-time buffet dinner for two adults and a child for 5,820,000 Rupiahs. With 1 USD =9,394.40 IDR, the cost of the stay for two adults and a child was US$ 618.52. And they threw in discounts on food and drink, massage treatments. Hotel rates in Indonesia are subject to a 21% government tax and service charge.
