What to do and where to go in the capital of Indonesia

One day is not nearly enough time to visit Jakarta, but that is all the time we had. So, here is everything we were able to see and do within the 24 hours we spent in Jakarta.

_{Jakarta skyline}

_{A great city and not enough time!}

1. Merdeka Square

Lapangan Merdeka or "Freedom Square" is one of the main attractions of Indonesia and it is at the heart of Jakarta. From this place the Dutch ruled the country in the colonial period and it was also here that the Indonesians celebrated their independence of Holland, 17 of August of 1945.

In the centre of the square we can find the National Monument of Indonesia, Monas. We wrote about it here.

_{Monas in the middle of Merdeka Square}

_{Main attractions around Merdeka Sqaure}

Around Monas, a green park with many palm trees and a well-kept garden. Around the square, wide avenues and important governmental and cultural buildings, such as the Merdeka Palace and the National Museum of Indonesia.

This square is 1km² and is considered one of the largest squares in the world.

2. National Museum of Inonesia

A great place to be introduced to the culture and history of Indonesia. Here you can find more information about our visit to this great museum.

_{National Museum of Indonesia}

3. Jakarta Cathedral

When the Dutch colonized Indonesia, they banned the Roman Catholic Church in the country, since they were Protestants. But in 1806 the Netherlands came under French rule and the king of Holland became Louis Napoleon, Napoleon's younger brother and, as a Catholic, he began to allow Catholicism again in Indonesia.

Thus, in 1859, the first Catholic Church was built in this place, the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption. But this church fell apart in 1890 and a new church was built between the years of 1899 and 1901.

_{Jakarta Cathedral}

The current Catholic Cathedral of Jakarta was built in neo-Gothic style in the shape of a cross. It has three white iron towers, which I found very beautiful. Two of them, with 60 meters each, are in front and the third tower, 45 meters, is at the back of the building.

Location: Jalan Katedral, No. 7. In front of the Istiqlal Mosque and near Merdeka Square.

4. Istiqlal Mosque

Istiqlal means "independence" in Arabic. This was the name given to the largest Southeast Asian Mosque, which was built to commemorate the independence of Indonesia, from Holland, in 1949.

_{Istiqlal Mosque viewed from the top of Monas}

The then president of Indonesia, Sukarno, insisted that the mosque be built near the Jakarta (Catholic) Cathedral and the Emanuel (Protestant) Church, as a symbol of harmony and tolerance. Its construction took 17 years to complete and was opened to the public on February 22, 1978, with a capacity for 120,000 people.

Location: It is next to Merdeka Square and opposite the Jakarta Cathedral.

5. Shopping Malls

Jakarta has a super hot climate, it rains a lot and we understand perfectly well why people are always looking for a covered and air conditioned environment. We also felt this need and started looking for a cooler place to have lunch and to hide from the rain that was pouring outside.

_{Plaza Indonesia}

So we went to Plaza Indonesia. There are so many shopping malls in Jakarta, that it can be overwhelming trying to decide which one to go to. The upscale shops we found had prices as high as London. But the restaurants were a bit more affordable.

6. The Cloud Lounge & Living Room

All the large cities in Asia have at least a few bars at the sky high buildings. Jakarta also has its share of high rise bars with great views over the city.

The Cloud Lounge & Living Room is located at the penthouse of The Plaza, which is connected to the Plaza Indonesia Shopping Mall, but it is not the same building and it was kind of hard to find the elevator that would take us to the 49th floor. After asking a lot of people, someone finally showed us where it was. I think it would have been easier to find if we had left the Plaza Indonesia Shopping Mall and from outside, had walked to the entrance to The Plaza.

_{Great place to relax}

We arrived just in time for their happy sunset. We were afraid of not getting in, as we were wearing tennis shoes and clothes that were more appropriate for doing touristy stuff and we had heard that some bars in Jakarta have very strict dress codes.

_{Happy Sunset}

But they did let us in and we were really well looked after by the staff. Great atmosphere and a really cool place to just relax and enjoy the view.

The second largest city in the world, seen from above, is impressive. Too bad it was raining and we could not see the sunset.

Dinner time: 6:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. during the week and until midnight on weekends.
Bar hours: 16h00 to 03h00.

7. Selamat Datang Monument

The bronze statue of a man and a woman making an welcome gesture is in the middle of a roundabout in the centre of Jakarta. In total, the monument is about 30 metres high. Some of the city's most important malls and buildings are around this monument.

_{The hospitality of the Indonesian people}

It was built in the 60's when Jakarta was preparing to host the Asian Games. The monument symbolizes the hospitality of the Indonesian people. An affirmation that we fully agree.

Other sights of Jakarta:

Unfortunately we did not have time to visit these attractions, but it's an excuse to go back one day.

8. Kota Tua Jakarta

Kota Tua Jakarta (Old Town of Jakarta), is a neighborhood that covers the remaining part of Oud Batavia (Old Batavia) which was the first settlement of the Dutch in the area. Batavia was the name given by the Dutch to the capital of the Dutch East India Company, present-day Jakarta.

It has some important historical buildings like the building of the City Hall of Oud Batavia, from the 18th century. It has been transformed into the Museum of History of Jakarta.

9. Ancol Dream Park

It is the largest and most popular amusement park in Jakarta with many attractions, restaurants, an oceanarium and a beach.

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